The hottest food trends in Adelaide last year were dessert bars, burger joints and all things Mexican. This year, we’re seeing a lot of restaurants with Latin American influences. The Onyx Dessert Lounge (now Onnyx – note the 2 n’s) has revamped itself and introduced Brazilian food, which is a first for Adelaide.

Now what’s with the name change you may ask? I was told the extra “n” in Onnyx was added for superstitious reasons and it was supposed to bring the business more luck. The name change isn’t completely consistent though. Their online presence, their dockets and some parts of the menu still use the old name.

The Brazilian component of this place is called Veesao, which translated, means “vision”, the way that this place conceives Brazilian cuisine. Brazilian food varies depending on the region, however it has European and African influences, and this is highlighted in their food menu. One of the chefs is Brazilian, however the French head chef has done extensive research and travelling to come up with the offerings. Some members of the Adelaide Brazilian community were recently invited for a menu tasting to validate the authenticity of the dishes.

It’s been a while since I was last at Onyx (now Onnyx) and there were a few noticeable changes. Gone are the innovative tablet menus that once showcased the desserts. The menus are now on disposable table mats. The annoying single width double door has now been glued together and is a normal door again. The lighting seems a bit brighter than it once was, however, the feel of the place has certainly changed. Instead of playing western music in the background, I would have expected some latin tunes to be in line with the Brazilian food.

Tonight, I ordered the Lamb Rump. The meat was lean, tender and perfectly cooked. The chimichurri sauce was heavy on the coriander but still tasted good. The grilled corn was juicy and sweet, and a perfect accompaniment to the dish. The dish initially looked small, but it was quite satisfactory in the end.

For dessert, I had the Quindim (the waitress pronounced it “kingdom”). Brazilians aren’t known for their desserts, so it was interesting to try it out. The dessert was nicely presented but rather small in size. The Quindim is a baked dessert with an egg custard on top of a coconut base. It was served with a passion fruit reduction, caramelised banana and creme chantilly. The components of the dish worked well together but I didn’t think it was anything special. The star of the show, the Quindim, reminded me of a Vietnamese sweet, but it was a bit more spongey in texture. It more of an experience rather than anything.

The following are the dishes the other members of the group had. Everybody commented on how delicious their dishes were.

The staff were friendly and welcoming, and it was nice of one of the waitresses to give me a run down on what they’re trying to achieve here. The service was excellent with drinks being constantly refilled and plates cleared as we finished our meals.

The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was fair. The tapas items range from $5-$10, the mains $18-$26 and the desserts $12-$15. Some of the desserts have been simplified and hence come down in price a little. I remember a friend paying a $22 for a slice of cheesecake on her last visit.

My first experience with Brazilian food was certainly a positive one. I found very little to fault with this place and a most pleasant experience was had by all. Maybe the name change of this place is working!

WHERE: 163 O’Connell St, North Adelaide