A bit of Africa, Italy, Lebanon, and Portugal…and Brazil at Natureba
All right, let’s dig in. Photo
Most Americans associate Brazilian food with steak, lots of steak – and yes, there is other stuff on those churrascaria buffets that you graze from between chunks of steak, but the meat is the signature dish. This isn’t the way most Brazilians eat every day, but a special occasion meal for a night out, something too lavish and complex to even contemplate doing at home. There are actually many different regional cuisines in that country, some having a strong African, Italian, Lebanese, or Portuguese influence.
Like almost everywhere, Brazil has also developed a fast food and health food culture. The most popular snacks are based on Lebanese food, the cultural legacy of Middle Easterners who started moving in as early as the 1800s. The health food staples are based on the fruits of the Amazon, particularly the acai berry, a bitter fruit of the indigenous palm tree that is said to have an almost magical blend of vitamins and antioxidants. This little berry has become a big business, and is used worldwide in juice blends, fruit bowls, and smoothies.
I haven’t been a big fan of either acai or Brazilian snacks, but have a new appreciation of both thanks to Natureba, a small café on Artesia. It’s a modest order-at-the-counter-place with cheerful colors and a continuous reggae soundtrack, a cottage that many people don’t know is there despite the bright green frontage and palm frond awning. On any given day most of the customers look like they’ve just come in from a run, time at the gym, or the beach, and the extensive menu of fresh juices, juice blends, and fruit bowls is there for the ones who are focused on lean and mean. The ones who are looking to put on some muscle are probably more interested in the sandwiches on whole-wheat pita or fried pastries stuffed with cheese, chicken, or beef.
Since we didn’t have any particular agenda for our meal other than that it taste good, we ordered from both sides of the menu – on the first visit tapioca cheese bread, a pita bread sandwich called a beirute (and you can probably guess where in Lebanon that name came from), and an acai berry bowl that blended that tropical fruit with strawberry, banana, and guarana.
The cheese bread would actually be better described as mozzarella and parmesan cheese lightly coated with a tapioca flour and egg batter and baked, and it turns out almost supernaturally light and yummy. These have entered the culinary mainstream and are a staple of high-style gastropubs, and there’s a reason – they are irresistible. If you have ever liked anything involving fried battered cheese, these are the perfect snack.
From the description of the beirute sandwich as served in whole wheat pita, we had expected the usual – a soft bread pocket stuffed with fixings requested, in this case ham, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Instead the pita bread had been split, stuffed with ingredients, and griddled so that the thin bread was toasted and crisp. The nutty whole wheat flavor and the spinach made this quite good – I’m substituting spinach for lettuce in other sandwiches to see how it comes out.
As for the berry bowl, the naturally bitter acai and guarana came through as a delicate tartness thanks to the moderating strawberry and banana. I found it hard to sort out which of the two exotic berries added what – I have had the sweetened juice of both, but never tried either without something else balancing it. I liked the flavor of the berry bowl much more than many of the non-acai fruit bowls I have tried – too many are overly sugary. I’m not likely to be able to sample the berries of either unless I take a trip to Brazil, since they are pulped and their inedible seeds removed in that country, but I’ll happily try the pulp again in more bowls and smoothies.
To continue the parade of exotica, we tried cashew juice and a “bird of paradise” smoothie of mango, papaya, and banana. Both had the kind of bright tropical flavors that made me wish for a little rum and a tiny umbrella. The bill was about $30 for two, and we liked it so much that we went back for more. We ordered more of the cheese bread (I can’t imagine coming here and not ordering it), a beirute made with heat of palm, and a coxinha, a potato and chicken croquette that I thought of as pear-shaped until I found that they are supposed to look like chicken legs. The chicken at the center was not solid meat, but shredded chicken that had been stewed with red bell pepper and mild spices, and along with the potato it was a surprisingly filling snack.
The heart of palm beirute was a very successful vegetarian sandwich, the firm vegetable a good texture and flavor contrast with the spinach, and the cheese bread was just as good as it had been on the first visit. We tried two more of the exotic juices, caja and acerola; the caja reminded me of passion fruit, while the acerola had a very attractive tartness like a Granny Smith apple, but with a flowery scent. We sampled each other’s meals while listening to the music and watching the mostly young and energetic crowd, a relaxing environment for a lazy midday meal.
Natureba is an enjoyable little outpost of an underappreciated food culture, a place where tropical and Middle Eastern ideas have come together to create something altogether delightful. Whether you count calories or dine for pure enjoyment, it’s a worthwhile stop.
Natureba is at 2415 Artesia in Redondo – open daily at 10: 30 a.m., closed 8 p.m. – Mo-Thu, 7 p.m. Fri, 5 p.m. Su. Street parking only, no alcohol, vegetarian and vegan friendly. (310) 597-4517. Menu at gonatureba.com.