IN CONVERSATION WITH HENRIQUE SÁ PESSOA

interview by NATALIE GAL

Henrique Sá Pessoa is one of Portugal’s most celebrated chefs, known for redefining contemporary Portuguese cuisine. With two Michelin stars at his restaurant Alma in Lisbon, he has built an international reputation through his innovative approach, global influences, and deep respect for tradition. I sat down with him over morning coffee to delve into his career journey, his Amsterdam restaurant ARCA, his creative inspirations, and plans for the future.

What first drew you to Amsterdam?
My move to Amsterdam was actually a bit of a detour. I was originally meant to open a restaurant in London, at a hotel in Battersea. But due to delays with that project, the team said, “Hey, we have another opportunity in Amsterdam.” So I came here, and I’m glad I did.

The first time I visited was in 2017. Like many people, I had the stereotypical idea of Amsterdam—Red Light District, weed, etc. But once I spent time here, I saw its real depth. The art, music, fashion scenes—there’s an energy that’s very modern and creative. The culinary scene was just starting to evolve, especially with young Dutch chefs and Asian influences. And I noticed there were almost no Portuguese restaurants here. That’s when I realized: Amsterdam is the perfect melting pot to introduce Portuguese cuisine with a twist that reflects my roots.

You’ve mentioned Macau a few times. What’s it like working there, and how did that project challenge you?
Macau was my first big international venture back in 2018. It’s a fascinating place—a former Portuguese colony with a strong Chinese presence. It was almost symbolic, blending my own cultural background. But it came with unexpected challenges.

One of the biggest adjustments was salt. Chinese palates, particularly in that region, are very sensitive to salt. Dishes that were totally balanced in Lisbon or London were suddenly “too salty.” We had to completely rethink our seasoning—not just tweak, but fundamentally change how we approached flavor. And then, when Portuguese guests visited, they’d say, “Why is this so bland?” It was a constant balancing act. That’s what I’ve learned from working globally: you can’t just transplant a concept. You have to listen, learn, and adapt. What works in one place may not work at all in another.

What do you think is the biggest difference between Amsterdam and London, working in this field?

I actually thought Amsterdam was a much bigger city at first. Once I got here, I realized how small it is—especially compared to London. I lived in London for three years. London is like 10 million people, and it’s still going all the time. Amsterdam has that cosmopolitan feeling, but it’s still a very small city. By 10 o’clock, everybody’s home. It’s not like London or New York—a 24-hour city. But I also like that about Amsterdam.

Also, I think the Dutch influence in the lifestyle is really strong here. In London, it's such a mix of different cultures. When people move to Amsterdam, they kind of become Dutch in the lifestyle. But when you go to London, it depends on which neighborhood you live in. It's very different. It's the same in New York. So I think that’s the main difference—the size and the culture. Dutch culture is much more felt here. With London, it depends—East, West, suburbs, center—it’s all different. In Amsterdam, you don’t feel that fragmentation.

How do you stay creatively challenged—not falling into a routine or repetition, and finding ways to reinvent?

This is such a hard profession to stay on top of. And when I say “stay on top,” I mean staying motivated—because it’s a very demanding profession. It’s exhausting. It takes so much of your personal time—sometimes your friends, your family.

I always say: to stay a chef for a long time, a sane chef, you need to have your ups and downs. I’ve had periods where I moved a little bit away from the day-to-day routine and became more of an outsider—trusting my team. Then I’ve had times where I wanted to get back in, cook again, be hands-on, be in service every day.

If you’re always in one mode, you eventually burn out or lose the passion. That’s my view. This year will be 30 years that I’ve been a chef. And I go in and out, highs and lows. Sometimes I achieve a lot, and other times I just cruise. But you can’t always be on high speed. I feel like the last two or three years, I’ve been on high speed—especially with the international expansion. Maybe not as focused on my restaurants at home because I’ve had my team for a long time. I trust them.

On the topic of expansion—your restaurants span different styles and cities. What connects all of them at their core?

All of them have a very specific flavor profile. I’m not saying everyone loves it—Portuguese food is complex. It’s strong, sometimes heavy. It’s not the prettiest food. It’s still rough.

Southern European food is like that. The French with butter, the Spanish with garlic and olive oil, Italians too—but maybe simpler, easier to understand, and more global. Portuguese food has punch. That’s what I carry across all my restaurants. But I always adjust to the local market. I’m not like, “This is what it is, take it or leave it.”

When I first opened in Macau, we realized Chinese people are very sensitive to salt. Everything we sent out, they said it was too salty. So we had to practically remove salt from the food. But then a Portuguese person would come and say, “What’s wrong with this? There’s no salt!”

But one dish that’s been a hit everywhere—London, Amsterdam, Macau, Miami—is the salted cod with the egg yolk. That dish has gone viral. Everybody loves it.

Is there a next city or challenge you have in mind?

Honestly, I’ve been traveling non-stop for almost five years with this expansion. It started in 2018 with Macau, then we had to shut down for COVID.

Funny enough, during COVID, I had the opportunity to open in Amsterdam and London. When I think back—opening Arca in the middle of the pandemic, in October, and closing two months later—we were still wearing masks. I had to do the nose swab test every trip. It feels like ages ago, but it wasn’t. Only three years.

So now, I want to slow down a bit. Just manage what I have. Refocus on my projects at home. We’ve got a two-star restaurant, Alma. We just got another Michelin star in Porto—so now we have three stars: two plus one. This year, I want to do a big refurbishment on Alma. It’s been 10 years—we need a new kitchen, new dining room. Big investment.

People ask me, “Do you want the third star?” That’s like asking Bayern Munich, “Do you want to win the championship?” Of course! But you need the right players, the right conditions. I don’t wake up every day thinking, “I want to be a three-star chef.” But I do wake up thinking, “How can I be better than last year?”

How has the kitchen culture changed over the years, especially compared to when you started?
So much has changed—and for the better. I come from the generation where you didn’t question authority in the kitchen. You worked 15 hours a day, got yelled at, and said, “Yes, chef.” That was the norm.

But that’s not acceptable anymore. And honestly, it never should have been. The new generation doesn’t tolerate toxic behavior, and that’s something I fully support. I was never that kind of screaming chef anyway, but I’ve seen it firsthand. Kitchens can be tough places, but they don’t need to be abusive.

The real challenge now is creating a professional environment that’s still ambitious but also healthy. How do you motivate your team, push for excellence, but also offer balance, respect, and proper compensation? That’s where the industry needs to go.

We also need to bring back the passion for hospitality. A lot of people left the industry during COVID, and it’s been hard to bring them back. We need to show that this is a meaningful, fulfilling career—not just a job.