Acclaimed chef Emme Ribeiro Collins is bringing authentic Bahian Brazilian flavors to the heart of Seattle. Her new permanent spot at Pike Place Market, Baiana, is taking over the historic Pike’s Pit space in a matter of weeks, offering rare specialties like acarajé and moqueca.
A former competitor on MasterChef and winner of Chopped, Collins grew up in her parents’ Seattle restaurant, Tempero do Brasil. She later opened (and closed) Alcove Dining Room in the same U-District space before launching Baiana as a pop-up named for Bahia, the Brazilian state her family hails from. Now, the beloved pop-up is getting a brick-and-mortar home.
The menu will feature favorites from past pop-ups alongside new dishes. Chef Collins wrote on IG that the menu will contain “some of the greatest hits from our pop-ups over the past few years, plus new additions, innovations, and some really fun surprises! …The heart of our menu comes from Northeastern Brazil, especially Bahia which is a region shaped by deep West African roots, alongside Indigenous and Portuguese influences.”
Menu highlights include the Moqueca Bowl, inspired by the classic coconut milk and dendê oil seafood stew, served with vegetables and Brazilian garlic rice. The Caruru Bowl centers on slow-braised okra with vatapá peanut sauce and rice. The “main headliner” is acarajé, a crispy black-eyed pea “bun” with a fluffy interior typically filled with peanut sauce, green tomato salad, and braised okra, with options for adding shrimp, ground chicken, or okra. It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
Bowls are customizable with toppings like garlic farofa and spicy green sauce, with protein options including garlic-dendê marinated salmon or vegan offerings such as okra and caramelized plantains…