After walking up down Collins avenue for a few hours, I was ready to chow down on some traditional Cuban food. I made a detour along Washington Street which is adjacent to Espanola Way. Filled with Italian, Argentinean, Cuban, and Brazilian cuisines, Espanola way was by far one of the most unique (and my favorite) parts of Miami. I stumbled around the cobbled street in my food-deprived state until I found a dining establishment that I could afford. While it wasn’t quite the Cuban food I was looking for, I found a fairly inexpensive Brazilian place by the name of Boteco (there are other unaffiliated and more expensive restaurants by the name of Boteca around the city as well).
Eager to try new genre of food and also desperate for some sustenance, I was quickly seated by the friendly waiter. Sporting a huge camera and a map of the city, I was obviously a tourist. However, he was nice enough to ask me about my visit to my Miami and how I was enjoying “his city”. I informed him of my little adventure from the day prior to which he expressed sympathy and uncontrollable laughter. After the both of us were done basking in my misfortunes, I asked what might be a traditional Brazilian dish that could fulfill a hungry traveller. The waiter pointed to “shrimp bobo” on the menu, described as a “typical Brazilian shrimp salad”. Not really sure what to expect, I ordered anyway, eager to see what the dish would actually entail.
My waiter clearly knew what he was talking about because when the shrimp bobo came out, oh sweet Hesus did it look good. And it tasted even better. Shrimp bobo consists of plate of baby shrimp covered by a creamy Brazilian sauce. The sauce was primarily made from tomatoes and yucca plant as well herbs/spices found in similar dishes. In addition to the bobo, the plate came with brown rice and a simple salad with lettuce and corn. The sauce was amazing. Full of flavor and rich enough to leave my perfectly satisfied even after my long day. The rice and salad (which I mixed in with the sauce and shrimp) complimented the richness of the sauce and meatiness of the baby the shrimp. SO. GOOD. And completely happy with this impromptu find.
While I’m one to usually rush through a meal, I took my sweet time finishing up my food. As I finished up, the waiter brought my check and I asked him how long he had lived in the city. Turns out he moved to Miami only 3 months ago, having lived in Brazil most of his life. “I love this country and I love Miami. My apartment is a block away from the beach. I swim in the morning, go to work, and go out at night. I can get a job here and make good money. What else could I ask for?” We wrapped up our little conversation and he wished me good luck in my travels. If all Brazzlian food (and people) are this nice, I may have to make a little visit to Rio in a few years…
For some more info on where I went to eat, check out their Yelp! listing at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/boteco-copacabana-restaurante-miami-beach#query:brazilian%20food
If you want to try and make shrimp bobo yourself, here’s a recipe that seemed to replicate what I ordered: http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/adventureswithruth/2009/10/shrimp-bobo
Posted on July 30, 2010
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