Food & drink
JULY 11 SEARCH FOR CITY’S MOST EXPERIMENTAL FOODIE... DO you think you could create the Liverpool skyline entirely out of multi-flavoured jelly, or a life-sized sculpture that bubbles and churns when brought to the dinner table? Ahead of the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival in September, organisers SK Events are searching the region for a 'new Heston Blumenthal'. Photo: Jason Roberts
Photos: Paul Heaps
CARNIVORES’
HEAVEN You can bank on a good meal at Viva Brazil, says Katie McLoughlin, as she treats her tastebuds to a taste of Brazil...
THE Brazilica Festival sambas its way into Liverpool this month so, ahead of the July 15-17 event, I headed to Viva Brazil Churrascaria on Castle Street to get into the Latin spirit. Housed within a former bank, the restaurant offers an authentic Brazilian steakhouse experience with a whole menagerie of meats marinated in the traditional Brazilian way, slow-roasted on a charcoal barbecue and paraded through the restaurant by an army of passadors (carvers) who carve the meat at your table. There are 15 varieties of meat to try and Viva Brazil’s traffic-light system is simple – just turn your coaster to green when you want the passadors to stop at your table, or red to pause or stop. After welcoming us and explaining the concept, the attentive staff showed my boyfriend and I to a plush booth, one of many in the restaurant, which is decorated in swathes of deep red with dark wooden tables, sleek light fittings and a huge charcoal barbecue taking centre stage. Settling into our sumptuous surroundings, we prepared to embrace Viva Brazil’s fun dining concept but, when it came to choosing drinks, we were overwhelmed by the sheer range on offer. The restaurant has one of the most extensive wine lists I’ve come across, including plenty of Brazilian, Italian and Chilean options. Plus, there’s a lengthy cocktail list to peruse so, after deliberating between a South American plonk and a caiprinha, we sought the advice of manager, Sadie, who recommended a crisp, mediumbodied Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Armed with our coloured coasters, we started our culinary journey to South America with a trip to the extensive salad bar. In fact, to call it a salad bar is something of a disservice as there are over 20 cold side-dishes, salads, meats, cheeses,
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BEST OF LIVERPOOL
vegetables, fruits, sauces and breads and eight hot Brazilian dishes to choose between. Having been warned not to fill up on the salad bar, we both sampled five or six dishes, as well as the Brazilian parmesan bread rolls, which were delicious. With our coasters firmly on green, we began our carnivores’ feast with parmesan pork – moist, tender pork with the piquant taste of a salty parmesan rub on the outside. No sooner had we bitten into it though, when another passador came to the table, this time with a succulent sirloin. After more meats were brought over in quick succession and our plates were laden with chilli chicken, beef ribs, chicken in bacon and garlic rump steak; we turned our coasters to red before any more was brought over, as even my meat-loving boyfriend was struggling to keep up with the pace! Devouring our meaty feast, we found most of the meats to be delicious, the pork and beef sirloin in particular were beautiful. Full and content, we kept our coasters on red and took a little break. However, when
my dining companion spotted the lamb from the other side of the restaurant, he swiftly flipped them to green so that we didn’t miss out! Marinated in red and white wine, garlic, sea salt and bay leaves, the lamb was packed with flavour. After sampling no fewer than seven different meats, we finally admitted defeat and enjoyed another glass of Sauvignon Blanc whilst our meal settled. With our bellies fit to bursting, we audibly groaned as a plate of pineapple arrived at our table. The prospect of more food – even if it was just fruit – was daunting after such a meat-laden meal. However Sadie explained that the pineapple aids digestion and helps to break down all that protein. Cooked on the barbecue and coated with caramelised cinnamon sugar, the juicy fruit was a refreshing palate cleanser. Following the pineapple, a trio of desserts was brought over for us to sample. The passionfruit mousse was uber-sweet and creamy, while the Brigadeirao – a Brazilian chocolate mousse cake – was rich, velvety and indulgent. Out of the three puds, our favourite by-far was the traditional Brazilian caramel pudding, a cross between a cake and a crème caramel. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our Brazilian culinary adventure; the food was good, the atmosphere fun and the service was attentive without being obtrusive. Viva Brazil offers great value too as you can eat as much or as little as you like for a set price of £13.95 for lunch or £23.95 for dinner for the full rodizio. Take my advice though and don’t eat anything for lunch if you’re going here – it’s carnivore heaven! Visit Viva Brazil, 36 Castle Street, Liverpool, L2 0NR, tel: 0151 236 8080 or go to www.vivabrazilrestaurants.com
The competition – which is open until Tuesday, July 18 – is a chance for experimental local foodies, chefs and cookery students to delight diners with their weird and wonderful creations by combining inspirational ideas, unusual ingredients and irregular apparatus. The top-10 most-innovative entries and the overall winner will be judged by leading food experimentalists and culinary event curators Bompas and Parr, who’re famed for their extravagant chocolate waterfalls, jelly airports, cocktail lakes and even inhalable gin clouds. The most innovative entries will also be showcased in the new Food Lab at the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival’s official launch event later this year.
ADD SOME SPICE TO YOUR DINNER... Frango com Pimenta (Chilli Chicken) Ingredients: • 5kg chicken thighs (Oyster cut) • 500ml water • 70g sea salt • 1 tablespoon ground paprika • 1 heaped teaspoon chilli flakes • 100ml white wine • Juice of two lemons • 5 garlic cloves • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped Method: 1. Wash chicken and trim excess fat and skin. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix together thoroughly. Add the chicken and rub the marinade into each cut. Leave to marinate in a fridge for at least 12 hours.
2. To cook, place on a high fire BBQ or grill to create a crust with a light yellow appearance. Then hold on medium fire for 12-15 mins until the chicken is a deep orange colour, and cooked through, with no blood inside.
Director of SK Events Denise Harris says: “Gastronomy is all about the art and science of good eating and we’re looking for all types of weird and wonderful food creations, in any shape or size. Competition entrants will be whittled down to a shortlist of 10 who’ll showcase their designs at the festival’s official launch and at the festival awards on September 12.” For details on how to enter, and a full calendar of events and activities taking place during the festival, visit
www.liverpoolfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk