In hilly Vila Medeiros, a working class district of São Paulo, small houses and businesses cling to each other for miles on end, only separated by the occasional tiled yard, narrow side streets and avenues where buses roar.
Tourists might pass up the neighborhood altogether if it weren’t for Mocotó, a northeastern restaurant where young chef Rodrigo Oliveira has carved himself a niche in Sampa's competitive culinary scene.
Rodrigo's father, José de Oliveira Almeida, started the business in the 1970s as a small food market, which sold the broth for which the restaurant is named. He is still involved in food preparation, particularly the seasoning.
It's Thursday and I've arrived in Mocotó after taking a bus to São Paulo from Atibaia, my hometown, then the subway all the way to Tucuruvi (the last stop on the northern end of the blue line), then two buses, thanks to a wrong tip. One bus would do: the 121G (Parque Novo Mundo), which goes from the Tucuruvi station to the corner of Gustalvo Adolfo and Nossa Senhora do Loreto, where the restaurant is located.
I don't mind the effort. People go farther for culinary travel, and I'm eager to try dishes created by one of Brazil's recent revelation chefs, called "a genius" by chef Alex Atala of D.O.M. and Dalva e Dito in a 2008 interview.
Mocotó:
Avenida nossa Senhora do Loreto 1100
Vila Medeiros
São Paulo - SP
Phone: 55-11-2951-3056
E-mail: contato@mocoto.com.br
Open Mon-Thur noon - 10 p.m., Fri and Sat noon - 11 p.m., Sun noon - 5 p.m.
