Here in Brazil, canja de galinha, or rice and chicken soup, is food for convalescents – typical hospital fare, in fact – and to that end, it’s usually made with no salt, no fat, no seasoning. A few bars and restaurants, however, have found a way to elevate this dish. And Dom Cavalcanti, a fixture of Lapa nightlife, makes the most delicious canja in all of Rio.
This popular botequim, a small bar that serves traditional snacks and dishes, is not located in the sceniest part of Lapa, but in a quieter neighborhood, Bairro de Fátima, just a five-minute walk from where everything’s happening. Kitschy and a little too brightly lit, Dom Cavalcanti is open almost every day until three in the morning, which makes it an excellent last stop at the end of a night out before heading off to bed. And if it’s been a particularly memorable night out, some canja is most definitely in order.
The soup arrives at the table in a huge, steaming bowl accompanied by some fresh bread. There’s almost half a liter of soup in there, full of much more than rice and chicken, including carrots, potatoes, parsley, mint and some secret ingredients. The flavor is intense; eating this profoundly comforting food is like getting a big hug. It’s even better with some beer – and Dom Cavalcanti serves plenty of excellent Brazilian and imported suds at good prices.
The menu here offers a host of other inexpensive, tasty dishes, the best of which is the shredded dried meat with catupiry (Brazilian cream cheese), served on a huge plate. Four hungry men could eat this without worrying about how to eat the next day. Other dishes, like the traditional churrasco misto, a combination meat platter (served as appetizers or main course), are also interesting.
But when we’re looking for a restorative pick-me-up, we definitely want some of the canja de galinha. It’s the best kind of medicine.
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Published on November 26, 2014
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