Plate by Weight

What is it? Plate by Weight

Okay, but what IS it? A very popular lunchtime favorite in Brasil, plate by weight is basically a big ol' buffet of deliciousness, but instead of a set price for everything you pay based on the weight of what you take (which I imagine must be very effective at reducing uneaten food waste!) Honestly, I have no clue what exactly was on my plate in terms of dish names, but starting from the top left and moving counterclockwise we have: grilled chicken, black beans and rice, beef and potatoes, salad, garbanzo beans, and an itsy bitsy sausage. I hope you can all appreciate that this former vegan now routinely eats three different animals in one meal.

My god, what circumstances led to a 19 lb (9 kg) plate of food? First off can I just say that 19 lbs (9 kg) INCLUDES the weight of the plate, not just the food? With only one day to see Sao Paulo, I decided to spend the morning in Ibirapuera Park, which houses the Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo (the Modern Art Museum, which had a huge exhibit on sustainable architecture) and the Museu Afro Brasil (Afro-Brasilian Museum). My appreciation for both museums was, perhaps, undermined slightly by the very intense caffeine tremors I couldn't stop experiencing after having two cups of real Brasilian coffee in the morning, without milk. The coffee must have affected my heart or my metabolism or something, because by the time my buddy and I finally found this place to eat, I am confident that I easily could have finished a 19 lb (9 kg) plate of food, even if the weight of said lunch did NOT include the weight of the plate.

Where can I get some? Like I said, the plate by weight deal is pretty popular all over Brasil. This particular one came from a shop on a side street in a less-touristy part of Sao Paulo.

How much did it cost? The price per kilogram varies tremendously depending on which restaurant you go to, the quality of food they are serving, and the neighborhood the restaurant is located in. This place was 2 reais/kilogram, and because they subtracted the weight of my plate from the total cost, it came out to something like $5 or $6 USD. Not too shabby for a city whose cheapest hostels are still at least $17USD a night!