French Brasserie, France to the rhythm of Rio
A project by renowned chef Elia Schramm in Ipanema, Francese Brasserie.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, and raised in the Italian part of the country, he moved to Rio at the age of eight, though his culinary passion (which triumphed over his law studies) brought him back to Europe for his chef training. He worked in London at the Savoy under Gordon Ramsay, and in France, of course, at the legendary Le Taillevent, and with Christian Constant and Alain Ducasse.
Very close to his first success—Babbo Osteria, with its Italian flair—is Francesa Brasserie: right on the same street in the Ipanema neighborhood. Here, Elia pays a second tribute to his Swiss origins, the first stage of his professional life, but, far removed from French rigidity, he opts for a relaxed format both in the atmosphere and the menu, where, of course, the fresh flavors of Brazil make an appearance.
Schramm, with his precise technique (one would expect nothing less from a Swiss chef) and, at the same time, his Carioca-style creative libertinism, doesn't hold back when proposing a scallop and hearts of palm carpaccio with mango and Korean pepper vinaigrette and noisette butter. A fresh preparation that already hints at the French, yes, but joyfully open style of his approach. He approaches the 'Caesar eggs' (his version of the traditional ouefs mayonnaise) with the same cross-border vision, dancing among lettuces, croutons, and Parmesan. The egg is cooked to perfection. And then there's the tarte du jardin, an homage to Alain Passard, in filo pastry with burrata and ratatouille, a joyful burst of color.
Elia then travels to Valenciennes (northern France) with her smoked tongue, a vibrant mille-feuille marbled with foie gras butter and accompanied by green beans with raspberry and hazelnuts. The well-known langue lucullus, to put it simply.
Tropical flair with a touch of irreverence: melt-in-your-mouth (and elegant) banana gnocchi with a banana vinaigrette, crunchy almonds, fondutta (banana and Parmesan), and button mushrooms. Schramm likes to push boundaries.
For the fish course, the chef presents an olho de cao with beurre blanc and capers. And for the meat course, he offers a magnificent tournedos Rossini, served with a side of perfectly cooked, thin fries.
I don't avoid desserts: their contemporary and refined version of pavlova, and, why not, their profiteroles with hot chocolate, so expensive to see these days.
It is clear, at Francese Brasserie, that culinary fun is not at odds with rigor.