OCYÁ // RIO DE JANEIRO
RESTAURANT // OCYÁ
LOCATION // Leblon, RIO DE JANEIRO
MEAL // DINNER, 9.30PM
THE LOW-DOWN
In living out my own version of ‘ A Girl from Ipanema’ fantasy while in Rio (though I am neither tall nor tan), it was essential to attend to dining in the streets of Leblon. Ocyá was suggested by a friend of a friend for a must-try seafood restaurant while in Rio, and so go we did.
For fish served fresh, it’s caught and served within 24 hours. The special twist here though is the dry-aged fish in the dry aging cave, which is what you see pictured above. It’s a large cave solely dedicated to dry aging the fish, a technique that causes the fish to lose between 75-85% of its water content, which reduces the taste of the sea and allows more of the actual fish’s taste to shine. Time spent in the cave depends on the fish size, but readiness becomes evident when the skin starts to separate from the fish’s flesh.
Tip: I suggest going earlier than we did, as some of the dishes we wanted to try were already unavailable. We would have loved to try ‘That famous grilled dry aged fish with nori and ponzu aioli’ and the ‘Fish stuffed with bananas and farofa made with fish “bacon”, cream lemon rice, and tostones’. Next time!
The olho de cão ceviche
The ceviche made with the fish of the day was with ‘Olho de Cão’, which literally translates to Eye of the Dog. This dish came in a classic, light tiger milk (which, if you’re wondering, tiger milk is just the citrus marinade that “cooks” the raw fish, in this case lemon juice). There was pickled red onion and braised corn that added a soft crunch to the bites.
The grilled octopus
The ‘suckers’ had a perfect grill for a slight crunch and the bites were borderline melting in my mouth. All tenderness, no chewiness. Very tasty alone or when smothered in the cauliflower paste and layered with the small bits of cauliflower for texture.
The grilled fish (mahi mahi)
The grilled fish, which that day was mahi mahi, was an average sized filet with a unique crisp on the skin. I’m not one to normally eat the fish skin, but, as I mentioned above about the dry-aging technique, the slight separation of the skin from the dry-aging allowed for a distinctive crunch, lending to a more special top-to-bottom bite. It was paired with a sauce made of butter, white wine, and fish broth, as well as some fresh roasted veggies and potatoes. It was a light dish - what stood out here was the technique for the skin.
The marbonara (or “seabonara”)
The star! A spin on carbonara but with bottarga. The chef, Gerônimo Athuel, has creatively named this accordingly - marbonara, or seabonara.
As with a classic carbonara, the sauce is made of egg and grana padano. To replace guanciale, the fattiest parts of the fish are taken and fried for “fish bacon”. The pasta is procured from a local pasta producer and is finished with generous gratings of bottarga for a bright dish. I could have very well finished the plate clean on my own but had to remember I was sharing.
WHAT I WORE
End of November weather in Rio is *chef’s kiss*. Paisley mini skirt, green suede sandals, white tank, and a cherry red mini purse.
WOULD I GO BACK
We attended the Leblon location, but there is the classic on Ilha Primeira, only accessible by boat. It’s likely more idyllic - I guess I’ll have to go back to Rio?
The experience was special, especially thanks to Bruna, the manager on the evening we dined. The staff from our hotel happened to be taking an educational tour that night, and upon all recognizing one another, we mutually agreed that Bruna “knew everything about everything”.
