Tempero do Brasil

Mmmm! Mmmm! Mmmm! I may not know a lot about Brazilian food, but I sure do know a bit about hearty, stick-​to-​your-​ribs, gut-​busting types of food. And this place sure can serve it up. And do it so very well.
I took my brother and my fiancé here for dinner. Neither of them have had Brazilian food before, so I was chuffed to introduce them to it. We arrived right as they opened and casually sauntered into the backroom. There was a tented, outdoor seating area in front as well, but the weather wasn’t warm enough for it yet. We ordered a round of caipirinhas (the national drink of Brazil!) to start. Made with a sweet, but strong fermented sugarcane liquer known as cachaça, a squeeze of lime, sugar, and ice. And just like the perfect start to a lazy dinner.
Then our appetizer of Coxinha de Galinha, a set of 4 chicken croquettes with Samboroso hot sauce — $ 8. Typically, I’m not much of a chicken person — ya know, ‘cuz of salmonella and e. coli scares or whatever — but I decided to share a set of these because they just sounded so-​darn-​good! Food poisoning be damned!!! And guess what? They were pretty bomb. Plus that incredible hot sauce they served with it was just the right combo of tangy, hot, and herbaceous.
My brother and I both ordered the Quiabada, a thick, hearty, sorta spicy beef and okra stew served with roasted Kabocha squash and rice — $ 16. While my fiancé got the Camarão Alho e Óleo, which is prawns sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and cilantro and flanked by sides of creamy pureed potatoes and white rice — $ 20. All of our dishes were of a substantial heft. They do not mess around here in terms of portion size. I love it when restaurants aren’t stingy with their portions. Seriously, the more, the better. I don’t want tiny finger sandwich-​sized foods. And, btw, the Quiabada I got… It was so darn delectable. Reminded me of the tender beef stews my Mom used to make me. The okra was cooked very well and not at all waterlogged, and the beef actually tender and fork-​ready.
Overall, just so pleased with the generous, almost homemade quality of the food. Just comforting and warm. I left actually FULL, which I almost never leave most restaurants I go to. But maybe it has something to do with the fact that I devoured the cr*p out of that okra and beef stew? Seriously, picture a small, 100 lb. woman stuffing her face with stew and ignoring her present company to get a few more bites in. Lovely picture, ain’t it?
A few notes: The service here is sorta relaxed and slow-​paced. Our server took his time with our service. But then again, he was also busy making us drinks… So no judgment here. This isn’t the type of place where you get Americanized, hyper-​attentive service. It’s where you go to have sizable, filling, authentic Brazilian food. And sit back and relax and enjoy that caipirinha.

Let me begin by saying that I grew up in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, so I’ll try not to be biased in my review. :) :) :)
Before I begin, I must break down Brazilian food for the newcomers/​curious foodies out there. The too-​well-​known «churrasco» (the all you can eat grilled meats on a stick) establishments that exist across America, is in no way, shape, or form a definition of what Brazilian cuisine is. Yes, it is a type of cuisine in Brazil; more specifically southern Brazilian cuisine. But, like the USA, Brazil is a BIG place and very diverse. So, is the food! Therefore, if you stumble across Tempero do Brasil and you think you’ll be eating «churrasco», then you, my friend, are in the wrong place.
Here’s a little geography lesson: Bahia is in the northeast of Brazil (the one that looks like a mini Brazil on the map) and the city of Salvador, where the owner/​chef of the Tempero do Brasil is from, is the capital of the state and a coastal city. Now, why is all this information necessary, you may be asking yourself? Well, because you will be eating and enjoying Bahian food; food from the region of Bahia is simple, unpretentious, and well seasoned. It is what we in Portuguese refer to «comida caseira» (homestyle cooking).
So, what is exactly Bahian food? Well, like Bahia it is a mix of Portuguese, African (Angola, Nigeria, Congo, etc), and Native Indian (Tupi-​Guarani) cuisine. So you’ll find dishes with cod/​halibut (Portuguese), beans/​palm oil (African) and yucca/​rice (Native Indian). At Tempero do Brasil you will find one or many combinations of the ingredients above in their menu.
Let me describe to you my experience, because that is what this meal ended up becoming: the best birthday dinner I’ve had in years! On 11/​27/​2015, a friend took me for my birthday dinner at Tempero do Brasil. It was my first time there and I have not had «comida caseira» in over 13 years! We started with appetizers. My best friend is French, picky, and extremely hard to please from a culinary perspective, so I suggested we start with the «coxinhas.» «Coxinhas» are to Brazilians, like hot dogs are to Americans; an easy food to please the masses with. They are small deep-​fried dough balls with shredded chicken inside. Some places like to make their «coxinhas» real big, because they make them really doughy, so you’ll still pay the $ 7-​$ 8 for 4 of them, but with less meat and lots of breading. Graça (the chef), on the other hand, makes them with less dough; they are really thin and light, so you get a crunch but you still have this well seasoned shredded chicken meat. And then the homemade green spicy sauce that accompanies them, makes these «coxinhas» to die for! We ended up getting another order of them before our main course.
For the main course, I got the Bobó de frango and my friend got the Bife acebolada. I loved my Bobó!! Bobó is the name of the type of sauce in a dish. The difference between a bobó and moqueca, is that the base of the bobó is yucca. So, it will be thicker (it should be). The base of the Moqueca sauce is coconut milk. I was a little worried that my bobó would end up looking like a curry, but that was not the case, here, at Tempero do Brasil. The chicken was nicely cooked and the sauce was just the right amount. They even let me substitute my black eyed peas (which normally comes with the dish) for black beans. Let me tell you how delighted I was to find out that the black beans that accompanied my dish are the same used in their «feijoada» (black bean stew of beef and pork)!! My French friend, the picky one, ate every piece of food from her plate, without even uttering a sound! Next time, when I go back, I will have to try their «feijoada»! :)
After appetizers and dinner, my friend and I shared dessert. We got the Pudim de Leite, which is the same thing as your French flan. My friend liked it, but didn’t love it. I enjoyed it, but, it wasn’t the highlight of the evening. Next time, I’ll probably go with either the «crème de papaya» (a traditional cream dessert made with papaya, vanilla ice cream, topped with crème of cassis liquor) or the mousse de maracujá (a fruity and tangy passion fruit mousse).
It isn’t a Brazilian meal, if you don’t end it with a «cafezinho,» which is a very short coffee served in an espresso cup. It is NOT an espresso. It is just brewed strong and served in a tiny cup. You can add sugar, but no cream or milk. This is how we like our coffee: black, strong, and sweet! :) :P
Service is on Brazilian time. Don’t dine-​in if you have a movie or event to go to. Carry-​out if you are in a rush. Everything is fresh and cooked to order and it is like being at home in your grandmother’s kitchen (it was for me!). So, if you sit down, enjoy the music, have a Brazilian beverage or two, talk to Antonio (he will be serving you), get to know Graça (she will be cooking for you), and be transported to a place, where the pace is much slower and the experience is magical.

Since this is my first flirtation with Brazilian food, I want to say that this restaurant was mediocre rather than the notion that Brazilian food is not for me. Time will tell.
PRO-​TIP: Ask for a side of the Samboroso Hot Sauce. OH MY YUM it’s one of the most flavorful, zesty hot sauces I’ve ever had.
When you walk into the restaurant, it feels like you’re walking into a friendly neighbor’s house, very homey.
I really wanted to like this place. But I think this restaurant may have been affected by the recent World Cup Germany demolition of Brazil, 7 – 1. The dish I ordered, the Frango Con Quiabo, features chicken, bay shrimp, and okra sautéed in a spicy Malagueta pepper, onion, ginger, peanuts and palm oil sauce. Served with rice (according to the website. I’ll get to this later).
Sounds exciting, right? Unfortunately, it’s anything but. The chicken was very dry, and the okra was not even spicy at all. There was barely any sauce to accompany the dish. It was so bland, that I had to ask for a side of Samboroso Hot Sauce, which they advertised in the restaurant. The portion size was also very small. It felt like an $ 8 dish disguised as a $ 16 dish. For some reason, the paper menu listed squash as part of the dish, and the dish was brought out with a substitute of rice, without asking me if I was okay with the substitute.
Fortunately, my girlfriend fared better. She ordered the Feijoada. You have to know what to order here I guess. Her dish was delicious, a hearty stew of black beans, smoked pork, sausages, bacon, and hamhock. It was served with rice, collard greens, and three slices of orange. The collard greens were a light and tasty accompaniment to the stew.
For dessert, we ordered the Crème de Papaya, a traditional crème dessert made with papaya, vanilla ice cream, and topped with Crème of Cassis Liquor. It was one of the most unique dessert dishes I’ve had, and my girlfriend, a very particular dessert connoisseur, loved it.
Overall, food was a mixed bag, but service was warm and friendly, thanks to our waiter, Antonio Ribeiro. I’ll probably come back for the Feijoada.
Strong 2 to a Light 3

Nothing like Novilhos, but it was good for the price! Brazilian food is really good no matter what!

Let me start by saying that I’m from Argentina, and Brazilians and Argentines have a very unique love-​hate relationship. That did not stop the wonderful people from Tempero to give us a top notch service — definitely love won the day :)
I know Tempero from back around the time they had started (I moved to the US in 2001) and for no particular reason, had not returned ever since. In this occasion we were celebrating my Mom’s birthday and I remembered she’s a fan of Feijoada so I decided to make a reservation online.
The reservation form was easy to use. They sent me an email confirming, but it went to the junk folder, so make sure to check there for your confirmation. No big deal, as I called them and they confirmed on the phone. We got there to find that our table was still not free (7:30PM). They apologized and mentioned the table should be ready within 15 min. 5 min later we were seated. The menus were simple to understand, but honestly we went there with the sole intention of eating Feijoada. If you never had it, you owe it to yourself to try it. We had the coxinhas de galihna as a quick fix for our starving children, but they were not a hit. I ate one and it was OK, but not my favorite item. However the Feijoada was superb. I can’t think of any place except Brasil itself where you might be able to find one as good. My Mom was happy, my kids were happy, my wife was happy and so was I. To drink, we had caipirinas — yum. Kids had guarana, a very sweet Brazilian soda — my son approved.
As dinner was coming to an end, they kept present that it was my Mom’s birthday and brought her a complimentary Maracuja Mouse (Passion fruit), with a lit candle and sang her the Brazilian Happy Birthday in Samba rhythm. Needless to say, we felt very welcomed.
Brazilians are easy going people. Don’t expect a super professional and snobby ambience. This is a truthful, down to earth, Bahian live-​easy, live happy little place. Most patrons were other Brazilians and for a short while we were transported to the North of Brasil.
How can they still stay in business someone asked? By remaining true to their roots I say. And so I hope they stay in business for many more years to come! I can promise that I will return much sooner than my previous hiatus (my son’s asking to go there again next week!).
Muito obrigado por todo!

How do they stay in business?
So, Sunday I got an order to take out.
Coxinhas — the dough wasn’t properly salted, and the filling was light on taste. For $ 7, 4 small ones?
Bobo de frango — the chicken was actually raw. $ 16 for inedible food?
Chicken with mango sauce — no real sauce, just some pieces of mango and other stuff on top. This one was actually tasty and well done, but not mind-​blowingly good. Not worth the price.
It’s not my first time there. We tried and see if it got any better after many years. Nope. Not really. and service was even worse.

My fiancé is from Brasil, and he loves this place. Totally legit. The feijoada and coxhinas are delicious. Great place for anyone hankering for some authentic Brazilian food in a family feeling place.

So I will start with a disclaimer that this is the first time ever I had any Brazilian food. And I held a fascination for it till I actually tasted it. I am confused between a 2 or a 3 rating. Since this was my first time I have no reference point to say «Meh, I’ve experience better». I will stick with a 3 rating because the restaurant itself is an honest attempt to showcase real Brazilian food and culture to outsiders like me. They’ve tried to explain each dish in their menu and made a comfortable setting to sit down and enjoy what comes on the table. The fact that there were Brazilian people a the other tables was reassuring– it meant they approved the food. Yet, the ingredients and the taste is very new to me and rather reminds me of Peruvian food– where they use a similar coconut milk base, red palm oil and various yams. I had the Moqueca with prawns– it is a coconut milk based seafood stew with red peppers, palm oil and tomatoes. Husband tries the Frango com Quiabo– a chicken and okra dish cooked in palm oil and served with rice.
I’d say this is an honest attempt and to have a brazilian place running in UW district for more than a decade is a proof enough. Maybe I need to try their appetizers next time. But, will there be a next time for me? Hmmm. give it a try, you may be surprised.

This had been on our to try list for a long time. The verdict: An okay restaurant.
The restaurant is small and has the small business vibe to it. I quite liked it, it felt in place. There is no pretense and everything is functional.
The service was good.
I had the cocktail with the passion fruit. I would recommend trying something else for two reasons: (a) there was something that imparted a sour taste and (b) it has no punch.
I had the ‘frango com quiabo’ which was a chicken dish with shrimp, okra, served on a bed of rice. It was not spicy and I felt that the ratios of chicken to shrimp to curry to rice were all wrong.
My wife had the moqueqas with shrimp which was a stew. This was actually good, and the broth was similar to the yellow pepper broth that we get at Peruvian restaurants.
Overall, this is a nice place to try once. Your experience may be better than ours. I doubt we will come here again though — unless we really run out of new places to try.

I miss Brazilian food very much and there just aren’t many options outside of the typical Brazilian steakhouses in this area besides Tempero do Brasil. This is the only place I know to get casquinha de siri and feijoada in the Seattle area. Unfortunately, their menu is missing dishes with mamão or açaí.
If you are a fan of Brazilian food or just simply unfamiliar with it, I highly recommend coming for a casual dinner date or with a small group of friends.

Brazilian cuisine can be so much more flavorful and adventurous and the chef and owner of Tempero do Brasil know how to bring it all out. Had the feijoada chicken dish and the bobo and all three were very good to excellent. Service is down to earth friendly. Ambiance is like dining at someone’s home, warm and pleasant. Drinks include traditional Brazilian cocktails, Xingu beer, and several juices. Desserts are delicious! Prepare for a short wait on Saturday evenings when coming with more than 2 people. Street parking has a 2 hour limit but is free.

How I heard of this place: When the Brazil and Canada teams went to head-​to-​head in their «friendly» Seattle game two years ago, all the spectators celebrated at Tempero do Brasil. (Well, it seemed like they were all there.) This was my second time there and I was blown away by the delicious foods on the lunch menu.
Type of cuisine: Seattle’s only authentic Brazilian cuisine — from Bahia most interesting and varied cuisine.
Ambiance: Brightly colored walls and artwork by the Graca (the owner) and Bryant (the other owner) and Graca’s husband welcome you into the arms of Temporo. The staff are friendly, casual and warm. Live music was being played for Graca’s mothers’ 76^th birthday and the staff were all in the front room dancing samba. This is the type of scene you walk into. A feeling of being in a quaint restaurant in Brazil (despite the stormy weather), surrounded by happy, energetic and a very friendly mix of friends.
What I ordered: I arrived earlier than my friends, and had to try something as the fragrances of spices and foods were permeating the back room. I had to start with an appetizer of Coxinha, chicken croquettes with hot sauce. When my friends arrived, we each ordered a different sandwich — new to the lunch menu. I sampled each of them and have to say, it is hard to pick a favorite. Each were amazing and full of a variety of flavors that make your taste buds scream with excitement and jump in ecstasy! I invited Graca to bring me her choice between two of the sandwiches, and she brought me the sanduiche carne on a ciabatta bun with medium-​rare cooked beef, caramelized onions, garlic aoili and lettuce. One dining companion ordered the shrimp sandwich — grilled potato bun with four succulent and plump shrimp pan seared in garlic and parsley and placed in a perfect line across the bun. The third dining companion ordered the chicken and sauteed mushroom sandwich, also on a ciabatta bun, served with caramelized onions, lettuce and garlic aoili. Pure bliss in each bite.
What I loved: I have to admit that the atmosphere of the restaurant — music, family and friends in celebration — really drew me in. That being said, the food was definitely worth coming back for. In fact, one dining companion said she had been dreaming of the sandwich for days and was so happy to return just to savor it once more.
Why I loved it: The food, the energy, the family-​style temper of the place. All of those things make it a restaurant, a family kitchen and dining room, worth every inexpensive penny!
Cost: low to mid for a lunch time sandwich ($ 6-​$ 6.95)

If this review was based on the food and the food alone, it would EASILY be 5 star!
Taste: ⁵⁄₅
We had, Coxinha de Galinha, Bife à Milanesa, and Feijoada. This is the first time, I’ve ever had Brazilian food, and boy were we impressed! First of the Coxinha de Galinha is a ground chicken croquet; it was a little cold when it got to our table, but it was flavorful and crispy. The Bife à Milanesa was a pan fried steak; it was juicy, tender, and crispy! The Feijoada, was really fantastic as well. It is considered their national dish! IT was a meat and beans stew of sorts, it had beef, smoked pork, sausages, bacon and ham hock. The flavors were everything you would want it to be! The little sauteed collard greens were also yummy!
Value: ⁴⁄₅
The Coxinha was $ 7, Bife à Milanesa was $ 13 and Feijoada was $ 17. The coxinha was definitely pricey, but the other two dishes were well worth the price, and I would pay that price many times over for the great food!
Service: ³⁄₅
This is where the major hiccup comes in. I should start by saying that our server was friendly. However, he was lacking a little bit of experience which made our time there a bit awkward. When we were seated, and before we even got a chance to look at our menu, he asked us if we wanted to order an appetizer. I informed him that this was our first time here, and the exchange was definitely not smooth. When it came down to ordering our entrees, the lady asked if he could recommend a dish between the Bife à Milanesa or the Bife Acebolado, to which he replied that he hasn’t had either dish, and he didn’t know which one sold better. Additionally, our water wasn’t topped off and we had to ask several times for water. Finally, when we were given the check, we definitely felt rushed to leave the restaurant. Keep in mind that it was a Wednesday night, and it was not packed at all. We were conversing and were interrupted, so we just left. I think he definitely meant well, and to reiterate, he was nice, there were just some fundamental things that were lacking.
Décor: ⁴⁄₅
Nice restaurant, live music, and it was clean. No complaints!
I would definitely come back for the food! The owners/​family also seemed very nice.

I tried this place for the first time several weeks ago and would recommend trying it if you haven’t had Brazilian food before.
First the good. The waiter who served us was very friendly and funny — definitely made our experience. I ordered the house special, the feijoada and had mixed feelings. The flavor of the meat was pretty good, however the dish felt a bit unbalanced and very heavy — it was essentially meat and beans.
The prices are also a bit steep. Feijoada was a $ 17 dish and caipirinha cocktail was $ 8. When you add in taxes and tip, you’re looking at over $ 30 for an entrée and a drink. I paid for my girlfriend’s dish as well and ended up shelling out over $ 60 for the two of us. I suppose that’s pretty standard for Seattle but it still felt steep for the overall value.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was also somewhat cozy but also felt a bit dark and cramped — everyone was stuffed back into the room on the first floor of this residential-​looking building. It was a little odd and while I probably won’t be back any time soon, it may be worth a try just for the novelty of the Brazilian food.

I lived in Brazil for 2 years so I know a lot about Brazilian cuisine. I came here on a weeknight on a date at 8pm and we had no trouble finding street parking. We ordered the braised short rib and the shrimp bobó. They make most of the food when you order so don’t expect to have your entrée in 5 minutes. It is a lot like Brazil– laid back, comfortable, and there was forró playing! When we got our food the portions looked small– a single large short rib for her and about 7 medium shrimp for me. But it ended up being more than enough even being hungry. The food was delicious, the owner and his wife were adorable, and they hugged us on our way out. Great service, great food, worth the drive and the $ 20 entrees. We did get the more expensive things on the menu though, most were in the $ 13 – 18 range.

I have had some great experiences with Brazilian restaurants in Brazilian neighborhoods in New Jersey and LA, and I was sincerely hoping that Tempero Do Brasil could be my great Seattle Brazilian experience, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The live music was nice, and other than bad lighting, the restaurant has a decent vibe. The drinks were great, and the crab appetizer was good, although overpriced. We ordered the ribeye dish and a sirloin dish. The steaks were good, but very basic.
I was really hoping for more from the rice and beans. Some of the best rice and beans come for South American countries, and Brazil has a lot to offer. I understand that some regions really strip the rice and beans down to the basics, and maybe this is was Tempero Do Brasil is going for, but I would expect more from an $ 18 plate. Maybe other menu options are more exciting, but I thought I ordered one of their more signature dishes.
People were nice, but the service was fairly aloof and not super professional. I’m usually not very picky about service, but it was all a little awkward.
I may give it another shot, maybe lunch on the patio on a sunny day, but for now I’ll have to to find something else when I get a hankering for some great Brazilian food.

I’m Brazilian and I know how difficult and expensive it is to find some ingredients in the U.S. to cook a real Brazilian food, but this place does a great job!
Love the food and the atmosphere at Tempero. Not to mention it is the only Brazilian restaurant in Seattle which is not a steakhouse (not that they are not amazing as well, but they show a different style of Brazilian cuisine). Would definitely recommend it if you want to have a little taste of the northeast of Brazil!
PS: Unlike most American restaurants, where the waiters try to turn the tables quickly, expect a more relaxed service here. Take your time to enjoy the food and a caipirinha and you’ll be fine ;)

I’ve just discovered this restaurant recently, and have eaten here twice in the last month. Their food is made of the freshest, high quality ingredients, and one can feel the love in their cooking and in the friendly service. These are people one WANTS to support and see succeed in their business.
The prices seem a little high in my opinion, and that keeps me from going more often. Again, I think this is due to the quality of the food, and the small scale of the business.
If you like to support small family businesses, and want to see good people succeed while offering their love and talent for what they do, check out this restaurant. They have live music some evenings, and special foods on certain nights.

My friend recommended this place. It is not busy at all. I think we were the only ones in the restaurant at 8:00pm on a Sunday.
We were greeted by a very polite host who let us pick our seats.
We got the chicken croquettes with this amazing dipping sauce.
I also got the Bobo De Frango– So good! Nice creamy coconut flavored chicken curry served on a bed of rice and beans. I usually do not like peanuts on my food… I didn’t have a problem eating this dish because they cook it with peanut sauce not solid whole nuts.

On a hot Sunday evening my friend and I stopped at Tempero do Brasil for dinner. We shared the halibut fillet called Peixe do Tempero in tomato coconut milk sauce with peppers and onions and rice and black-​eyed beans and the chicken dish called Frango com Quiabo with rice and okra and bay shrimp.
The halibut dish was amazing. I almost wanted to lick the plate so I wouldn’t waste any of the sauce but of course that would have been very inappropriate. The fish dish was $ 21 and the chicken dish was $ 15. Pretty reasonable I thought.
We both agreed the halibut dish was by far the star of the meal. The chicken dish was okay but the chicken was a little dry and not too flavorful. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the okra. Seemed like a lot of okra on the plate and didn’t seem to go with the dish that well. The rice with the chicken was excellent with a spicy flair. I could have eaten a whole plate of the rice! To drink we had guava juice which was blended with ice and was so refreshing on the hot day.
The restaurant is very casual but nice enough. The people helping us were very nice. I definitely want to go back! The rice and beans were delicious. I wish I knew how to make them like that!
I’m surprised at the low reviews of this place because our food was delightful. Aside from the chicken being a little dry the food was great and the service was friendly and pleasant.