New eats near NYU: The Amazon rainforest arrives in the Lower East Side

According to Brazilian and Amazonian folklore, Iara was an exceptional tribal warrior before she became a mystical creature. After killing the envious brothers who themselves tried to kill her, Iara’s father punished her by casting her into a river, where fish transformed her into a mermaid. Now, Iara denotes one of the Lower East Side’s newest upscale hotspots. Chef-owner Vitor Mendes has breathed Brazilian culture into every facet of the space, which opened in early October. Upon entering the open-kitchen restaurant, diners are enveloped in terracotta-painted walls, natural rattan and raffia light fixtures and abstract portraits by Amazonian artists. The menu features dishes like Amazonian spiced chicken and grilled heart of palm with candied Brazil nuts, along with items some New Yorkers will find familiar, like pão de queijo and picanha steak. Born and raised in Brazil, Mendes moved to the United States as a teenager, working in multiple kitchens across New York and New Jersey.

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