Brazilian & South African flair & flavour at Catuabar
By Neil Roake
Andreas Bonnstraat 40H, 1091 BA Amsterdam, Netherlands
BOOK NOWAmsterdam’s graffiti artist, Lasser 3.14, creates poetry on the streets by tagging the sides of buildings, especially those under construction, with bold statements about politics, popular culture, and everyday life. As I cycled past this one, it made me smile: “I get high just by looking at you.” In the bar, on the wall next to the counter at CATUABAR, there’s an original piece by Lasser 3.14 that perfectly captures the essence of the establishment: “Shake it until you make it.” This phrase embodies the spirit of the three owners, Chef Gui, Alex, and Saskia—two from Brazil and one from Johannesburg. Their story is one of an original trio who brought their diverse talents together. Chef Gui looks after the food, Alex the cocktails, and Saskia the front of house. The three banded together and bought an old tapas theatre bar on a bustling street in Oost, and invited you to share Southern Hemisphere hospitality.
TERRACE BITES & COCKTAILS
If you feel like an impromptu date night or meeting with a few friends after work, and if that elusive sun manages to peek through the clouds, head to their small terrace and get acquainted with their bustling street in Oost. Grab a glass of wine or one of Alex’s cocktails and order from their Bites menu. Ever had golden cassava fries? Cassava, also the ingredient in the pearls of bubble tea (I never knew!), is served with herb mayo. Then move on to the choripán, which combines chorizo and pan (bread in Portuguese). The choripán, paired with authentic chimichurri, is served on special crystal bread (Spanish-style ciabatta) and is excellent! But wait, there are more Brazilian street snacks—don’t miss the Dadinho. These crunchy, chewy, cheesy cubes are mind-blowingly delicious and come with an ice-cold spicy jam dipper. Dadinho means “little dice” in Portuguese, and these are worth cycling past for an ice-cold beer and a bowl of them. Trust me. There’s also a nod to Saskia’s Johannesburg upbringing with a bowl of biltong, the South African version of jerky. But I’m vegetarian, so until someone invents meat-free biltong, I’ll skip it.
COSY À LA CARTE
On Thursdays and Fridays, you can experience their à la carte menu. Kickstart with some of the Brazilian street snacks and move on to their delicious new summer menu. Steak tartare (egg yolk gel, mustard seeds, caper powder, plantain chips) or crispy pork belly (black-eyed bean salad, farofa, togarashi mayonnaise) are just two of the meat offerings. The crispy tostada of tuna, chipotle mayo, crispy leek, and avo would make a great fish choice. Vegetarians are sorted with burrata (watermelon gazpacho, chard bright lights, coriander seeds, cucumber powder) or grilled turnips (açaí & sweet potato purée, fresh fennel & kohlrabi). It’s an imaginative, tasty menu that is presented with skill.
THE EXPERIENCE
Chef Gui comes from pedigreed stock in the kitchen. I was lucky enough to eat at Restaurant Central in Lima, Peru, where he worked and was blown away. Both he and Alex also worked alongside the master of South American gastronomy, Alex Atala, so you’re in good hands here. The Experience is where this ambitious, talented trio wants to make their mark with their Fridays and Saturdays set menus. Choose four or six courses with optional cocktail pairings. If you go for The Experience, definitely include the cocktail pairings. Where else can you get a mini cocktail for six euros in Amsterdam? These are well-crafted, delicious, and thoughtfully prepared.
When it comes to the cocktails, you’re most certainly going to experience something exceptional, which comes from the rich history of Alex’s work done not only in Brazil but also in London. The ones I really like are from the Forgotten Classics section, where they name where the cocktails were invented. Take the Sazerac, invented in 1860 in New Orleans, which combines cognac, bourbon, rye, syrup, a dash of absinthe, and bitters. Another favourite is the Rum DMC, which showcases a collaboration between the front-of-house kitchen and the back-of-house kitchen. Chef Gui hands Alex some of the corn cobs he’s been working with, and Alex makes a homemade corn rum, mixing it with Fino Sherry, aged cachaça, and apricot brandy. Although there is loads of cocktail innovation on Alex’s menu, one cocktail I couldn’t miss is the authentic Caipirinha, reminiscent of my many trips to Rio, all of which involved drinking (too many) Caipirinhas on the beach. (Give me those beaches again please!) It most certainly didn’t disappoint and made me wonder why cachaça isn’t more popular outside of Rio.
Catuabar
The Place: A trio of good times, great food, and amazing cocktails, rolled into one big Brazilian/South African hug.
The Space: When the sun is shining, head for the terrace. The rest of the time, the warm and cosy green hues will make even the coldest days outside seem a little bit warmer.
The Base: Bites start at €5 euros, Plates €15-18. Expect €50-70 per person for dinner.
The Face: Young, old, adventurous – those who are seeking a little bit of EXTRA.
The Ace: Fridays and Saturdays, THE EXPERIENCE MENU! 4-courses for €42 + €24 with cocktail pairing, or 6 courses for €58 + €36 with cocktail pairing. Also, enjoy their ever-changing DJ sets and wine events. It’s a social experience.
The Veg: Chef Gui and Saskia always find ways to accommodate both vegans and vegetarians. Almost every dish is available with a meat-free alternative. A rare thing indeed for the chefs to be so accommodating.
Opening Times: Wed-Thurs 17:00-23:00, Fri-Aat 17:00-02:00, Sun-Tues closed
Images from catuabar.nl, Catuabar
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