Italian Passion, Brazilian Panaché

By Azrina Abdul Karim

Chef Aldo Texeira combines his love for Italian cuisine with the endless variety of Brazilian fruits.

Located on the tranquil Rua Bela Cintra in the hilly suburbs of Sao Paolo, La Forchetta (‘fork’ in Italian) is a charming little restaurant, almost hidden from view and cannot be seen from the streets. Perhaps this is apt, as the restaurant does not need an introduction. Owned by Chef Aldo Texeira, it is constantly full during lunch and is booked solid on weekends for weddings and other events.

Attached to the intimate business hotel Quality Suites Bela Cintra, the restaurant is well suited to serving business travellers looking to kick start their day with a heart-warming breakfast. Looking out into the serene courtyard garden, guests can partake in a morning buffet complete with fresh fruits and juices, traditional Brazilian cakes, delicious cheeses, and of course excellent Brazilian coffee. The restaurant’s dessert tray is also extensive with cakes made of guava or adorned with fresh strawberries and passion fruit.

The first of four restaurants owned by Texeira, La Forchetta serves a mix of Italian and Brazilian cuisine. His other restaurants, Fior D’Italia, La Terrina and Il Papavero, also carry the Italian theme. Not surprisingly, Texeira, who has Italian blood, first learned to cook from his Italian grandmother. His professional training, however, commenced at Forcheta D’oro Restaurant in 1976 where Texeira gained experience in all departments. And 18 years later, he became its new owner.

Texeira’s passion for Italian cuisine prompts him to continuously experiment with classical and homemade recipes. He is fascinated by the country of his forefathers: “Italy is composed of several provinces and each one has its characteristics. Studying and working with it, there is always something new to discover … like a small town with a particular recipe. And it gives me a very large range in which to discover new recipes and flavours.”

The risotto with fruit, one of his creations, which has also become his signature dish, combines the hearty traditional dish with a variety of fruits, from strawberries to kiwi and figs.

The chef explains, “The risotto in my opinion combines with anything. All you need is just to find the perfect combination. Brazil has a great diversity of fruits, giving me the inspiration and desire to create and try new recipes.” For example, one of Texeira’s creations, a chicken and mango dish, took two months to be perfected. The right fruit can subtly enhance the natural flavours of the main ingredient such as fish or chicken, instead of masking it. Salads are given a zesty refreshing flavour with slices of mangoes, grapes and tiny balls of melons. Brazil is so rich in its variety of fruits that endless varieties of recipes can be derived, just by adding them to a simple dish of risotto or salad.

Although not easy to find in Sao Paolo, Texeira is also keen on incorporating the fruits of the Amazon, for its “unique and captivating flavour”.

Delegate For Ease To Create

Constantly thinking about ways to expand, Texeira relies heavily on the professionalism of his chefs at each restaurant. They are responsible for maintaining the quality of the food, from “when he receives the raw material until the finalisation of the dish”.

“All dishes are prepared with a datasheet,” he adds. Apart from his chefs, Texeira also depends on his nutritionist and consultant who specialises in food engineering to maintain food quality and monitor the hygienic conditions of his restaurants. He also keeps close contact with his restaurant managers. His staff, Texeria adds, are also sent for sommelier courses and given training by the manager.

All his restaurants are located in Brazil’s largest city of Sao Paolo, home to about 11 million people. The city is huge, covering an area of 1,523 sq km. To maintain a close eye on his restaurants, Texeira makes regular visits, but rely mostly on his chefs and capable team.
Delegating, for Texeira, allows him to concentrate on concepts and creating new recipes, as well as planning ways to further expand his business. The current global economic slowdown does not faze him.

With a twinkle in his eyes, Chef Texeria exclaims, “I love an economic crisis! When we have an economic crisis, I feel obliged to work more ... create more ... and therefore, I do not feel the crisis!”