Erratic rains dictate menu at three-star Michelin restaurant in Brazil
Brazilian Fine Dining Adapts to Unpredictable Weather Patterns
Bharatmorningnews.com – Climate change is reshaping culinary practices even at the highest echelons of gastronomy. Tuju, a prestigious three-Michelin-star establishment located in Brazil, has found itself navigating the challenges posed by increasingly erratic rainfall patterns.
Chef Ivan Ralston and his partner, Katherina Cordas, dedicated two years to researching regional ingredients sourced primarily from Sao Paulo state. However, utilizing these products at their optimal moment presents ongoing difficulties for the team.
A Menu Driven by Nature’s Moods
The restaurant presents four distinct menus throughout the year titled “Humidity,” “Rain,” “Gale,” and “Drought.” Unlike traditional seasonal offerings, these selections are not bound to specific calendar dates.
“Sao Paulo is usually dry in July, but this year it stayed somewhat wetter because of El Nino, so mushroom season lasted almost twice as long. You always have to stay alert and adapt,” said Ralston.
Cordas, who operates a culinary research center established alongside the restaurant, emphasized the necessity of constant adjustment. At 38 years old, she noted that the region experiences chaotic summer storms while winter brings dry reservoirs, requiring considerable flexibility from the kitchen staff.
Recognition and Culinary Excellence
Tuju resides in Sao Paulo, a sprawling metropolis home to 12 million residents and recognized as a gastronomic center. During April, the establishment achieved its third Michelin star, joining Evvai as one of only two Latin American venues to receive this top distinction.
“The third star is like a black belt for karate practitioners,” said Ralston, whose parents operate restaurants and who completed training in premier kitchens across Spain and Japan.
Despite this prestigious achievement, Ralston maintains humility regarding the accolade. He believes that chasing perfection can become superficial, asserting instead that Tuju delivers an authentic dining experience.
The Dining Experience
The restaurant’s ten-course tasting menu features products obtained from small-scale producers throughout Sao Paulo state. Items such as sardines, pork, artichokes, chestnuts, grapes, guava, and capers are prepared using contemporary methods that highlight both creativity and extensive behind-the-scenes research, according to Michelin.
Within the minimalist dining room, eight young chefs—predominantly women—work in quiet synchronization inside an open kitchen illuminated dramatically at its center. Cordas, who is also the mother of two of Ralston’s children, moves gracefully between nine green marble tables to serve guests.
Visitors pay 1,650 reais for the tasting menu. The evening commences with cocktails served beneath a towering jabuticaba tree, a Brazilian native, near a glass-enclosed wine cellar containing 5,000 bottles. The meal concludes on a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views, where guests enjoy chocolates and honey harvested from native stingless bees.
Challenges and Reflections
Ralston has expressed mild frustration that certain patrons visit primarily to capture content for social media platforms. He encourages diners to focus on the details of their meal rather than marketing their lifestyle.
“Eating is a moment to pay attention to details. My advice would be: stop working on the marketing of living and enjoy life a little more!”
Ralston launched Tuju in 2014 and received his inaugural Michelin star within months. A second star followed subsequently before the pandemic forced the restaurant to temporarily close. Following a two-year investigation into Brazilian cuisine with Cordas, the couple re-opened Tuju in 2023, naming it after a Latin American bird.
Sao Paulo currently holds more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in Latin America, though the guide evaluates only locations within Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Despite half a million families experiencing extreme poverty in the city, Ralston credits its culinary richness to the substantial economic power of Sao Paulo.
“There’s a lot of money here,” he explained regarding the city’s economic size.
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