Fogo De Chao Cheese With Honey

[Timothee Cazares]

Whenwe go to Brazilian steakhouses, especially the big fancy ones like Fogo de Cho, we go for their many meats. Their many, many, many meats, all of which present the average diner with an endurance challenge requiring the right strategy and approach.

For me, the strategy involves showing up early on an empty stomach, leaving my green button turned up so as not to lose any momentum, and staying immensely focused. Most importantly, I keep a hangry, predatory hawk-eye open for the quality cuts: the signature Picanha, the costela beef rib, the lamb chops, double-cut pork chops, linguica, the filet.

Can you exercise restraint in the face of instant gratification, holding out for ribeye when the bottom sirloin parades by incessantly? Can you resist the temptation of warm, cheesy pao de queijo puffs and buttery mashed potatoes as they glide up to the table? And what about the thirst trap of salads, cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon, and fancy veggies laid out in a sexy spread across the all-you-can-eat buffet section of the restaurant, the elegantly named Market Table & Feijoada Bar?

"Fogo de Chao is dedicated to offering guests new and exciting dishes to discover, enhancing our menu regularly with authentic flavors that change with the season as they do in the farms and open-air markets of Brazil," a spokesperson said. "We're embracing the cooler temperatures and new cravings that autumn brings."

Some people go (pine) nuts over hummus. I'm not one of them. It's always pretty good when I'm out at a Mediterranean restaurant, but baba ghanouj it ain't. However, a seasonal slant will always pique my interest, so I put on my good sport hat to try the flavor of the fall: beet with orange zest, pumpkin, sesame seeds, and fresh herbs.

At the Market Table, it looked promising. Rosy pink and silky with an exuberant sprinkle of green herbs and pepitas punctuated with pale sesame seeds in a line on one side, olive oil shined golden in little eddies on its surface. But in execution, its first flavor note was just very salty. The creaminess was great, and I could taste the tahini, but where was the orange zest to evoke autumn beet salads? Where was the sweet beet, outside of the strangely faint aftertaste?

Sure, the quinoa was noticeable only in hindsight, and the goat cheese was not the blue cheese promised by the press release, but this salad was fantastic. The greens were substantial, and the Bosc pears were roasted perfectly. There was not a hint of graininess to the uniformly cut, juicy slices, and the lightly browned butternut squash gave each bite more substance. I also appreciated the invisible but discernible olive oil in this dish and came back for seconds.

As a non-lover of pumpkin spice (yes, another unpopular opinion to pair with my apathy toward hummus), I appreciate that Fogo de Cho leaned in hard on the other orange gourd of autumn. This sweet salad made butternut squash once again the leading lady, but this time, roasted Fuji apples are its dance partner. A honey drizzle and some lemon zest round out the ensemble.

Soup is a classic dieter's hack: You fill up on it, letting its comforting volume take up space in your stomach. This is the opposite of one's goal at Fogo de Cho, making the addition of lentil soup to the fall menu especially fraught.

Verdict: If you're not at Fogo de Cho for the gaucho-served churrasco experience, this soup is going to be your saving grace. If you are there to break out in meat sweats, skip the soup after a spoonful, or you'll find yourself too full too soon.

Verdict: While the signature churrasco cut, the Picanha, will always be my favorite, this was worth hassling the gauchos and servers about. The quality of the steak was excellent, strip-side gristle notwithstanding. The meat was velvety, and the simple seasoning made its beefiness really sing.

If you're blessed with that second stomach for dessert, well, there's nothing like a thick slice of cheesecake to round out a steak dinner. For its autumnal menu, in addition to the usual offer of strawberry or caramel sauce, Fogo de Cho is allowing you to pretend cheesecake is healthy by topping it with a superfood: acai.

This cheesecake is a more savory, less sweet, and less tangy than true New York cheesecakes, which is ideal when you're already stuffed with rich meat. While it's not as rich or thick as, say, Junior's, it's still a solid brick of a dessert. It's "frosted" with a layer of light whipped cream, with acai compote served on the side for drizzling. The acai sauce is thick, but slightly vegetal and earthy, and not as bright as I would have liked for such a neutral cheesecake. It only weighed things down further.

I'm not sure what it was before, but it's now listed as a vanilla sponge cake soaked in those namesake tres leches, topped with toasted meringue and mixed berries. It had distinct vestiges of pound cake, with a warm, buttery flavor and a density that was heavier than what I typically expect from a sponge. It wasn't soggy at all, and the taste of dairy cream was luxurious and pervasive, especially once I started pulling from the sphere of vanilla-specked whipped cream on top.

There were also faint caramel tones, likely from the light toasting of the meringue topping and the drizzle of what could have been dulce de leche. To my boyfriend's disappointment, the meringue was the soft version rather than a crackling cookie type (think Baked Alaska or lemon meringue pie topping), but that was quickly forgiven as he delighted in its cloud-like airiness. The berries offered a nice burst of freshness to the bite, and the streusel served as functional garnish.

Verdict: This freshened-up staple is worth ordering, and the airiness of the whipped cream and meringue will trick you into thinking it's not as caloric as it is. If you want to end your meal remembering that this is, at heart, a South American restaurant and not a steakhouse (as the cheesecake implies), this is what's up.

As I wandered around (and around and around and around) the breakfast buffet, past the canned fruit and European-style breakfast pastries which unfortunately were not from a local bakery, I would invariably find myself in front of the bowl of fried halloumi soaking in olive oil.

Love haloumi in a salad with fresh dates, pomegranate seeds, rocket and mint, a little lemon vinaigrette and you have a very tasty light meal. The sweetness of the dates contrasts with the salty haloumi in a rather delightful manner.

I love salty breakfasts, so the Arabic style spread is at the top of my list. A sprinkling of chili flakes over fried halloumi (besides pepper and olive oil, as you suggest) is as much of an embellishment as it needs. My husband would squeeze lots of lemon juice over his plate, though.

I love the combination of halloumi, poached orange water figs and toasted pistachios. It always makes my weekend meal. However I always find it difficult to pair in savoury dishes, maybe because of my limited knowledge in middle eastern cuisine .

I going to give this salad a try, maybe it spark some more inspiration for this cheese

Wow. You transported me back home. Growing up with Armenian cooking and having lived in Beirut for a few years, this, and the other appetizer ( Baba Ganoush, Labneh, and Hummus) are total comfort foods for me. Thanks for sharing your memory and the dish!

But one of my all time favorite ways to have it is to take a slice of good country bread, spread butter on it, then honey, and then top it with slices of halloumi. The combination of sweet, salty, and creamy is amazing.

Squeaky cheese! Was on a halloumi craze this summer. Had it fried with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. Also added it to quinoa salad along with other things like chopped peppers, onions, olives, tomatoes. Thankfully this cheese is widely available in London.

I scald my halloumi in boiling water for 10 seconds before frying. It does not change the optical result but intensifies the lactic flavour, gives a softer chew and akes the edge off the extreme saltiness. It was how I was taught to prepare it for frying.

Halloumi cheese is in the cheese section in two of our markets in Park City. And there is a local cheesemaker, Heber Valley Cheese, that makes a cheese that fries and grills in a similar way. It goes by the name of Juustoleipa and is a Northern European version of halloumi.

Halloumi is also very easy and quick to make. Here in New Zealand it is expensive to buy and well worth the few hours it takes to make it yourself. I like it fried in butter with lemon juice squeezed over it.

Just had a trip to Malaysia. Stayed at Campbell House in Georgetown Penang. Beautiful room plus Nespresso coffee maker in the room and homemade lemon ice tea in the fridge. Thought we had died and gone to heaven.

Loved many of the comments with recipes. I like fried Haloumi with a salsa of chopped cilantro, parsley, capers, lemon zest, anchovies, olive oil and lemon juice. Divine! Also good alongside roasted red peppers!!

Last summer, I made grilled halloumi with grilled vegetables (asparagus, peppers, zucchini, etc.) and it was magnificent! I want to try your recipe now, I can easily see it becoming my favorite breakfast food!

I believe I have had this cheese at a local Greek restaurant, but it was larger slabs and served flaming. If the same it was like heaven in your mouth. I hope I can find the cheese. This is not exactly a culturally rich shopping area except for the typical fare. Thanks for such a great post. I look forward to more.

I just returned from a trip to Wisconsin, where fried cheese curds are a way of life. Your halloumi receipe sounds very similar to a cheese curd. I have never found cheese curds in Sausalito, Ca., maybe I will have better luck with halloumi. I look forward to trying it. Thanks

Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo de Cho is renowned for its churrasco-style meats that are cooked over open flames and carved tableside. Like any steakhouse worth its salt, the chain also offers an array of sides to complement the meats. These include Brazilian dishes, seasonal specialties, and classic steakhouse offerings. So often, side dishes play second fiddle to meats. However, Fogo de Cho is one of those steakhouses where the sides may just outshine the steaks.

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