A Brazilian MasterChef and Great British Menu contestant is bringing magical dishes to Manchester that look like they have been served straight out of wonderland.
Caroline Martins, the chef behind the fine dining experience, the Sao Paolo Project, is showcasing her haute Brazilian menu at Blossom Street Social in Ancoats for a three month run.
As part of her new residency, starting January 19, Caroline is giving traditional Brazilian ingredients and meals a modern twist - and the results look incredible.
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Armed with tweezers, Caroline is using her scientific precision to craft beautifully detailed dishes, featuring the likes of hand-dived scallops set on shell-shaped platters, treasure chests of succulent-esque mousses, tartlets and parfaits, and sponges straight from the Brazilian forest floor.
Before coming to the UK, Caroline was a plasma physicist, before she ended her scientific career to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a chef.
Caroline appeared on the Brazilian edition of TV cook-off, MasterChef, which kickstarted her professional career in food.
She then trained at the esteemed culinary school Le Cordon Bleu, before heading to some of the finest restaurants in the world, including positions at two-Michelin starred Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs and Trenkerstube at Hotel Castel, and the one-Michelin starred Galvin La Chapelle and Pied à terre.
In the meantime, she worked her way to becoming a National Chef of the Year award semi-finalist.
Caroline wanted the Sao Paulo Project 'to be the leading light of Brazilian cuisine in the UK, to show British people that Brazilian gastronomy is more than just steakhouses and feijoada', and treat the Latin American cuisine to food-lovers everywhere.
Initially moving to London, she then travelled with her passion for Brazilian food up to Manchester - moonlighting as a personal chef to the city's Brazilian football stars.
Oh, and if you haven't heard of her already, she will soon be coming to a screen near you as she features on the upcoming series of the Great British Menu.
And if you're wondering what the dish above is, the prepare to get very hungry indeed.
The dish, which is already proving to be a hit on social media, is a circle of fresh-baked brioche buns that the diner is encouraged to dip into the molten Tunworth cheese with guava paste at its heart.
The kitchen will be open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 4pm to 10pm, and on Sundays from 12 noon to 8pm. The Sao Paolo Project residency at Blossom Street Social will run for the next three months.
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