When Kau Sampaio moved to Australia from Brazil in 2016, it only took a week of bar work for him to realise he had found his life calling.
Kau found that Brazilian restaurants in Australia didn’t properly represent everything the cuisine has to offer. Kau says: “Brazilian food and Brazilian culture are really generalised here with barbecue meat. Brazil is so much more than that.”
“There are so many people, and such different background that we have such a mixed population and that’s represented in our food and the way we live. We wanted to show more of what Brazil is and what it has to offer, other than just barbecue.”
For Kau, Kitanda Bevs & Bites not only provides an opportunity for him to share his Brazilian culture, but also celebrate his own family. For years Kau would promise his mother that he would share her recipes with Australians. “I would say to her one day I’m going to open a bar and put your croquets on the menu and show Australians how amazing Brazilian food can be” says Kau.
Kau and his business partner Tatiana also fitted and designed the restaurant themselves. To Kau, his connection to the building is just another reason why Kitanda will remain such a special place. Kau says: “There are very few places where the owners did everything; built the restaurant so it looked exactly how they wanted it to and put in all their sweat and tears.”
“…When we walk in every day and see all the hard work we put in, how it looks now and see it filled with our customers, it’s just so beautiful to see.”
The décor, menu and atmosphere create a real sense of Brazil, and it will have you feeling like you just stepped into the country.
Kau says: “It just feels like home.”
Kitanda Bevs & Bites is located at 261 Victoria Street Darlinghurst. Inquiries can be sent to kitanda@kitanda.com.au
