Eat it! It's good for you!!!
How many times as kids have we heard those words? Probably countless times, and usually it was to convince us to eat something we didn't want to eat or did not like. And I don't know about you, but even as an adult those words held for me a feeling of duty rather than pleasure. Until recently that is, when those feelings of duty completely vanished and were replaced with mouthwatering ones that I usually reserve for decadent, lush food!
Want to know what happened?
Want to know what happened?
GOOD 4 YOU
I went to Brazil. Home of Carnival, sensual dances, beaches and glorious food! During our travels we reached the city of Sao Paulo and discovered the place that changed our feelings about the words Good For You.
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Good 4 You is the brainchild of Valeria Iansen and Gabriel Diogo de Lima.
I actually met Valeria 10 years ago when she lived with her family in London. Unfortunately when we met, they were about to leave the country but they hosted a memorable house party before they left. It was then, that we had the chance to taste some of her cooking as well as cocktail making skills, as she kept guests happy with an over flowing amount of caipirinhas. Valeria's caipirinhas are legendary and when I heard she opened this restaurant, I knew we had to visit and I knew already we were in for a treat! The charming Good 4 You restaurant opened 3 months ago and is located in Vila Olympia, in the south part of Sao Paulo. Good 4 You is exclusively dedicated as you guessed, to serving food that is deliciously good-for-you. The ambiance is beautifully modern, with lots of natural light illuminating the interior and a patio terrace where you can dine alfresco and enjoy the gorgeous Brazilian weather. |
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The finishing touches are particularly cute like the little chili plants on the tables or the wall of herbs that's outside on the patio.
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WHAT'S ON OUR GOOD 4 YOU MENU
STARTERS |
MAIN COURSES |
DESSERT |
DRINKS |
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Chips de batata doce
Mini Tapioca de Frango |
Hamburguer Magro de Kafta
Escondidinho de patata doce com frango |
Mini Tapioca com banana e mel
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Suco Detox 1
(pinapple, mint, ginger, mango, mint, coconut water) Suco Detox 2 (pinapple, ginger, green apple, couve, lime, coconut water) |
Starters & Drinks
Brazil has a ton of different types of cheese. There's one very similar to ricotta (Requeijão) which lend itself perfectly to herbs and spread on toasties.
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Sweet potatoes are delicious and have enjoyed the status of "superfood" for sometime as they are jam packed with good stuff whilst maintaining a low GI index. At Good 4 You they are served thinly sliced with roasted onion and a mixture of herbs. Yummy!!
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I really have to spend a minute telling you about my new discovered love in Brazil. It's tapioca! It's not the first time I tried tapioca, it's staple food all over the world, and I've always liked it.
The way I've eaten it before is how they use it in South East Asia, for instance to make delicious pudding desserts with coconut milk and mango, or in bubble tea, but I never tried it this way. In Brazil, if you order a Tapioca what you'll get is a pancake filled with savory or sweet ingredients depending how you like it.
On our visit to Good 4 You, I had it both ways, the sacrifices I do in name of research! The first was as a starter and it was filled with chicken, melted mozzarella and fresh tomatoes. Divine!
The way I've eaten it before is how they use it in South East Asia, for instance to make delicious pudding desserts with coconut milk and mango, or in bubble tea, but I never tried it this way. In Brazil, if you order a Tapioca what you'll get is a pancake filled with savory or sweet ingredients depending how you like it.
On our visit to Good 4 You, I had it both ways, the sacrifices I do in name of research! The first was as a starter and it was filled with chicken, melted mozzarella and fresh tomatoes. Divine!
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Brazil and South America in general, are true champions when it comes to fresh juices and these were no exception.
A tasty, sweet and zingy blend of exotic fruits and coconut water in generous portions drenched our thirsty throats and boosted our bodies with a ton of vitamins and fibers! Detox in a glass at its best! |
Main Courses
If you are wondering whether this burger tastes as good as it looks, the answer is: even better. The Hamburger Magro de Kafta is burger made with super lean meat. Valeria is making these personally so they don't come in ready patties but are handmade and the meat is personally picked too.
The burger is broiled and served with a delicious buffalo mozzarella, tomato and lettuce on a wholemeal bread. It's served with a handful of sweet potato chips and a yogurt based mayo. As far as gourmet burgers go, this is one of the best burgers we've had! The burger patty itself is thick and cooked to perfection.
Tender and juicy, it's everything you'd want a great burger to taste like. The bread accompanies the burger really well and has the added bonus of being rich in fiber. This is the kind of burger that you wish it'd never ends.
The burger is broiled and served with a delicious buffalo mozzarella, tomato and lettuce on a wholemeal bread. It's served with a handful of sweet potato chips and a yogurt based mayo. As far as gourmet burgers go, this is one of the best burgers we've had! The burger patty itself is thick and cooked to perfection.
Tender and juicy, it's everything you'd want a great burger to taste like. The bread accompanies the burger really well and has the added bonus of being rich in fiber. This is the kind of burger that you wish it'd never ends.
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The Escondidinho de batata doce com frango is something similar to a Shepperd's Pie, and totally belongs to the comfort foods category. One of my favorites, only that here you don't have to worry about the calories as much.
This dish is prepared with a base of sweet potato mash, then a thick layer of pulled chicken meat cooked with tomatoes, and then covered by another layer of sweet potato mash. The dish is then placed in the oven. The result is a magnificent combination of flavors that hugs your stomach and soul! This comes with a colorfully healthy side salad made of lettuce, carrots and beetroot. 
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Dessert
Dessert couldn't be anything else but my beloved tapioca pancake! Good 4 You serves a healthy version filled with banana and drizzled with honey, and it is so good, that you will be tempted to have seconds, I promise that!
What we thought of Good 4 You
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Coming to the end of our meal as we enjoy our two espressos, it's time to reflect over this menu and our thoughts were that we wish all reviews were this easy because there are no doubts in our hearts that Good 4 You wins a place in our Simply Doozy list of Food & Bar to visit in Brazil. The food is oozing goodness and health.
The price is also very convenient as our total bill for a 3 courses meal inclusive of drinks and coffees came to about $15 USD per person! A bargain!! In addition the service was also excellent. The staff doesn't speak English, but they make up with warm Brazilian smiles and if you are really stuck Valeria does speak English and she was more than happy to explain to us the menu. If we lived in Sao Paulo there's no doubt that Good 4 You would become a fixed feature in our eating out routine.
If you are visiting, do not miss this place, plus it will take you off the touristic beaten path!
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Photo Credits: All photos by Simply Doozy.
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