The Latina Story: 25 Years of Brazilian Churrasco

Shanghai institution Latina Brazilian Steakhouse celebrates an astounding 25 years this August!

Plus, Latina is giving Nomfluence readers ¥50 off vouchers!

Keep reading for more details.

About

Latina Brazilian Steakhouse
History & Origins

Latina has been serving up churrasco, Brazilian-style barbecue for 25 years. It’s expanded to multiple cities (including internationally), adapted to the times, overcome trends, and ultimately survived the whirlwind that is Shanghai’s food and beverage industry. And they're still going strong.

Latina, Tongren Lu

The Brazilian restaurant opened its first Shanghai location in 1998, taking residence in the Jinjiang Hotel on Maoming Lu. It was one of the first western restaurants in Shanghai, opening a year before M on the Bund. 

Latina, 1998

It’s a family-run business, led by founder Jun Taichi, a second-generation Japanese restaurateur who was born and raised in Brazil. He later returned to Japan with his family to open one of the first Brazilian restaurants in Tokyo (1990) before coming to Shanghai to open the first Latina.

Check out some throwback photos taken on the opening night of their first location below.

Founder Jun Taichi (L) and Dutra Joao Carlos (R), Latina vice general manager, 1998.

Latina, 1998.

Latina, 1998.

Latina, 1998.

→ →

They now have stores in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, and Tajikistan. In June 2023, the Lujiazui store received the coveted Dianping "Must Eat" award. Four more stores are slated to open this year.

"Latina is our first project in China, and the inspiration was to share Brazilian food and culture with more people. In addition to offering variety, we're always value-first," says Jun Taichi.

“Thankful” summarizes the heartfelt message they wish to convey. For a quarter of a century, Latina has strived to bring an authentic Brazilian dining experience to customers, a journey that will surely continue for many years to come.

A message from Latina

Latina purchases meats in bulk, which allows them to source high-quality premium products at better prices. Steaks are mostly from Uruguay and Argentina, while some are from Australia. The all-you-can-eat meat bonanza starts at ¥229 for lunch, value that few restaurants are able to match.

Ala Town, Minhang

Biyun Lu, Pudong

Tongren Lu, Jing'an

Great For Groups & Family Friendly → →

The Food

Churrasco aka Brazilian Barbecue

all-you-can-eat meat

When you think of Brazilian restaurants in Shanghai, Latina is the first place that comes to mind. (To be fair, there aren’t that many Brazilian restaurants; it’s a pretty niche cuisine here.)

Latina specializes in churrasco, a Brazilian barbecue method where juicy slabs of meat including steak, beef, lamb, pork, and chicken as well as seafood are skewered and grilled.

Churrasco-style restaurants are usually rodizio-style, meaning all-you-can-eat, which is exactly what Latina offers for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

But it doesn’t stop there—it comes with a buffet spread too.

The Food

Churrasco aka Brazilian Barbecue

The Experience

Latina has 16 cuts of beef from picanha (Brazil's cut of choice) to wagyu. You can eat nearly every single cut a whole cow has to offer. Plus, they have three cuts of lamb, three of chicken, four of pork, and five kinds of seafood. It depends on which tier of meal you go for.

There are three tiers for dinner and weekend lunch: The entry level “original” is ¥329 and includes 20 varieties of barbecued meats and selected seafood. The “deluxe” is ¥429, which includes premium cuts like ribeye, plus scallops and oysters; see menu above marked in yellow.

The “prime” is ¥599, which includes all the above plus unlimited jamon iberico and wagyu, as well as free-flow selected soft drinks and alcohol.

The same packages are available for weekday lunch but for ¥100 less.

If you haven't experienced Latina yet, it's so worth trying! And if you really like it, they also have memberships (for their many return customers) that offer up to ¥52 off per person.

Skewered meats fresh off the grill are paraded around the restaurant, stopping at tables to carve off slices. The skewers are returned to the grill to char the freshly carved sections for the next diner.

This process is repeated throughout mealtime, and servers have been trained to ensure you’re never left wanting — they’re always around and ready to carve.  

Whole lamb legs

Beef tongue

Servers also come bearing Brazilian snacks. These pass around foods include Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheesy bread), empanadas, croquettes, and fried polenta.

Pão de Queijo

Super addictive cheesy breads

Banana fritters

Empanadas

Garlic bread

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And if you see a server carrying a platter of grilled cheese, stop them immediately.

Grilled cheese doused with a light honey.

Grilled pineapple, coated with sugar and cinnamon.

There's also seafood!

Grilled oysters with chili and garlic.

Grilled scallops with chili and garlic.

Grilled prawns.

Grilled lobster.

See more food → →

You get a full buffet too.

I understand if you need to tackle your meal strategically, but if there's one item on the buffet I would recommend, it's the feijoada, Brazil's national dish.

Feijoada pictured in the foreground of the plate.

It's a rich stew of sausage, oxtail, pork, spare ribs, and beans that's eaten with rice, crackling pork, cassava meal, collard greens, orange slices, and chili pepper. I absolutely love it. It's so delicious I have to try my darnest to not return for seconds.

Have you heard the saying, brown food tastes the best? Well, now you have.

Other items on the buffet include a dozen salads, cold cuts, cheese, stews, deep-fried snacks, pasta, cakes, flan, fruit, and ice cream. 

A dozen kinds of salad.

Deep-fried mushrooms and eggplant, quiche, onion rings.

Artichoke heart and avocado salad.

Carpaccio

Salad Niçoise.

Grilled pumpkin.

Flan, chocolate cake, lemon pie.

Baked Alaska.

The Buffet Spread → →

You can try telling them to stop, but it'll keep coming.

The Drinks

Free-Flow Options

Add-on free-flow starts at ¥68 for two hours of soft drinks.

It's ¥98 for two hours of soft drinks (including guarana), juices, coconut water, house mixed drinks, and cocktails that include G&Ts, highballs, Screwdriver, etc.

The top tier free-flow is ¥128 for two hours of Stella Artois draft, caipirinhas, mojitos, Aperol spritz, sangria, sparkling, house wine, and soft drinks. Included in the  "premium churrasco" meal option.

They also import some Brazilian products, including Guaraná, a popular soft drink that packs quite some caffeine, and some Brazilian spirits like gin and vodka. They also have their own cachaça label produced in Brazil.

Deals

Nomfluence Readers Deals

Nomfluence readers get an exclusive deal! Scan to get a ¥50 voucher to spend at Latina!

Scan to claim a ¥50 voucher
to spend at Latina!

Register as a Latina member to link the voucher to your account.

Vouchers can be claimed from now until August 31, 2023. Vouchers will expire on September 30, 2023. Vouchers may only be used in-store at all Shanghai locations; bookings required. Vouchers may not be used in conjunction with other promotions. Terms and conditions apply.

Locations

Latina Brazilian Steakhouse

There are currently five locations of Latina in Shanghai; Tongren Lu, Lujiazui, Ala Town, Jinqiao, and Chamtime Plaza; the Jinqiao location is the current longest standing venue while Tongren Lu is the largest location. 

Four new locations will open this year in IM Shanghai Mall, Changning (August 7), Times Square, Huaihai Lu (September), Yangpu (October), and one in Beijing.

📍 Latina Brazilian Steakhouse 拉蒂娜·巴西牛排馆

Locations

Jing’an: 2/F, 88 Tongren Lu 铜仁路88号 2楼
📞 63203566
🕒 Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-3:30pm, 5pm-10:30pm
Lujiazui: 2/F, 165 Lujiazui Huan Lu 陆家嘴环路165号2层
📞 33830577
🕒 Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-3:30pm, 5pm-10pm
Minhang: No. 1108, Bldg. 1, Ala Town, 66 Xianfeng Jie 先锋街66号阿拉城1号楼1108室
📞 54580221
🕒 Daily, 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Jinqiao: 1/F, House R5, 633 Biyun Lu (Jinqiao Green Leisure & Sports Center) 碧云路633号碧云体育休闲中心1层R5
📞 50306672
🕒 Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-3:30pm, 5pm-10pm
Chamtime Plaza: 1E09, 1239 Zu Chong Zhi Lu祖冲之路1239弄长泰广场1E09
📞 58770182
🕒 Daily, 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm

(Coming Soon)

IM Shanghai, Changning
HuaiHai Road Times Square, Huangpu
Meet 678 Plaza, Yangpu

Wangfujing, Beijing

The company also has two locations of Latina Parrilla, a South American-style steakhouse that combines wood-fire Brazilian churrasco and parilla-style barbecue and asado. The upscale brand highlights large cuts of meat cooked over fiery embers.

Sponsored by Latina

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