Rafael Gomes, the famous Masterchef 2018 winner, has recently opened the restaurant Itacoa Rio on the second floor of the Shopping Village Mall, in Barra. In order to put the restaurant’s fame to the test, we went there for lunch and tried a bit of what they have to offer.
Among the appetizers, we ordered the Croquette de Porco na Lata and Tataki Wagyu. First of all, the Croquette was really crunchy and the meat was really soft. However, the filling could be creamier and the meat was a bit too salty, but this issue could be solved once it was eaten with the sauce. Conversely, the tataki was absolutely perfect, where the meat was shredded to the extent that it was not hard to bite and chew. Everything ended up harmonious inside the mouth! It came with some cheese powder, which gave an unbeatable taste; sesame and seeds on top, giving a special touch.
The main dishes that were ordered were: Ravioli de Boeuf Bourguignon, Polvo Grelhado and Tornedor de Filet Mignon. We thought that the ravioli had a really strong taste due to the blue cheese, which overpowered the other flavours - and if eaten too much, it would be too much to handle. The sauce was really creamy, and the meat filling of the ravioli had an amazing texture. The octopus had a really unique and exotic taste. There was a strong presence of lemon in this dish, which was overwhelming at first but became less intense as we ate it. Overall, it harmonized well, but the potatoes and octopus could have been more tender. Lastly, the tornedor was really soft, but it would have been even better if it was a bit less overcooked. The risotto on the other hand, was outstanding! It was really creamy and the rice was perfectly al dente. We all loved this risotto; it was, by far, everyone’s favorite.
For desserts, we ordered: Chocolate Branco Belga - the famously known winning dessert of masterchef - the Petit Gâteau de Nutella, and O Tal Bolo de Coco. In the first one, we really enjoyed the taste and texture of the chocolate cream - except for Sofia, who thought it was bland, but agreed that the texture was amazing. The passion fruit gelato was great but not outstanding. As per the petit gateau, it was simply a normal petit gateau that you can find in any restaurant. However, things soon changed when we tried the coconut cake: it was absolutely delicious - the best out of all three! The presentation is stunning: a waiter comes with a hot, liquidy syrup and drops it on the gold-plated chocolate sphere, melting it and revealing the beautiful cake inside. There were also some crunchy pieces of chocolate that contrasted nicely with the softness of the cake. Although it would be even better if the amount of sweetness was lower, we absolutely loved it and would surely recommend anyone who enjoys coconut to order it.
Overall, Itacoa Rio is a very nice restaurant and we strongly recommend it for a casual weekend meal, for instance. It has a wide array of dishes, the environment and service are really pleasing, and the price is acceptable - being in total R$599,20 (including service tax) for a five-person lunch. Reservations are not strictly required but are recommended for dinners with more than five people. In conclusion, our favourite dishes were: Tataki Wagyu, Tornedor de Filet Mignon and O Tal Bolo de Coco.
Photos: Sofia Zhang
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