Tomo left the restaurant to Paulo Morais

This news surprised everyone: chef Japanese Tomoaki Kanazawa, known as Tomo to customers and friends, is leaving Portugal and his restaurant Kanazawa to return to Japan Kaiseki There are only eight locations in Algiers. The reason has not been made public, but the Mesa Marcada blog has already announced who will be in charge of the small counter: Portuguese sushi chef Paulo Morais.

A few weeks later, we sat on the other side of the counter, in front of Paul Moraes, trying to understand what had changed (or not changed) in Kanazawa. Kaiseki (the Japanese tasting menu style equivalent of Western haute cuisine), using products according to the season, respecting seasonality as much as possible, and a very typical Japanese way of serving,” says Paulo Morais. “What Chef Tomo is doing in Portugal is a big step towards showing more Japanese culture.”

oh chef The Portuguese (now the managing partner of the space, with Tomo returning occasionally) inherited some of Tomo’s main suppliers, such as Quinta do Poial, a vegetable supplier in Azeitão, and Lugar do Olhar Feliz in Alentejo, which supplies the most exotic vegetables and citrus fruits imaginable. He found some treasures in the fridge, such as the persimmon vinegar that Tomo is making.

But if many things are similar, there are also differences. “Kaiseki menus must have a brand. chef“, he explained. “Especially in Hasum [A dish]has to represent multiple things and allow the customer to get to the end and understand who Paulo Morais is and what his experience is. It’s a dish that has to reflect my personality.”

The hardest part of the menu Kaiseki It’s about achieving simplicity – especially because there’s a lot of complexity behind this. “When I was in Japan, I tried Killedis simply a dish of cooked vegetables. I never really understood how this complex flavor was achieved. The vegetables are cooked in lightly salted water, quickly cooled and served in a stock that enhances the natural flavor of each vegetable. To achieve something so simple, we have to work hard. ”

In Kanazawa, Tomo has done something important, but Paulo Morais has done even more, helping customers understand what they are eating, where it comes from, and why it is served the way it is. It all starts with the first course. SakizukiThe week we were at the restaurant, it was applesauce walnut curd.

“People are used to making tofu with soy milk, but in Japan there are many different kinds of tofu,” explains Paulo Morais. “In it, walnuts and sesame seeds are ground up, cooked in dashi (the soup base of Japanese cuisine), and then seasoned with soy and mirin. Then a coagulant is added, a type of arrowroot starch widely used in macrobiotics, which holds everything together.”

Of course, the explanation is only for those who are curious. chef Realizing that customers don’t need that much information, they don’t force it. “We’re constantly reading what our customers are saying so that we can correct certain issues as quickly as possible. People have to leave here satisfied.”