A new Brazilian concept dubbed Basil Brazil Cuisine is set to take over the former home of Jade China outside the Plaza Del Obispo shopping center located at 31878 Del Obispo St in San Juan Capistrano, and should be opening in about two months’ time according to owner Jacqueline Marques Carvalhaes Silva.
“The idea of the restaurant came to mind when I was in college,” Silva tells What Now Orange County. “I presented a project that my professors really liked. They found it a very unique proposal from the Brazilian restaurants that can be found here in California. This idea had stuck with me since that day, so we started to plan things out and work on it, so we could bring this idea to reality.”
Silva says that given the richness of Brazilian cuisine, it was something of a challenge to keep the menu small. As such, she pulled dishes from various regions around the country beginning with Feijoada – a dish “full of history and flavors” sourced from her family’s hometown of Rio de Janeiro – featuring beans cooked with pork, rice, farofa, and braised kale. Meanwhile, the coastal state of Bahia will be represented by moqueca, a type of seafood stew.
A number of menu items will have customizable protein options to fit customers’ various dietary needs, and appetizers will be on hand “to share with family and friends to relax with a cold drink or beverages such as cashew juice and passion fruit juice, which are both very common in Brazil.”
Lastly, Silva says that desserts “will not be left out,” and diners will be able to indulge in signature Brazilian sweets like condensed milk pudding, passion fruit mousse, chocolate mousse, and the restaurateur’s “personal favorite,” a baked coconut custard known as cocada.
The atmosphere at Basil Brazil will be “friendly and welcoming,” with attentive table-side service and a soundtrack of popular Brazilian sounds such as jazz and Bossa nova.
“We are very excited to see the Brazilians who live here feel the nostalgia of being and eating at a restaurant in Brazil,” says Silva, “and also for those who would like to learn more about Brazil to have the chance to experience Brazilian food and culture.”
