Auborada

Biting into a freshly fried pastel releases a plume of fragrant steam from its crisp pastry shell, a familiar street-corner snack across Brazil. Located in a basement in Kichijoji, Alvorada (アウボラーダ) serves pastéis filled with beef, cheese, or a combination of both, alongside a wide range of fried snacks (salgadinhos) such as coxinhas—mini croquettes stuffed with chicken breast—and quibe made from seasoned beef and bulgur wheat. For those who want to sample several flavors in small bites, starting with an assorted salgadinho platter makes an easy opening.

Adding further warmth to the meal are the skewered meats known as churrasquinho, prepared in a homestyle barbecue fashion. Savory grilled offerings—such as flavorful fresh linguiça sausage, marinated beef skewers (espetinho), and tender, springy chicken hearts (coração)—whet the appetite straight off the heat. When you want something more substantial, there is also picanha, a sirloin cap steak simply grilled with rock salt to highlight the natural savor of the beef.

For the center of the meal, comforting, deeply savory one-plate stews take over. The classic feijoada, slow-simmered with black beans, beef round, and Brazilian sausages, is the signature dish, offering a rustic depth when eaten with rice. Depending on your preference, other choices include moqueca baiana, rich with seafood and coconut milk, or feijão com arroz, which foregoes meat to spotlight the pure flavor of stewed beans.

With counter seating alongside dining tables, the unpretentious interior easily accommodates relaxed evenings spent over Brazilian spirits and cocktails. Lunch is also served on weekends, allowing diners to explore Brazilian food culture at their own pace, from a casual single plate to a table spread with shared dishes at night.