Atala, Alex: D.O.M., Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients

At D.O.M. in São Paulo, widely regarded as one of the world’s best restaurants, you won’t find the traditional staples of fine dining on the menu. For the past 15 years, acclaimed chef Alex Atala – a native of Brazil and the only chef named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2013 – has refused to import any ingredients traditionally found in the European kitchens where he once trained. Instead, Atala scours the lush bounty of the Amazon for indigenous produce and proteins, crafting a cuisine that is steeped in classical techniques yet distinctly and uniquely Brazilian.