PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

Rio's favorite Japanese restaurant, Madame Butterfly continues to offer creative and interesting cuisine. The two sisters Marina and Teresa who run the restaurant are always on the look out for new ideas and of some uniquely Japanese dishes (not adapted to Western taste buds) such as umewan soup, a rich broth made with Japanese plums, algae, and horseradish as well as delicious Brazilian-Japanese hybrids such as gyoza with Brazilian abóbora pumpkin, ginger-flavored lobster served on a cheese risotto, or a caramelized lamb chop with ginger and sesame seeds. Another interesting twist is the casquinha de siri, a Japanese-inflected version of the traditional Bahian appetizer. As done in the Butterfly, the dish features crabmeat and spices on a half shell sprinkled with fresh fish eggs. Madame Butterfly also serves exquisite Kobe beef. Try a grilled skewer or carpaccio. To sample a variety of dishes, diners can also opt for a tasting menu for two (R$115/US$57/£31).

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Brazil, 4th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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