If you’re searching for things to do and places to visit in São Paulo, the Asian neighborhood of Liberdade is one of the most interesting areas to explore and enjoy a street food tour. In this post, I share recommendations of what to see and restaurants that attract many weekend visitors.
It’s worth taking 1 day for sightseeing around the Liberdade neighborhood, one of the most visited areas in the city due to its cultural diversity gathering the influences of Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai, and Filipinos. If you’re short in time when traveling to São Paulo, beware of the longer waiting line for the most popular restaurants on Saturdays and Sundays.
Walk along Galvão Bueno Street and surrounding areas
Galvão Bueno Street is one of the landmarks of the city of São Paulo, marked by red streetlights that give it an Asian atmosphere. On weekends, Galvão Bueno Street is packed with visitors who go to the neighborhood’s restaurants, shops, and the fair Feirinha da Liberdade, where you can also try food ranging from Japanese yakisoba to Brazilian pastel, and buy souvenirs and anime items. The fair in Liberdade is usually open from 9 am to 6 pm.
Visit the Japanese Immigration Museum
Brazil hosts the biggest Japanese community outside Japan, and São Paulo gathers one of the biggest concentrations. The Japanese Immigration Museum (Museu da Imigração Japonesa) houses a huge collection of photographs, documents, Kendo armor, Japanese swords, toys, and everyday objects that preserve the history of Japanese immigration to Brazil since the 1880s. The museum occupies 3 floors in the Bunkyo Building (7th, 8th and 9th), where the Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance is located. It is worth setting aside 2 to 3 hours to visit at your leisure and carefully appreciate the museum’s exhibits.
#Rua São Joaquim, 381
Stop at Asian Food Restaurants
Once in the Liberdade neighborhood, one of the best things to do is try dishes from Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai, Filipino cuisine and other nationalities represented in this part of São Paulo marked by the influences of Asian immigrants.
Saturdays and Sundays are usually the busiest days in Liberdade. These days, the most popular restaurants in the neighborhood usually have longer waiting times of around 1 hour to 1 hour and a half. Some restaurants close in the middle of the afternoon and reopen between 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm.
Here, I list my favorite restaurants in the Liberdade neighborhood, which I recommend to anyone visiting São Paulo.
Espaço Kazu
Espaço Kazu is one of the first restaurants I visited in Liberdade, recommended by two descendants of Japanese immigrants I met during a trip. It’s a great place where you can try Japanese dishes such as yakissoba, temaki, sushi, tempura, guy, among other dishes.
#Rua Tomás Gonzaga, 87
Kazu Cake
On the top floor of Espaço Kazu is Kazu Cake, a café where you can sample Japanese sweets such as choux pastry, tiramisu, matcha cake, green tea, pudding, and a variety of cakes. Getting into Kazu Cake is usually easier than entering the restaurant, with no waiting in line.
#Rua Tomás Gonzaga, 87
Lamen Kazu
In front of the Espaço Kazu restaurant, on the same Tomás Gonzaga Street, there is Lamen Kazu, which specializes in ramen (or lamen), a bowl of hot broth filled with noodles and other ingredients such as meat and vegetables. Originally from Chinese cuisine, ramen became popular among the Japanese and became popular during World War II because it was a cheap and practical dish.
At Lamen Kazu, they serve ramen in different flavors: salty, sour, sweet, and umami. You can try Misso Ramen, Shoyu Ramen, Shio Ramen and Vegetarian Ramen. They also usually have Asahi Japanese beer.
#Rua Tomás Gonzaga, 87
Dabok
For Korean food in the Liberdade neighborhood, I recommend Dabok restaurant to try dishes like bibimbap, mandu, Korean hot dogs, and fried chicken dishes. They also have the Korean beer Terra. At the times I visited, I tried the bibimbap dishes, which are a mix of rice, eggs, vegetables, and meat.
#Rua Américo de Campos, 92
Laomazi
For Taiwanese food in the Liberdade neighborhood, I recommend Laomazi restaurant, which serves a variety of ramen and typical Taiwanese dishes based on fish, chicken, beef, pork, and rice. In addition to ramen, you should also try the guabao sandwich, which has beef, chicken, pork, and vegetarian options.
#Rua dos Aflitos, 26
Khao Soi Thai Food
Khao Soi is a Thai restaurant that I discovered by chance while walking along Barão de Iguape Street. As soon as I walked in, 2 Thai men were speaking Thai and I saw that the food prepared in the restaurant pleases even expats. Their menu is varied with dishes based on rice, shrimp, and noodles. I tried the Khao Kratiam, prepared with rice, fried egg, and marinated meat. I recommend trying the iced teas they serve, the Thai tea with lemon, and the Thai tea with milk.
#Rua Barão de Iguape, 165
Filipinas Restaurante Oriental
I discovered Restaurante Filipinas Oriental through a Filipina who works at Khao Soi Thai Food. I was surprised by the presence of Filipinos in São Paulo and jumped at the chance to try kare kare, a dish with a sauce that looks like curry but is made with peanut sauce. A typical Filipino dessert is halo halo, a mixture of crushed ice, milk, ice cream, gelatin, gummies, candies, and other ingredients. On weekends, there is usually karaoke, which is popular among Filipinos.
#Rua Barão de Iguape, 25
Even on a quick visit to São Paulo, it’s worth including the Liberdade neighborhood on your itinerary for the good restaurants, the hustle and bustle of the street market and to learn a little about the Asian influences in the city.
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