Football, flavour and fiesta at El Santo
- By editor
- Apr 29
- 2 min read
El Santo bar and restaurant in Glasgow’s Merchant City has launched a new summer menu, with Brazilian head chef, Juliana Kipper, digging deep into her family-heritage cookbook to create more authentic South American dishes, with a modern twist.
With Scotland playing Brazil in Miami, in the FIFA World Cup, on 24 June, Juliana is confident that there will be even more interest than normal in the vibrant cuisine of her homeland. She is planning a special dish and cocktail to be available on that date, as a celebration of the match.
Juliana was recently invited to Hampden Stadium to witness the launch of the official national tartan of Brazil, ‘The Spirit of Brazil’:
“It was an honour for me to meet the Brazilian consulate at Hampden, as the new Brazilian tartan, designed by six-year-old Indie Menzies from Largs Primary School, was unveiled,” she said.
“Charles Miller, the Scottish-Brazilian who introduced football to Brazil in the early 20th century is a distant relative of Indie’s. He, and the new tartan, were toasted with both whisky and cachaça, Brazil’s national spirit, a distilled alcoholic drink made from fermented, fresh sugar-cane juice.”
Highlights of the new menu at El Santo include Peruvian chicken anticuchio – chicken with Latin spices, charred peppers, onion, and farofa on the side; a Peruvian pork stir-fry dish with peppers, onion, soy sauce, ginger, chilli and coriander; and charcoal-grilled sea bream, with pickled fennel and a mezcal-infused coriander bisque.
The selection of small plates features dishes such as pastel de camarao (Brazilian pastries filled with shrimps and a citrus aioli) and watermelon tiradito (compressed watermelon combined with ponzu, cashew cream and toasted sesame).
A popular choice for those with a sweet tooth is Juliana's trio of desserts – Brazilian flan, chocolate truffles and mini churros stuffed with caramel.
Juliana said: “El Santo has been open in the Merchant City for three years now and both our cuisine and our concept have been wholeheartedly embraced by Glaswegians. We love a party, and so do they!
“Not only is our food colourful and full of spice, but we have regular fiesta nights with traditional samba dancers strutting their stuff and entertaining everyone. It’s the perfect complement to our food.”
Pictured: Juliana Kipper
Comments