Moqueca Brazilian Restaurant — Restaurant in Thousand Oaks

Great Service by José and his helper: Heavy traffic on the 101 freeway caused us to be late in getting to Moqueca (moh keh kah) so we had limited time for dining before going to a performance of Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo at nearby Performing Arts Center Thousand Oaks.

They were so warm and understanding about our situation so that they did their best to expedite our meals as soon as possible. Really appreciate their kind efforts.

1. Coxinha (koh sheen yah: Bread crumbs coated fried potato balls stuffed with shredded chicken breast were fine, although I still miss the exemplary crispier version at Wooden Spoon in Downtown Los Angeles, RIP. Malagueta Chile Aïoli (ah ee oh lee) was a mayonnaise based mildly piquant dressing on the side. $16

2. The MOQUECA Shellfish Mix: cozze, vongole, polpo, calamari, gamberetto,scampi/crevette was way over cooked, probably sitting in the kitchen cooking pot for too long. Couldn't sense the signature coconut milk in the broth, but it was flavourful enough.

Accompanied by mildly al dente steamed rice and condiment of red chiles resting in heavy oil.

Appreciate the generous fistful of chopped fresh cilantro that added an earthy, soapy, green herbal freshness to contrast to the mildly ocean based, sea minerality. $28

1-2a) Caipirinha: Cocktail made with muddled lime and Cachaça (kah shah sah), which is a distilled liquor from sugar juice while related rum is from molasses. The pronounced lime flavours add an acidic, refreshing citrus muskiness.

3. Mousse de Maracujá (mah rah koo jah): Passion fruit dessert is silky, smooth, creamy, light & refreshing with tropical, floral notes and was perfect after this savory meal. My favorite course. $8

Impressed by the friendly, warm, understanding, kind, accommodating 5 star service. Brazilian food is 3+ star acceptable, but the excellent service tips the overall rating to...

BRAZIL 🇧🇷 Excerpt from Eat the World Los Angeles: Right off of Thousand Oaks' main drag and anchoring the west end of a new-ish strip mall, Oxnard's beloved Moqueca Brazilian Restaurant has expanded to a second location that is almost four years old now. For those driving from Los Angeles County, travel times to enjoy the wonderful seafood stews of Brazil's Espírito Santo state have been cut down with easy to access right off the 101.

The namesake dish of the restaurant is also served in the state of Bahia, but even these neighbors have very distinct regional variations.The more northern version in that state is known as moqueca baiana or moqueca peixada, and is a further evolution of the moqueca capixaba from Espírito Santo. The version from Bahia takes local African and Portuguese influences, adding more palm oil and coconut milk.

The moquecas offered here are of course the capixaba versions, which are lighter because of their use of extra virgin olive oil rather than palm oil. Only a touch of coconut milk is added, along with urucum essence in the tomato-based stew. The moqueca is always a seafood dish, but there are many options. For a bowl of good variety, the moqueca de peixe com mariscos ($27), is a good choice including large high-quality cuts of whitefish and a mix...

We went as a family expecting great food because of the reviews. Started great - the calamari was crisp and fried in light fresh oil; the empanadas were ok - nothing to write home about. My moqueca which was supposed to have Chilean bass was missing the bass (perhaps they dissolved?) and had 6 meager pieces of shrimp; my son's steak was as hard as the sole of my tennis shoes and tasteless (my husband and I shared a sliver of his steak - I didn't think beef that cost as much as they charge can be as bad as this!); My husband had some sort beef dish from the pasta section - he didn't care for it and had a stomach ache that night. I called the servers twice to complain about my son's beef (at $50 for that dish - yes, I will let them know.) My son was too nice and didn't want any conflict - he sat there and tried eating 1/8 of his steak and nothing else. Glad we ordered their fried plantains -the saving grace of the evening. I'm handicapped using a cane to walk, and was asked several times if I can move my chair closer, ad again closer, to our table instead of asking the people in the bar with the high chairs. I'm not being mean - but we will not be coming back. If you want to try this - I'd recommend the calamari and...