Casa Ipanema

A Rio-Style Hotspot Emerges Downtown From One of LA’s Top Brazilian Restaurateurs | Eater LA

"Opened by restaurateur Henrique Huyer (who previously worked at Fogo de Chão for nine years and opened H&H Brazilian Steakhouse in the former B. S. Taquería space in 2019) with his wife Herica on February 21 inside the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel, this Rio de Janeiro–style “fusion” spot aims to evoke a Brazilian beach. “We want you to have the feeling that you’re at a pool party in Rio,” says Huyer. “We are not selling food — we are selling a good time.” The vibe is laid-back and cabana-like, with cabana booths, a ring of rattan poolside modular sofas and chairs at the center, soft shades of white and beige, thick jute rope wound around support beams under a palm tree canopy, and Bohemian lamps that mimic a sunset along Copacabana Beach; intimate spaces for couples sit alongside larger tables where groups sip caipirinhas. “It’s inspired by many places that just have a great vibe, like Boteco Belmonte,” says Huyer. Beverage offerings include affordable pours of South American, Californian, and some European wines by the glass, domestic and international beers (including Heineken and Stella Artois), various caipirinhas, and the Ipanema Sunset, a fruity blend of tequila, passionfruit, and grapefruit juice. Entertainment leans into spectacle: a fire dancer performs to Brazilian EDM. “It’s an open aesthetic; it’s inviting, and the drinks are good,” says Kailey Hernández, a customer, and her friend Alex Frutos added, “And the lighting is very good.” Huyer credits the vibe and music for drawing a crowd: “We’re actually getting a big Brazilian crowd, which is something we haven’t seen in the steakhouses,” he says. “We are happy there’s now a gathering place for Brazilians.” “We are one of the only restaurants Downtown that is open late at night,” Huyer adds, and he notes guests can “kick back and chill in a safe space; no one is going to kick you out.” Chef Arturo Flores designs a pan‑Latin menu where starters include truffle fondue paired with light, airy pão de queijo and an avocado crispy rice among the Brazilian‑style sushi items. “In Brazil, we love handrolls with a twist, which is cream cheese,” says Huyer; the restaurant’s temaki comes with tuna, salmon, or shrimp mixed with sushi rice, seaweed, microgreens, spicy aioli, and cream cheese, finished with crispy fried wonton strips and sesame seeds for crunch — currently one of the few places in Los Angeles serving that style of sushi until the arrival of Sushi Samba. Entrees span a juicy picanha and a four‑cheese filet mignon that blends mozzarella, gouda, gorgonzola, and catupiry (served with a choice of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, or grilled broccolini), plus a grilled branzino with corn tortillas and pico de gallo and shrimp enchiladas that highlight Flores’s Mexican roots." - Bill Esparza