Eating The World

Polis Sucos
Rua Maria Quitéria, 70
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Now that we are back in Brasil our açaí quest has been renewed with full force. Though there were a variety of options for açaí in Salvador, Rio is really the place for the açaí-lover. There is a juice bar on nearly every corner, and some of the most famous açaí shops are located throughout the Zona Sul beach area. We did a little research beforehand, and compiled a list of açaí places to try. First on our list: Polis Sucos. Polis Sucos is one of the most popular places for juices and açaí in Rio; and the Ipanema location is the most famous.

You can spot the distinctive Polis Sucos corner store from blocks away, and when we approached the place was already full! The counter was stocked with fresh fruit, and the menu is appropriately composed of mainly fruit juices, smoothies (vitaminas and batidos) and açaí blends. Polis Sucos is conveniently located right next to an Italian gelato place if you want to follow up on your açaí with another sweet treat …maybe next time. 

Visit 1: Polis Sucos Batido (granola mixed in)

Value: 3/5 We got an açaí granola cup for R$11.50, for 500 ml.

Taste: 15/15. This açaí was easily one of the best we have had, anywhere in Brazil. It had great açaí flavor without being too sweet, with just the right amount of berries mixed in.

Texture: 9/10. Polis had an excellent, smooth texture that held up well, even with a little melting. We had previously ordered a batido – which meant the açaí was blended with granola, which had an excellent texture. We decided to try it this time non blended – and the texture was still great.

Visit 2: Polis Sucos, Not Blended

Granola: 5/5. The cup came with standard-issue granola (no extra charge), which came in a separate plastic cup.

Extras: 2/5. This was a mixed bag. In addition to the range of juices, there are other more savory option like sandwiches and hamburgers (cheesefrango, cheddaregg, etc), so you are set for choice.  However, Polis Sucos is a popular place, and there is no seating, so prepare to stand, unless you can squeeze into one of the surrounding benches that are shared by Polis Sucos and the gelato place next door. There were also no bowls of – only cups.

TOTAL: 34/40 – Polis is our front-runner so far. We enjoyed our açaí at Polis, and it is definitely worth a trip if you are in Ipanema.

Amazônia Soul
Rua Teixeira de Melo, 37
Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro

So we consider ourselves at this point to be (sort of) açaí experts, but we were totally floored by our completely different experience at Amazônia Soul in Ipanema, right off of Praça General Osório. Northern açaí is completely different from its Southern variety since the emphasis is on pure açaí flavor. Amazônia Soul is a store concept from the northern state of Pará – and along with delicious Northern-style açaí – it also has a selection of typical Northern dishes including tacacá, crab and maniçoba and Nothern-style feijoada. Don’t forget to wash your meal down with a Guaraná Jesus – a popular regional soda brand. The store itself is very inviting – with a distinctive abstract frog mascot (we think it is a frog) and a little shop inside selling Amazonian products including jarred sweets, ceramics, stoneware and jewelry.

Value: 0/5 Our pequena small bowl was definitely less than 500 mL (we think it was 300 mL), and it was extremely expensive. Total: R$ 16. We had a little bit of sticker shock on this one.

Taste: 12/15. Amazônia Soul presented us with the purest açaí flavor yet. Northern style açaí is simply açaí and ice, instead of an açaí/berry/ice blend which we have come to learn is standard at most Zona Sul places. The taste of pure açaí is extremely strong, and not necessarily sweet, so it is typical to add your own sugar to the bowl. At Amazônia Soul you are given sugar packets to sweeten things up.

Texture: 10/10. Perfectly smooth, this açaí did not melt at all. It also seemed like there was less ice in this formulation – which means less melting.

Granola: 5/5. In this case the topping was not granola at all – but a bowl of puffed tapioca – which is standard for Northern-style açaí. There was a surcharge for the toppings of $R 2. Though we think we prefer granola over tapioca, we felt we had to go for the authentic experience.

Extras: 5/5. There was a nice indoor seating area, along with wooden tables outside. A plus – we got two spoons on the first try.

TOTAL: 32/40 – Again the value hurt them, but there was a narrow lead.

Kicê Sucos
Av Nossa Senhora de Copacabana, 1033
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

Our search for the perfect açaí bowl continued in the beachy Zona Sul area of Rio de Janeiro. We heard that Kicê Sucos served tasty açaí in a laid-back setting in Copacabana, so we quickly added it to our list.  Kicê Sucos had more of an old-school vibe, unlike the slicker Polis Sucos and Bibi Sucos. Like Polis Sucos, Kicê is located on the corner of the street, with a counter wrapping around a semi-circular space. We were heartened to see the piles of fruit on display (as must, as we have learned). Omnivores will also be well taken care of due to the expanded menu of sandwiches.

Value: 1/5. Our bowl was generously sized, and cost R$12, with a R$2 extra charge for granola. It seems that most of the suco places in the Zona Sul beach area always charge extra for granola – just something we will have to get used to…unfortunately. Total: R$ 14.00.

Taste: 11/15. The bowl had a nice açaí flavor, with possibly some strawberries added in, but not as much açaí flavor as at Bibi Sucos.

Texture: 7.5/10. Overall the texture of this açaí bowl was pretty good, though a little gritty. Unfortunately the bowl melted very quickly.

Granola: 4/5. The granola came in a separate cup as seems to be the usual in Rio – but there were no cashews – disappointing the cashew-fiend M.

Extras: 4/5. Kicê Sucos has an extensive menu with many sandwich options, and a full line of juices, including our enigmatic favorite clorofila. There was only counter seating available (or to go of course), and we were lucky enough to get seats, but many weren’t. As a plus – they gave us two spoons. 

TOTAL: 27.5/40 – Pretty good, but not enough for the value.