High Life

HIGH LIFE #14 Nov 2017 49 B orn in 1976 in Oeiras, Portugal, Henrique Sá Pessoa is nicknamed “Portugal’s Jamie Oliver” for his popular TV shows Entre Pratos (Between Dishes), Ingrediente Secreto (Secret Ingredient) and Chefs’ Academy as well as his seven popular cookbooks. But rather than his television appearances, it is his incredible dishes that are the primary reason for his fame. Based on Portuguese tradition with touches of international haute cuisine, Henrique has won over the country’s food critics, who have credited himwith “quietly leading a culinary renaissance in Portugal.” Henrique discovered his love for cooking while on an exchange programme in the US at 17 and two years later returned to the country to study at a cooking school there. After gradation, he worked at Sheraton Grand Park Lane Hotel in London for two-and-a-half years, then transferred to Sheraton on the Park in Sydney for another two years. In 2002 he headed home to Portugal for family reasons where heworked at avarietyof high-endhotels and restaurants. Buthisbigbreakcame in2005whenhewonthemostprestigious cooking contest in Portugal and was named “Best Chef of the Year” – an honor that led to his first TV show 12 months later. In 2009 he opened his first restaurant, Alma, in Lisbon. Meaning “soul” in English, Alma has long been renowned as one of Portugal’s finest establishments but it wasn’t until 2015 that Henrique was finally recognized with a coveted Michelin star. “It was a very emotional moment,” he recalls. “It’s the recognition of your work and a very important achievement in a chef’s career. “The hardest star that you can get is the first. Once you get the first, the level of cooking to two stars is not that much different. It’s more about experience and the level of commitment you give to your personal experience. I want to explore that because I know now what cooking at that level requires so I want to do it better.” Henrique, who has since opened two more restaurants in Lisbon – Cais da Pedra and Mercado da Ribeira – also has other aspirations. “I have dreams to travel, to do TV shows, to have my personal projects including a restaurant outside Portugal,” he smiles. “But it’s never easy. Because of the ingredients, the market, the business opportunities and trust, you need to have a partner. “Here in Macau would be easier. You have already such a broad and local market open to Portuguese food more than other places in Asia. It can be a very good starting point.” After several trips to Macau, Henrique has a solid understanding of this unique city.