A single-bite tartlet — salmon, cream, a curl of cucumber — served as the opening course of a private dinner for twenty in São Paulo.
The dinner was held on the rooftop of a private residence in Jardins. The brief was loose: something Brazilian, something elegant, something that would make the guests want to stay. The tortinha arrived before anyone had sat down.
Thin pastry shell, cold salmon mousse, a thin slice of pickled cucumber pressed into the top, a small amount of trout roe. It was designed to be eaten in two bites — the first to get the cold and salt, the second to catch the pastry before it softened. Served from a tray, standing, without plates.
The rest of the dinner unfolded over four hours. But this was the first impression — and the one most guests mentioned later.