k34's trip to Taiwan and her observations about food reminded me of my own dining adventures in Brazil.

Armed with a food per diem of about $15 a day, I would spend a week scrimping and saving for the nice dinner I would have with our arriving or departing teams.  That dinner was at one of two all-you-eat steak houses called South's Place (click) near Morumbi Shopping or Grill Hall (click) near Congonhas Airport.     

But my regular, daily meals would normally be taken along the streets and alleyways of Liberdade or Bosque da Saúde in São Paulo.  Gaudily placed signs advertising good prices were generally enough to draw me in.   

Usually for between $3 and $4, one could get a plate of salad, black beans, rice, fries and stewed beef or chicken milanesa that would keep you satisfied for most of the day. 

The national dish of Brazil was called feijoada.  I could occasionally find a place that would serve it by the plate (feijoada completa). 

Or if the budget was lean, there was always the prato feito or "made plate" (plate of the day) which could be had for under two bucks.  They were usually advertised with handmade signs like these.

Even during my overnight travels by bus, a midnight snack was part of the routine.  During a nine-hour trip a traveler could expect three stops along the route to stretch, freshen up, and grab a bite to eat.  These stops, at bus company rodoviárias, would generally have anything from a full service restaurant to a snack stand.  The snack stands were usually the way to go as the stop would be no more than 20 minutes and I didn't want to learn to gobble my food in that short of a time. 

My favorite was the coxinha de galinha.  It was a flour and manioc mixture shaped in the form of a chicken leg and stuffed with shredded chicken and deep-fried.  Oh, so healthy!

Wherever you chose to eat, whether in a bakery, fruit juice stand, bus station, or a lanchonete (snack stand) in the city, you could expect friendly and courteous service from people like this guy. 

Acknowledgements:  Muito obrigado to Thomas Locke Hobbs.  These photos were used with his kind permission.