Carioca Bowls: Açai and More in Northeast Portland

Back in early summer I was invited by Richard Matusow, owner and co-founder of Carioca Bowls, to stop in to the restaurant to check it out and try some things. They recently celebrated 11 years in business there on NE Alberta and 9th (Alberta Market is right across the street from them). I’d heard about this place for a number of years but never made it over. That was an unforced error.

I was happy that Judith could join the lunch and have a chance to taste their food. Here are some of our impressions of the place, including both the space and the food and drink (note: this meal was comped).

The Space

I parked on NE Alberta and wasn’t sure at first how to enter the place. There is a kind of “side entrance” off of Alberta that takes you by the front of the building where Scandals East is located. Later I saw there is a vine-covered entrance on the corner of Alberta and 9th. The patio is the first thing you encounter, with plenty of tables and chairs.

There’s also a little bandstand toward the back where they have live Brazilian music sometimes.

Getting Into Carioca Bowls

I walked through the front door of the restaurant, which is housed in part of what I think used to be a house. It’s very colorful inside and outside, with nods to the Amazon and plenty of plants. It reminded me of places I’d encountered decades ago in Berkeley, as well as Tiger Lily in Port Jefferson, Long Island.

The ordering counter is straight ahead when you walk in.

There’s a dining room to the left.

Açai and Rich

We talked a bit about açai, which plays a big part in the Carioca Bowls menu. Rich was VP of Business Development at Sambazon, which makes and sells açai-based food. You may have encountered them yourself over the years; I saw their products at Safeway last week. He was with Sambazon for 11 years.

Prior to that and right after graduating from business school, he lived in Brazil where he became familiar with açai, the popular food in Brazil. According to the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, “Açai production in Brazil is estimated to reach 2 million metric tons” in 2026. That’s a lot of açai. Through our conversation I learned:

Açai is a type of palm tree, which grows together in clumps. The trees can grow to over 80 feet tall.
It is native to the Amazon flood plain and grows in swampy areas and parts of the region that flood regularly.
Its berries have been referred to as a “superfood”—high in antioxidants, and contain both soluble and insoluble fiber.
There is not a ton of fruit flesh in each berry, as the pit is large relative to the berry’s size. A lot of the nutrition comes from the skin.
The fruit tends to be more valuable than the tree’s wood. Also, the açai tree is a source of hearts of palm, used as a vegetable (I’ve had it as a pizza topping).
The pit can be used to create jewelry.
Açai is a staple food in Brazil.
Açai here in the U.S. is usually eaten as a sweet food, but is eaten elsewhere as a savory dish with meat or fish and rice.

“People think [açai] is sweet because a lot of places pump sugar in it,” explained Richard. “It’s sort of like when people think cacao is like milk chocolate. Açai is the most bitter thing you’ve ever put in your mouth.” Açai is also described as “earthy.” Fun fact: Both cacao and açai in nature have zero carbs.

“Once you have the frozen raw material, you can do anything you want with it,” said Richard. “And the simplest thing to do, like with cacao, is to put palm sugar in it and make it sweet.” They are working with it in ways that don’t involve adding sugar, but acknowledge that this approach is a challenge.

With all this in mind, what did we go with when it came to açai? The classic Carioca Bowl, made with sweetened açai; fresh fruit in the form of strawberries, bananas, and blueberries—we also added fresh seasonal peaches; and then some granola.

I have to say, this was delicious. I liked that the açai wasn’t overly sweet. And those gorgeous pieces of fresh fruit—no mushiness, visually stunning, and so flavorful. The granola gave it some crunch. I can see why this is one of their top sellers.

Yum! I was so glad to try this bowl, and as Meg described, it was fresh, delicious, and packed with wholesome, naturally sweet ingredients. While I wouldn’t normally think of this as a lunch option, it was a fun departure from my usual repertoire, and I’d happily order it again. The generous portion also makes it perfect for sharing with a friend. -JR

Other Things We Ate at Caricoa Bowls

Judith and I both got something to drink. My drink was a neon pink Dragonfruit Smoothie. It was gorgeous—I mean, just look at that color! It was made with the aforementioned dragonfruit, as well as mango, banana, orange juice, coconut water, and raspberry puree. This photo is, as they used to say, SOOC (straight out of camera).

Judith opted for the Guava Lychee Refresher, which tasted like summer in a glass. Mixed with coconut water and the aforementioned fruit, it was light, refreshing, and packed with electrolytes. I highly recommend it to stay both hydrated and satisfied on a warm day. -JR

We could not leave without trying their pao de queijo, AKA Brazilian cheesebread. These were bigger than I’m used to, and quite delicious—savory, cheesy, and with that chew that tapioca flour gives them. This also means they are gluten-free.

I also greatly enjoyed the pão de queijo. While I found its size smaller than the ones I make at home, they made up for it in flavor. I especially loved that Carioca added a touch of garlic into the dough, which gave these cheesy bites an extra boost of savoriness. I brought some home to share with my family, and they were a big hit! -JR

These are very easy to make, especially if you are already a baker, and I just love these little guys.

We tried two other savory items: a breakfast sandwich and a savory rice bowl. First, the Sunrise Breakfast Sandwich.

This is made with egg, Linguiça sausage, Tillamook white cheddar, red pepper aioli, and chimichurri, all on a Dos Hermanos sourdough bun.

This sandwich smelled and tasted great, and I was in love with the chimichurri in particular; I suggested to Judith that it would be a great thing to dip D’s Knots pretzels into. But I had two issues: the casing in the sausage was a bit tough, and it was a very messy sandwich to eat (I think the fat in the sausage contributed to that). But the flavors were excellent.

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this sandwich as much as I did, and as Meg said, it was big, juicy, and definitely a little messy. But it was delicious! Since I’m not a huge bread eater, I turned it into an open-faced sandwich, which made it a bit easier to manage. The earthy, flavorful chimichurri also helped balance the richness of the linguiça. A little went a long way! -JR

The savory rice bowl is called Sunset Savory Bowl and is made with rice, roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas, kale, a red pepper sauce, and pumpkin and sesame seeds. We added chicken and avocado, too (recommended for you omnivores out there).

Honestly, I have been thinking about this red pepper sauce since I ate it. It was just fantastic, and made with Fresno chiles. I love the color, too.

This bowl was the epitome of wholesome, healthy, and tasty. Vibrant and colorful, it immediately caught my eye even in the company of other tempting dishes around us. I loved the addition of sliced avocado and chicken, but the real standout was that red pepper sauce Meg mentioned—it was incredible, with a hint of sweetness. I’ll definitely be ordering this again soon. A note for fellow diners: this bowl is hearty and generous enough to share.
-JR

This meal was just really, really good—fresh, flavorful, beautiful. I am sorry that I slept on this place for as long as I did.

Tozi

I can’t leave this article without mentioning Tozi, who accompanied us during our meal. Richard told us about the origin of his name. “My family has a tradition of naming all our dogs after beverages. So when it started, we had Pepsi and Sprite, and we had Kahlua. My sister has Icee and Palmer, for Arnold Palmer. My brother has Cosi, for Cosmopolitan.

He continued, “So when I got this guy—he’s in Australian Labradoodle—I was like, ‘What’s an Australian drink?’ And I found online a Tasmanian tea. It’s a tea with turmeric and stuff in it. It’s Tasmanian, so his name is Tozi. We started off with Toz, but when you say Toz a lot, it ends up being Tozi.”