A phenomenal success in the male-dominated world of Brazilian gourmet chefs, owner and chef Carla Pernambuco earned her stripes in New York before coming home to Brazil and starting her own restaurant. Her cuisine blends the ethnic flavors of cosmopolitan New York and her own Italian heritage with fresh Brazilian ingredients to create dishes such as the camarão pacifico: shrimp grilled with sesame seeds and Thai chile sauce on a bed of vegetable-fried rice. She pulls off a great duck confit with honey and mustard served with a pear rice, and even though there is only one pasta dish on the menu, it’s a keeper: large ravioli stuffed with brie and asparagus. Reservations are not accepted; expect a long wait on most nights after 9pm