The 24 Best Restaurants in Salvador, Brazil | Eater

"As its name suggests, this is the restaurant where chef Fabrício Lemos and his wife, pastry chef Lisiane Arouca, began researching the biomes of his native Bahia. They now control a small empire in the city, with a casual restaurant (Orí), speakeasy (Gem), and seafood-focused venue (Omí). At award-winning Origem, Lemos has championed culinary techniques that have fallen into disuse. For instance, from the Recôncavo region — home to some of the Bahian dishes with the clearest links to African heritage — Lemos serves efó, a stew made with a native herb called cow’s tongue, mixed with dried shrimp, peanuts, and chestnuts. The 14-course tasting menu (divided in three acts: African Roots, Native Dishes, and Modern Transformations) also includes breaded shrimp in cornmeal served with bisque and roasted corn, tuna belly with lucine clam foam, octopus with vatapá, and okra. Arouca’s desserts follow the same rules: local ingredients in vibrant, creative preparations." - Rafael Tonon