José Avillez: "The technique must always be at the service of the product"

Dining at the restaurant Bairro do Avillez, in the always captivating Chiado district of Lisbon, is an experience in itself. But to do so accompanied by chef José Avillez, who talks to you about his gastronomic imagination, his beginnings, his projects, and even about the ingredients of the dishes on the menu he has selected, paired with the wines that he produces himself, exceeds all expectations and is one of those "little great luxuries" that completely transforms the experience of a trip.

We interviewed, between courses, this creative and innovative double Michelin star chef, who began cooking with his sister at the age of 7 and who always carries with him the aroma of the pine forests and ocean of his native town, Cascais.

Who is José Avillez? 
I am a Portuguese chef and entrepreneur passionate about cooking and Portugal. I grew up near the ocean and a pine forest in Cascais, which profoundly influenced my work. I studied Business Communication at university, had private lessons with a key author in traditional Portuguese gastronomy, and did many professional internships in different restaurants in Portugal and abroad, such as Ferran Adrià's El Bulli, which transformed my concept of cooking. I have an immense curiosity, a love for travel, and a constant drive to experiment and learn. I like innovation and creativity without ever forgetting tradition, quality, and authenticity. My goal is to promote Portuguese gastronomy and contribute to making Portugal a top gastronomic destination.

What is the origin of your passion for cooking? Where does it come from?
I've always had a passion for food and eating since I was a kid. I started cooking at home when I was 7 years old. I would bake with my sister and we would sell the cakes to family, friends, and neighbors. We didn't measure the ingredients, but the cakes turned out well. In the last year of my Business Communication degree, I decided to become a chef.

Is a good chef born or made?
I think it is born and made. First, you are passionate about eating. And then you are passionate about learning, experimenting, and evolving. It is a never-ending path. Curiosity drives you forward and you want to learn as much as you can.

You worked at El Bulli. What did you learn from Ferran Adrià?
Ferran Adrià had a role that changed my career and my life. He taught me to think and broke all the barriers I had. He is an artist, a scientist, an inventor, and a philosopher all in one. He understands the art of giving pleasure through food like few others.

How and when was your first restaurant born?
In early 2011, I left the restaurant with which I achieved a Michelin star for the first time and decided to start my own projects. It was a leap into the void. I already had a good team by my side, we trusted each other and shared the will to walk together. 

We decided to create two restaurants at the same time: Cantinho do Avillez and Belcanto, both in Lisbon's Chiado district. Cantinho do Avillez was built from scratch, we transformed a dusty workshop into one of the most successful restaurants in Lisbon. Cantinho do Avillez in Chiado opened its doors in September 2011. 

At the same time, we decided to buy Belcanto, an emblematic restaurant, known as a meeting place for the upper class since 1958. We rethought and reconfigured the restaurant in terms of the dining room and the kitchen, despite the weight of tradition. We were determined to offer a new Portuguese haute cuisine. Belcanto opened its doors in January 2012. 

At first, we were met with some resistance, but after a very good review in the New York Times, Belcanto became a growing success. That same year we were awarded our first Michelin star. In 2014, we achieved a second Michelin star and numerous awards. Currently, Belcanto is number 42 on the list of "The World's 50 Best Restaurants."

What gastronomic concept characterizes your cuisine?
My main source of inspiration is Portuguese cuisine. The tradition, ingredients, flavors, and influences are always in my mind. I am very proud of our amazing cuisine and I would like the world to discover how good it is. I have a set of principles and values that do not restrict or limit, they only guide me. Simply and briefly, taste is the most important, technique is at the service of the product and ingredients must be strictly chosen.

And your different restaurants? 
At Belcanto (in Lisbon's Chiado district), distinguished with two Michelin stars and considered one of the 50 best restaurants in the world by the prestigious "The World's 50 Best Restaurants, we offer contemporary Portuguese cuisine. 

Encanto, also in Chiado, is an enchanted place of haute cuisine where vegetables are celebrated as beginnings. Legumes, leaves, seeds, seaweed, mushrooms, flowers, fruits, eggs, and cheeses are delicately prepared and served.

At Páteo, in the spacious and surprising Bairro do Avillez, seafood and fish are king. At Taberna (Lisbon - Chiado) also in Bairro do Avillez we offer good Portuguese flavors with a touch of creativity in a very relaxed atmosphere. 

The Mini Bar, inside Bairro do Avillez, is a gourmet bar and restaurant that offers a new concept of entertainment and small, varied, and tasty gastronomic experiences, along with music and fun. 

The Pizzaria Lisboa is the fourth restaurant that can be found within Bairro do Avillez. It offers the fun and familiar atmosphere of the pizzerias. Cantinho do Avillez (located in Lisbon - Chiado and Parque das Nações, Cascais, and Porto) offers good Portuguese-inspired cuisine influenced by my travels in a very comfortable atmosphere. 

Tasca Chic, Jacaré, and Barra Cascabel are in the Gourmet Experience at El Corte Inglés in Lisbon. Tasca Chic is a sophisticated and contemporary restaurant with traditional Portuguese flavors, Jacaré is a vegetarian carnivore and Barra Cascabel is a place with the best Mexican flavors from the collaboration with chef Roberto Ruiz. 

Finally, Tasca, at the 5-star Mandarin Oriental Jumeira Hotel in Dubai, is our first international restaurant project. Tasca is inspired by a traditional Portuguese restaurant concept, a tasca. In Portugal, tascas are traditional restaurants that serve authentic food in a very relaxed, lively, and vibrant atmosphere. I felt that the character of a tasca was a perfect fit to bring here and reinvent it, making it modern and elegant but still capturing the Portuguese gastronomic heritage I wanted to showcase. Tasca offers in Dubai a rich and varied contemporary Portuguese cuisine, based on some of our best flavors and products. At Tasca, these authentic flavors are served in a magnificent setting with spectacular views. It is a unique and not-to-be-missed experience.

What does it mean to have a restaurant like Belcanto, with two Michelin stars and considered one of the 50 best restaurants in the world? Is it an honor, a responsibility, or both?
It is both an honor and a responsibility. We always feel very happy and grateful to see our work recognized. We celebrate and the next day we work even harder. These awards are important achievements for our city. Lisbon is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, full of history and life, with a rich culinary heritage and a wonderful welcome.
 

What would you say are your "star dishes"?
It is very difficult to choose. Maybe the "Baño de mar" from Belcanto. This dish speaks of my being Portuguese and of my childhood. It captures the purest taste of the sea and pays tribute to the incredible texture and flavor of Portuguese fish, which, in my opinion, is the best in the world.

What sets Portuguese cuisine apart from other cuisines?
Traditional Portuguese cuisine is vibrant in spices, fresh herbs, and ingredients due to our prominent role in the Age of Discoveries. Portugal has a great variety of landforms, climatic conditions, soils, and a long coastline. Each region has different and exceptional products and a particular cuisine, so we use a great diversity of products and ingredients: fish, seafood, cod, pork, lamb, veal, olive oil, garlic, coriander, and other fresh herbs, various types of cheese, various types of sausages, bread, potatoes, rice, cabbages... just to name a few.

Behind a great chef, must there always be a great team to make it all work?
Of course. I am very lucky to have an incredible team that believes in me and accompanies me at all times. We all work hard and with great passion. My main concern is to make sure everyone knows that they are an essential part of the team.

What does luxury mean to José Avillez?
For me, true luxury is time.