This restaurant closed on 21 June 2022. Thanks for the memories!
Bringing out the best in Brazilian cooking
Sabor Brasil is one of the rare full-service Brazilian restaurants in Toronto that has a decent ambience and terrific food. In fact, it does humble classics much better than most places I’ve been to in Brazil.
Most people outside of lusophone countries don’t know much about Brazilian food other than steak houses (churrascarias). Toronto does have examples of those but churrascarias are meant for a splurge meal. To get an idea of everyday Brazilian food, come to Sabor Brasil.
The food
There’s no better place to start than feijoada, the national dish. It’s a hearty stew of black beans and pig parts like feet, ribs, and chouriço (sausages). Traditionally served on weekends, Sabor Brasil is no exception and only has this on Saturdays.
Feijoada is not much to look at: it’s a dark brown morass. Thankfully, the version at Sabor Brasil came with green onion garnish that added some vibrant colour.
The beans retained their integrity and pieces of pork were tender. The sausages added another flavour dimension. The soup was rich with porky flavour. Hours of boiling had rendered connective tissue and fat into liquid. When I put the feijoada in the fridge later, I wasn’t surprised to see it gel up. That’s when you know it’s full of meaty juices. It rivals those in Rio de Janeiro. 8/10.
The feijoada came with the standard fixings: rice, farofa (toasted cassava flour), shredded greens, fried plantains, and a slice of orange. Some care about presentation was evident.
By far the best component was the rice, rivalling even the feijoada. It was quite glutinous, almost like Thai sticky rice. It had this savouriness I just can’t put my finger on. It could be MSG but that doesn’t account for the other flavours. It made the rice good enough to eat on its own. By the way, this is the same rice served with other dishes at the restaurant, so you can try it for yourself easily. 8.5/10.
The other components were respectable. I haven’t been blown away by farofa before. Since cassava is very mild in taste, farofa usually relies on other ingredients to be palatable. Either by mixing other ingredients into the cassava flour or by sprinkling the flour over other dishes. The farofa at Sabor Brasil had bits of bacon and was one of the better ones I’ve had. 7/10.
Their regular mains may not seem exciting but they are prepared with skillful technique. I’m amazed by how much flavour they can coax out of ordinary ingredients. I wasn’t expecting much from their bife acebolado, a steak with caramelized onions. Sounds like a dish a home chef might make. But I was blown away by the tempting aromas from the onions. They were sweet and savoury and reminded me how caramelized onions can transform a dish in the right hands.
The beef was medium well done and had enough bite without being chewy. It was seasoned simply with salt and pepper, letting the onions shine. The dish came with the same farofa and amazing rice as the feijoada. 8/10.
A side of feijão was included. Feijão literally means beans, but it is also a short-form for a variety of different preparations. The one here was a bean stew. As I had come to expect from Sabor Brasil, every component was flavourful. The soup was piquant and the beans were mushy and comforting. 8/10.
For my choice of side, I went with mandioca frita (fried cassava). They were fried well and had a nice golden crust. But they could use a pinch of salt and have a softer interior. 7/10.
The place
Sabor Brasil is an old school family restaurant. It’s not flashy and has earthy tones from floor tiles, brick walls, and furnishings.
I can imagine it as a lively place to watch football matches or have a family gathering. COVID-19 put an end to that but they are doing a brisk takeout business with proper protocols. The reception area is a few steps past the entrance and there is space for less than 3 customers inside.
Verdict
Superb execution of humble Brazilian dishes. Every component and dish is full of flavour. 8/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Sabor Brasil
- Rating
- 8/10
- Recommended dishes
- Feijoada
Bife encebolado - Prices
- Feijoada: $22.60 ($20.00 excluding tax)
Bife encebolado: $22.60 ($20.00 excluding tax) - Address
- 1702 St Clair Avenue West
- Hours
- Monday 1200h – 1900h
Thursday to Sunday 1200h – 1900h - Date of visit
- February 2020, January 2021