Go, rodizio !

Food glorious food. I've said quite a few unappetising things about food in Brazil - how anything that isn't natural tends to be stodgy, fatty, synthetic, over-processed, over-salted, over-sweetened, over-fried, overpriced, etc. But I have also mentioned the rodizios, or fixed-price buffets. Not so many where we used to live but loads round here. What is weird is that food in supermarkets is often prohibitively expensive (try finding decent cheese that doesn't break the bank) and a la carte food in restaurants and cafes is also expensive.

But if you look around you can find a few real gems offering wonderful and unlimited food for around 35 reais per head. That's about £14, including dessert. The only danger is over-eating and over-visiting. In fact, it's a pretty big danger when the difference between supermarket shopping and rodizio restaurants is so much smaller than it would be in the UK. If you can control yourself then these veritable banquets of sushi, salad, meats, fish and delicious deserts and fruits are the one bright spot of budget living in Sao Paulo.

Today we went to Chef du Jour, where Chef Patron Renato was his usual warm and welcoming self. Amazing food with the knock-out blow of a homemade Torta Holandesa (Dutch Tart). Other venues locally are Fresh & Natural and Bovinus and further afield is the best value rodizio in all of Sao Paulo (probably all of Brazil, too): Cachoeira Tropical (weekdays a giveaway 20 reais, including fruit drinks and tea, coffee; weekends just three reais more). I've mentioned all these restaurants before, apart from the more recently discovered Chef du Jour.