Brazilian barbecue opens in Hong Kong, and it's a meat lover's dream

Meat threaded onto skewers and cooked over charcoal is one of mankind's most common dishes, be it Indonesian satay, West African suya or a Moroccan brochette. One theory even suggests that eating meat cooked over fire gave humanity the intelligence to become the planet's dominant species.

Perhaps it's not surprising that a Brazilian scientist is a co-author of the hotly contested theory that a raw food diet isn't sufficient to build a big brain.

One of the country's national dishes is churrasco, a variety of meats grilled over charcoal, similar in style to an Argentinian asado. Barbecue is not just a dish but a social event, and restaurants known as churrascarias are very popular.

While the key ingredient is beef, diners can also expect pork, lamb and chicken to be given the grilling treatment and served in a uniquely Brazilian way, the rodizio system. Servers walk around, carrying sword-like skewers of meat weighing up to one kilogram apiece. Turn the coaster on your table to green and expect a visit from a server who will slice the meat on to your plate. Turn the coaster to red and you will be left alone to eat and digest.

Although some hotels have held regular Brazilian dining promotions, organisers were always too worried about losing servers' fingers to have the grilled meats sliced at the table.

That makes Braza Churrascaria Brazilian Barbecue the first in Hong Kong to deliver this style of dining.

Dining Concept's latest venture, which opened last week, carries on a South American theme for the venue. It used to be the group's Mayta Peruvian restaurant, which was also one of the first of its kind in Hong Kong.