Luís Gaspar
Luís Gaspar is currently one of the leading chefs on the Portuguese food scene. Shortly after he opened his traditional and casual restaurant Pica-Pau, he followed his success with Brilhante, a restaurant inspired by exclusive and refined of classic Portuguese coffees where dishes are prepared with meticulous attention to detail and incomparable glamour. The menu features timeless French and international classics, such as torched foie gras and steak tartare as starters, beef Brilhante and lobster rice as main courses and Piedmont Hazelnut and Chocolate Soufflé or Vanilla and Caramel Millefeuille as desserts. Brilhante has become a gourmet icon in Lisbon with an unbeatable atmosphere where time seems to stop, and diners are transported to times past as they enjoy exclusive flavours.
With three projects consolidated under Plateform umbrella: Sala de Corte, Pica Pau and Brilhante, and a promising future on the horizon, Luís Gaspar predicts a busy road ahead for Plateform. So, what’s his recipe for success? The unconditional support of Rui Sanches – the founder of Plateform – being committed to his team and constantly searching for the best fresh produce from Portugal. Opening new projects and the chance to take his culinary excellence beyond Portugal’s borders are just some of the exciting challenges that lie ahead for Gaspar, alongside Plateform.
How do you feel at the moment?
I’m really happy. I’m a chef with really great projects and I feel really satisfied.
What’s most on your mind in terms of the food scene in Portugal?
We’re experiencing a big moment in terms of food in Portugal, with great chefs, big projects and lots of energy, innovation, creativity... And chefs always have to keep ahead. Personally, at Plateform, I’m always studying, and looking up recipes and new concepts with Rui, to create new projects and make sure they’re the best.
Rui Sanches is a leader who’s renowned for his talent for innovation. How does he instil this in you, or train you to create new projects?
Rui is a creative. He’s always thinking about restaurants and kitchens. He doesn’t know how to cook, but he knows how to eat really, really well. He has a huge cultural knowledge of food and knows how to challenge himself to try new, different things. What’s most important is always having a clear idea of what you want to do. The project, the concept... And then, developing all the recipes, training the team, finding the best produce and suppliers... It’s a big challenge because we have lots of restaurants and always want to do more and better.
Brilhante
What are the main challenges that you face right now?
The staff issue is a big test. Training, the culture of produce and technique are the big challenges of the future. Doing everything better each time, with better staff, training better teams. We’re going through a tough time in the world and people are the hardest part. But, at Plateform specifically, we’re enjoying a fantastic time. Because we have better and better professionals: waiters, bartenders, chefs, pâtissiers... It’s a really great time for us, professionally speaking. And we want to have the best with us.
At Plateform we’re enjoying a fantastic time because we have better and better professionals
Where do you think your success comes from?
I’m a chef who focuses on produce and technique. I’m enjoying a period of maturity and know exactly what I want to do. Rui is a huge support. We talk a lot about projects, about the present and also the future. I have no doubts about what I need in my career.
What Portuguese products always feature in your cooking?
Rice. I love brothy rice dishes – both cooking and eating them. And Portugal is a land of rice dishes: with fish, meat, vegetables... They’re very different to the ones made in Spain because they’re brothy here.
You’ve just received the Chefe do Futuro Award. What did the prize mean to you?
Chefe do Futuro is an award that has been won by other chefs, such as Dabiz Muñoz, João Rodrigues and José Avillez, who are an inspiration and benchmark for Portugal, the whole world and for me, of course. It made me extremely proud.
Of all your restaurants, which one is the most special to you?
All my projects have a special and different meaning for me. Because each one comes from a unique moment in my career. Sala de Corte was the first, it’s a restaurant with international renown. Pica Pau is a traditional Portuguese restaurant, with memories of my childhood, my grandmother, mother... It’s very emotional. And Brilhante has a completely different cuisine: it’s the French cooking you learn at school, technique, exactitude, discipline...
Terderloin steak with lobster
And in your personal life, you’ve just become a father. How has that changed your life?
It’s changed me a lot. It’s the most important thing in my life without a doubt. But my career is also important to me. I have to be really disciplined to meet professional expectations and also be with my family, who are my rock and what matters most to me. I’m enjoying a really stable period in my personal life and that can be seen in my career.
I’m enjoying a really stable period in my personal life and that can be seen in my career
How do you see the future of Plateform?
I think the future is going to be wild. We’re going to open lots of projects in the next few years. Some brands are going to expand with new restaurants.
