Published on the Umbrella magazine:
The CasaShopping mall in Barra da Tijuca, close to BarraShopping
specializes in home furnishings and is a nice place to buy from bathtubs to
bath towels, from mattresses to lamps, just to mention a few of the goodies to
be found there. Also if you like, a stroll around is always agreeable, as it’s
got lots of open spaces.
What you may not know is
that there are now many gastronomical options in the mall. In the new building
on the recently expanded site, the novelty is “L’Entrecôte de Paris”. As is customary
in Brazil, everything with a French name is supposedly posh… but the concept
does not apply in this case. Do not enter the place unaware for all you will
find is steak and chips. That is it! The menu consists of one single solitary item,
one only choice: steak, chips and a “secret” sauce. Supposedly, like its
namesake and inspiration on the Champs Élysées in Paris.
The sauce deserves a
special paragraph: the waiter will tell you that the sauce is secret, which may
lead your imagination to excelsior, to infinity, to heaven. On the other hand,
it may cause you an excruciating doubt: will I like it? Is it something I am
allergic to? Fear not! When the secret is unveiled, it turns out to be a
mustard sauce. This can be a tad disappointing since mustard usually has a
permanent place inside refrigerator shelves in our homes. It certainly is fine
to weave the eating experience with a little suspense; however, there are
better ways to tell the story. Such as, the recipe has been kept secret for a
long time, or that is a family tradition being passed down through generations…
In short, explain a little bit more of the puzzle.
The food is served pre-sliced,
similar to the “London Broil” offering common to US steakhouse menus, and you
add sauce as desired. The size of the steak is … How shall we put it delicately?
Let us say that ladies on a diet will approve. Those having a hearty appetite
may have to do with – here is the good news – chips, which are really good! You
order as many chips as you can devour and the flow of the sauce stops only when
you ask.
Included in the price is
an honest small – not tiny! – serving of salad. The appetizer consists of bread
and the charge is R$ 5,50 per person. Draft Stella Artois beer is sold at R$ 8,00 and
l’entrecote itself costs R$ 48,59. For dessert those with a sweet tooth should
ask for the “marquise au chocolat”, delectable at R$ 18,40.
The seating capacity of
the restaurant is 96 seats, and you can expect to find the restaurant almost
empty at 1 pm on a regular Friday; upon finishing your meal, you will be amazed
by the full occupancy of the salon and the queue forming up outside.
The address in Barra da
Tijuca is Av. Ayrton Senna, 2150 – CasaShopping, Bloco O, lojas G and H. It is
open from Monday to Sunday from 12 am to 10 pm. Credit cards are all welcome. If
you are curious and would like to explore the place’s “secrets”, you can find more
information at http://lentrecotedeparis.com.br .
Bon appétit!
foto: tripadvisor
