As part of the 15th anniversary celebrations of the restaurant, Chef Alex Atala created a project inviting chefs from different backgrounds to present menus that tell the story of the multiple migrations shaping the sociocultural and gastronomic fabric of the city.
Paulo Shin and Alex Atala
On October 26, in celebration of the 15th anniversary of Dalva e Dito, Alex Atala welcomed the award-winning chef Paulo Shin, son of the founders of the renowned Korean restaurant Komah in São Paulo. Paulo, who had led Komah until 2022, prepared a typical Korean banquet to showcase a true festive meal, highlighting the rich diversity of flavors from savory to sweet, sour, and spicy.
Atala expressed his joy in having Paulo back, noting their friendship and his role as an ambassador of Korean cuisine in Brazil. This event is part of a series of dinners designed to celebrate the mosaic of nationalities that have shaped Sao Paulo’s culinary, social, and cultural scene over decades of immigration. Guests enjoyed various banchan—small side dishes that accompany the meal—some featuring special Brazilian touches in homage to Dalva e Dito. Paulo shared his excitement about cooking for the public again, viewing this tribute to the Korean community as a personal return as he prepares for his future projects.
To kick off the evening, the chef created a salad of greens topped with crispy rice tuile and a fish crudo served with four banchan. For the main course, guests experienced a deep dive into Korean culinary culture by interacting with the menu, which featured three types of meat: smoked and spicy pork ribs, sweet cured picanha, and a chicken stuffed with rice and a hint of tucupi. The meal also included soup, four banchan, and a bouquet of greens, allowing diners to create their own wraps and combinations according to their preferences. The banquet concluded with a dessert of yellow fruits and black sesame ice cream.
The fusion of Korean and Brazilian flavors was also present in the drinks crafted by bartender Vina Apolinário, who previously worked with Paulo at Komah and is now based in Caraíva, Bahia. Vina was among the first mixologists in Brazil to incorporate Korean ingredients into cocktails, with two of his drinks recognized as some of the best of the year by Difford's Guide in 2020.
The three cocktails Vina prepared for Dalva e Dito featured elements from the chef's kitchen combined with native Bahian ingredients. One drink, in an old-fashioned style, infused whisky with Aridan beans, incorporating a sweet-sour touch, dry vermouth, and Korean plum syrup. The regional biribiri fruit from Caraíva was pickled for a cocktail that included soju, vodka, lemon juice, wild sesame float, and cucumber. There was also a Korean twist on the Bloody Mary, made with kimchi extraction. The entire experience began with a shot of soju, inviting everyone to toast to the community that has enriched the cultural fabric of the city.
About Paulo Shin
The son of a couple who emigrated from South Korea to Brazil in the 1970s, Paulo Shin graduated in gastronomy and worked as a chef for 12 years in renowned restaurants in New York and Brazil—among them D.O.M., alongside Alex Atala—before opening Komah in Barra Funda in 2016. Interestingly, he had never worked with Korean food throughout his career before starting his own restaurant, but he had two great sources of knowledge: his mother and grandmother.
With his mother's guidance and his creative profile, the chef caught the attention of the public and food critics by presenting traditional Korean dishes with techniques that strayed slightly from the norm—a successful formula that led the restaurant to win awards such as "Newcomer of the Year" by the Guia da Folha de S. Paulo in its opening year, "Best Asian Restaurant" in "O Melhor de São Paulo," also from Folha de S. Paulo, in 2018 and 2019, and the Bib Gourmand seal from the Michelin Guide. Additionally, Paulo was named Chef of the Year by Veja São Paulo Comer & Beber in 2018. After leaving the partnership at Komah in 2022, he is now exploring new projects and the next steps in his already brilliant career.
About Dalva e Dito
Dalva e Dito is Alex Atala's more informal restaurant, founded in 2009, which is now celebrating its 15th anniversary. The name, familiar to us all, was born from the fusion of two great symbols of our imagination: the Estrela D’Alva, which is how we popularly refer to the planet Venus—the first point of light to appear in the sky at dusk—and São Benedito, the patron saint of cooks.
With a focus on classic Brazilian cuisine, valuing local ingredients and traditional recipes, the restaurant serves dishes like rice and beans, collard greens, and farofa, as well as Bahian moqueca, fried cassava, baked pasta, beef parmigiana, and flan. It’s the food of our grandmothers, but with the technical and creative care that is Atala's trademark.