"A lot of people who come here ask me where the Chinese chef is," said smiling Vladimir Reis, 38, who opened Dim Sum Rio almost two years ago in Laranjeiras, a bobo district of Brazil's tourist capital.
"I am also often asked why I chose to cook Asian cuisine, and not Brazilian or African. But I just want to do what I want, not limit myself to what people think I should do in because of my skin color," he adds.
This young man with a strong build and thin dread locks that fall over his shoulders is on the rise: his dim sum is selling like hot cakes and he has just been named best chef at the Prix de la Gastronomie Noire.
This prize, the first edition of which took place at the end of November, rewarded the best black professionals in the sector in Rio, in the most diverse categories, from waiters to sommeliers, through kitchen assistants and pastry chefs, in this country where racism remains deeply rooted in society.
"There are so many great stories to tell, of unsung talents, that it was time to bring them to light," said Breno Cruz, a university professor behind the creation of the award.
"Very White Universe"
In the "best restaurant" category, the winner is Afro Gourmet, run by Dandara Batista, 37, who serves African cuisine in the popular district of Grajau, in the north of Rio, near that of Andarai, where she grew up.
In the small kitchen of her restaurant, which opened in 2018, she lovingly prepares "hauça rice", a dish originating in Nigeria with prawns, dried meat and a golden sauce mixing coconut milk and palm oil.
Dandara Batista poses with a dish of Riz Auça, which she has just prepared in her Afro Gourmet restaurant, on December 1, 2022, in Rio de Janeiro © MAURO PIMENTEL / MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP
On the menu, she also offers Senegalese mafé or South African chakalaka.
"I have always loved the cuisine of Bahia (northeast), where my father's family is from. But while researching, I saw how decisive the African influence was for Brazilian cuisine. in general,” she explains.
Dandara Batista has been cooking as a family since she was little, but she decided to make it her profession late in life, after working for a long time as a journalist.
"For me, gastronomy was a very white universe, I couldn't see myself there," she laments.
The young woman still decided to start four years ago, after completing a course in gastronomy.
"There were no courses on African cuisine, so we learned to make dishes from other countries very far from Brazil," she says.
As a good journalist, Dandara Batista therefore drew information from the source, traveling to Angola, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe.
"No reference"
Like Dandara Batista, Vladimir Reis' life was marked by a trip to Singapore.
"That's where I discovered dim sum. I found it delicious, very delicate, and above all, I said to myself: there is none in Rio".
And this pure sugar carioca brings its own touch, with ingredients such as cassava or palm oil, used in Brazil and in Africa.
At Dim Sum Rio, dishes are decorated with edible flowers or green tiles made from cabbage.
Vladimir Reis had previously worked in several restaurants, without ever reaching the rank of chef.
Dim sum by Vladimir Reis, in his restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, November 29, 2022 © CARL DE SOUZA / AFP
"During job interviews, I saw white candidates selected in my place when my CV was better. They wanted me to be a kitchen assistant all my career", notes this Brazilian who grew up in a favela in Santa Teresa, in the center of Rio.
In Brazil, blacks and mestizos represent nearly 54% of the population but occupy less than 30% of positions of responsibility in companies.
Vladimir Reis says he would certainly have started his own business sooner if he had seen more black leaders in the media.
"I only saw it in foreign broadcasts, but here in Brazil, I had no reference. The situation has evolved in recent years, but racism remains very permeated in our society", he concludes.
© 2022 AFP