RIO DE JANEIRO, March 20 — Alex Atala has become Brazil’s first and only chef to score two Michelin stars in the inaugural edition of the Michelin guide for his Sao Paulo restaurant D.O.M.
Atala, widely cited as the unofficial ambassador of native, Brazilian cuisine, is the highest-ranked chef according to an early preview published quietly on Michelin’s official site ahead of the official announcement.
The inaugural guide for Brazil, which was announced last year, focuses on Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo and features 17 starred restaurants.
While D.O.M. was awarded two stars, the rest hold a single star.
Sao Paulo dominates the list, with 11 restaurants, with six eateries coming from Rio.
It comes as no surprise that Atala makes his debut in the Michelin world, given his string of accolades and awards.
In addition to winning the title of best restaurant in Brazil in 2013, Atala was also named the Lifetime Achievement Winner by the organisers of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants last year.
“Bringing to the fore Tupinquim ingredients that were overlooked by or unfamiliar to other renowned chefs, such as priprioca, black rice and pupunha palm heart, his cooking surprises and stimulates the palate, offering a veritable journey through the flavours, textures and produce of Brazil,” reads a blurb on the Michelin site.
“Passion and a prodigious technical skill have resulted in his innovative, creative and seasonal cuisine becoming a reference point for Brazilian cooking.”
Here are the starred restaurants in Brazil, representing modern, Brazilian, French and Japanese cuisines:
Two-Stars
D.O.M., Sao Paulo
One-Star
Huto, Sao Paulo
Dalva e Dito, Sao Paulo
Oro, Rio de Janeiro
Roberta Sudbrack, Rio de Janeiro
Kinoshita, Sao Paulo
Epice, Sao Paulo
Kosushi, Sao Paulo
Tuju, Sao Paulo
Le Pré Catelan, Rio de Janeiro
Olympe, Rio de Janeiro
Attimo, Sao Paulo
Maní, Sao Paulo
Jun Sakamoto, Sao Paulo
Mee, Rio de Janeiro
Lasai, Rio de Janeiro
Fasano, Sao Paulo
— AFP-Relaxnews
