These thin, light pancakes, which also can be had filled with mushrooms, chicken or smoked ham, are finished with a dab of tomato sauce and some Parmesan cheese. The fish had a murky taste on one visit, and the shrimp were overcooked and chewy, so perhaps it's better to opt for the vegan version, made with the potatolike root vegetable yucca, one of several vegan options served here.īay shrimp tucked into a pair of Brazilian crepes were cooked just right, however, joined by hearts of palm in a gossamer coconut sauce. Here it's made with tiny bay shrimp and tilapia, the creamy coconut-milk sauce studded with bell pepper and parsley and tinted with dendé oil, a bright orange-yellow palm oil common in Bahian cooking. Moqueca Bahiana is a specialty of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. Alongside are the requisite accompaniments: white rice, ribbons of sautéed collard greens and a pile of farofa, manioc meal fried with bits of egg, bacon, onions and garlic. The inky liquid is thick with beans, fork-tender chunks of beef and pork and plenty of sausage (though these links taste closer to kielbasa than chorizo). Samba's version, tamer but still satisfying, is certainly an antidote to the wet winter weather. Often called Brazil's national dish, feijoada is a black-bean stew traditionally made with assorted fresh and cured meats, including chorizo. Samba's short menu reflects this, featuring such classic stews as feijoada and the seafood-stocked moqueca Bahiana. This is honest home-cooking, Brazilian style.īrazilian cuisine blends Portuguese, African and native Indian influences, among others. The atmosphere at Samba is so comfy and casual, you might think you had dropped by the Hassans' house for dinner, an impression reinforced when you nibble on slices of faintly sweet house-made bread and dig into a substantial plate of good, inexpensive food. His ex-wife oversees the kitchen three of their four children cater to customers in the dining room. One of them will extend a cordial welcome and show you to a glossy wood table that proprietor Sam Hassan built himself.īrazilian-born Hassan is at the service bar expertly mixing the signature cocktails of his homeland - crisp caipirinhas, fruity batidas and whiskey with guarana, the caffeine-stoked Brazilian soda. – 10:00 p.m.įor more information, or to make reservations, please call or call (973) 744-6764.Samba's come-hither tangerine glow illuminates a quiet Maple Leaf corner, promising all comers a welcome respite from waterlogged Seattle.ĭespite the name, it's not the razzle-dazzle of Rio that awaits you inside but the low-key hospitality of the Hassan family. Dinner is served Monday – Thursday, 5:30 p.m. Samba serves lunch Monday – Thursday, 11:00 a.m. Popular flavors include pineapple & mint, passion fruit, strawberry & mint, and a wonderfully refreshing lemonade blended with ice. Hot weather months are also the perfect time to enjoy Samba’s bracingly fresh, never frozen, made-to-order juice blends. And, for dessert, all can savor the vegan and gluten-free Flourless Yucca Cake with Coconut. Seafood lovers will love the hearty new Muqueca de Peixe (seafood stew of salmon, skate, dorado, saffron, tomatoes, yucca, coconut milk, cilantro, and onions). New selections include an expanded – and vegan – Plato Vegetariano (sautéed okra, collard greens, yucca, rice, beans, and fried banana). Samba now features vegetarian vegan, and gluten-free options for diners’ special diets. “We listened to guests and friends in the community, and made a lot of important menu changes,” notes owner Ilson Goncalves. Although it’s winter in most of Brazil, with record-breaking snowfalls, there’s no better place to enjoy Brazilian summer – and Brazilian cuisine – then right now at Samba Restaurant, 7 Park Street, Montclair, New Jersey.
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