The tapa maker Keka do Acarajé, culinary alter ego of Bahian Maria Angélica Almeida, leads her new restaurant in Ipanema: Tabuleiro da Keka. Under the watchful eyes of her and of her partner, Soraya Rubim Kopke, the restaurant earns positive points that range from its privileged location, in the Ipanema Beach block, to the cozy atmosphere, full of traditional Bahian ornaments, such as charm bracelets and the colored ribbons of Senhor do Bonfim and, mainly with carefully prepared dishes with authentic Bahian flavors.

A wall dedicated to signatures of famous visitors collects greetings from baianos such as Emanuelle Araújo and Lan Lanh and confessed fans like Jorge Vercillo and Lucinha Lins. Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, long-time friends of Keka, also constantly enjoy the delicacies of this Tabuleiro. The name, alluding to the Bahian practice of selling acarajés and other typical tapas from stands in the streets of Salvador and many Brazilian cities, harkens to the golden age of Keka, who arrived in Rio and earned fame and clientele with her stand located in the Cobal da Humaitá. Since then, she ran several restaurants and an incense kiosk in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, until finding her new kitchen in panema, from whence come delicious moquecas, like plantain, a tribute that has the seal of approval from Bela Gil; as well as dumplings, fried pastels, cookies, codfish balls, and, of course, acarajés.