Cafe Brasil: A Passion for Passion Fruit

When you walk into at 11736 W. Washington Blvd., the vibrant colors and eclectic furniture immediately create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Fresh flowers and bowls of fruit decorate the tables and vintage photographs of the area add interest to the orange and yellow walls. 

“It was always my dream to open my own restaurant,” says owner, Marcelino Filho. He fulfilled that dream in 1993 when together with his wife Fatima, they opened Café Brasil at 10831 Venice Blvd. Twelve years later, they opened the current Mar Vista location together with the , which sits next door. Marcelino came up with the dishes to on the menu and his wife, Fatima cooks the dishes at both restaurants.

I ordered a few vegetarian dishes a la carte. The fried yucca was a crunchy treat that paired well with the garlicky collard greens and the sweetness of the fried plantains. I also tried the white rice, black beans and salsa and was impressed by the fresh flavor and tastiness of these basic staples. I knew there was something extra special in each of these dishes but couldn't figure out what it was.

The secret ingredient, Marcelino revealed, is garlic. Fatima uses it in almost all of her dishes. No wonder everything tasted so good! The beans are partially pureed with garlic and then mixed with whole beans, giving the dish its creamy texture.

My dining companion had the grilled chicken breast dinner served with white rice, black beans, fried plantains, fresh salsa and a side salad that was dressed with the same marinade as the chicken. He declared the bird moist, tender and flavorful. All entrees are marinated with fresh garlic, water, oil, mustard and Brazilian spices before being grilled.

The house specialty is a traditional Feijoada, a pork and beef stew with black beans. Marcelino says that people in Brazil eat this on the weekends, have a caipirinha (Brazilian mojito) and take a siesta. The Feijoada is a heavier dish, so people tend not to eat it as much during the week when they have to go back to work.

Be sure to try a glass of fresh passion fruit juice or the Liberdade, (the spiked version) with sake, passion fruit juice and sugar. Cafe Brasil uses Sake in its cocktails in place of Cachaça - the Brazilian version of rum -  since they don't have a full liquor license, only  a beer and wine license.

The best part of the meal was the passion fruit mousse I had for dessert, which was simultaneously tart and sweet. My taste buds salivated more with each bite and it soon became addictive. The texture was light and creamy and each spoonful exploded with flavor in my mouth. This is my new favorite dessert.

Next time I’m going to Café Brasil for the late breakfast, which consists of scrambled eggs with collard greens, bread with butter and jelly, low fat cheese, tomato, cheese bread and fried plantains, plus Brazilian coffee and fresh juice. This entire feast is only $8.50 and is served all day.

, 11736 W. Washington Blvd., Mar Vista, CA 90066, 310-391-1216

Hours: 11a.m.-10p.m. seven days of week.