Meet the chef who has perfected the cheesesteak in São Paulo

Brian Taff Image
Friday, September 6, 2024
Meet the chef who has perfected the cheesesteak in São Paulo
If you stop in São Paulo, you just might find a taste of home. Carlos Eduardo has been to Philadelphia more than 10 times just to try cheesesteaks.

SÃO PAULO (WPVI) -- If you stop in São Paulo, you just might find a taste of home.

Carlos Eduardo is a professional chef bringing the flavor of Philadelphia to Brazil

And, by the looks of the midweek crowd, they love it as much as he does.

Eduardo's love affair with the sandwich that now supports his family dates back more than a decade. Then, a young chef cutting his chops in American kitchens, he had what you could call an "aha moment."

"The first time I had a cheesesteak it was with my friends after work and the first time I fell in love with the sandwich," said Eduardo.

He decided then and there what his future would be.

"When I go back to Brazil, I wanna go back and open a cheesesteak shop to bring this great sandwich to all the Brazilians," he explained.

But to do it right, even with an audience that didn't know it, Eduardo knew it had to be real. He's been to Philadelphia more than 10 times just to try cheesesteaks.

In a city teeming with rich and complex cuisine, he's drawn to the simple sandwich.

Maybe he knew they would the first time he tasted one, but Brazilians appear to agree.