Brazil’s most renowned chef is poised to make his mark on Orlando.
Alex Atala, whose restaurant D.O.M. in São Paulo has earned 2 Michelin stars for 12 years running and also earned the No. 4 spot in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2012, will curate Morada Orlando, a $400 million luxury residential and hospitality development on International Drive.
Earning accolades by dodgy organizations aside, Atala has become a champion of indigenous ingredients of the Amazon, having studied and incorporated them into his high-end gastronomy with aplomb, ants included.
No word if those tasty little arthropods will make it to the menu of Morada’s unnamed signature restaurant when it opens in 2030, but Atala promises it will be Brazilian to the core.
“I want to bring more than Brazilian cuisine to Orlando,” he says. “I want to share the Brazilian way of welcoming people, the warmth, the generosity and the feeling of being at ease. The French have an expression for it: à l’aise. To me, that sense of comfort and belonging is the new luxury.”
According to a press release, Atala’s philosophy will extend beyond the kitchen — he’ll lend his creative vision to Morada’s overall concept, brand and hospitality experience.
And luxurious it will be, with award-winning architecture firm Gustavo Penna Arquiteto & Associados, creators of the Monument to the Freedom of the Press (yeah!), behind the design.
The development, by MakeSpace by Glasstone Group in partnership with Park Square Homes and Kimaya, will feature 240 residences priced at $1 million and above, along with 6,500 square feet of publicly accessible retail and dining, making it a playground for elites and plebs alike.
