The Beginning of a Culinary Journey
At the age of 12, he was already creating gastronomy-related events at school, and at the age of 14, his interest in all things practical and manual led him to the Estoril Hotel School. It was an early entry into the demanding world of cookery, and the journey was intense and hard work.
In 2003, he took the plunge into the capital’s avant-garde neighbourhood, Bica do Sapato, under the leadership of Fausto Airoli – from where great culinary professionals have come.
Exploring the gastronomic avant-garde
In 2004, he spent two months at Viridiana, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Madrid under chef Abraham Garcia. Here he discovered typical Spanish cuisine, very well prepared.
He also gained experience in the hotel world – he worked for two years at the Sheraton Porto, under the supervision of chef Jerónimo Ferreira, until he realised that his love lay in other kitchens.
Experience, Creativity and Returning to SÁLA
He worked with other chefs who marked him out – such as Lubomir Stanisic at 100 Maneiras, with whom he acquired a lot of technical knowledge, or Nuno Mendes at Viajante in London – until he made his solo debut as a chef at G-Spot in 2009. There, he experienced the greatest creativity of his career, where – over the course of three years – not a single dish was repeated.
Now, almost a decade later, he’s back at the helm of SÁLA.
“I first met João Sá ten years ago at Pica no Chão, my favourite tavern in Príncipe Real. I took over from him leading a brigade of green kids, fresh out of school. All the same age, all in the same class. Of course João was the leader! It’s innate and almost congenital. Leadership ability. João has it and I noticed it as soon as I met him.
We grew up in parallel and never crossed paths in the same brigade, to my regret. But we crossed paths at the cooker on several occasions, with great pleasure and pride on my part. João is one of the most talented professionals and one of the most emotional chefs I can think of (cooking without emotion is a void like no other) and in this respect, João is rich, very rich, and makes a millionaire’s kitchen.
João has his own path to follow. The path of flavours and happiness that is carried on his plates. He has a difficult path, as do all of us who enjoy what we choose to do for a living. He has a talented path ahead of him. The future is already here. Let’s all see it.”