Located in The Karl Lagerfeld Macau, Mesa by José Avillez offers a refined take on Portuguese cuisine, blending traditional flavours with modern techniques. José Avillez, the first Portuguese chef to earn two Michelin stars in Lisbon, leads the kitchen with a reputation for merging tradition with creativity.
His deep connection to Portuguese gastronomy is evident in his careful sourcing of ingredients and his commitment to authenticity. Collaborating with fellow Portuguese chef Herlander Fernandes, Avillez ensures that each dish at Mesa honours Portugal’s rich culinary heritage while introducing innovative elements.
Avillez’s dedication to Portuguese cuisine goes beyond the kitchen. He has spent his career promoting Portuguese gastronomy, from opening numerous successful restaurants across Portugal and in Dubai to authoring books and creating signature wines. In Macau, he aims to provide a memorable dining experience at Mesa, reflecting the best of Portuguese culture and cuisine.
During his recent visit to Macau, we sat down with Avillez to discuss his vision for the restaurant, his special bond with Macau, and the philosophy that drives his culinary creations. Keep reading to learn more about the chef behind Mesa.
Bairrada suckling pig, coriander pork trotters stew, potato pastries
Clams Bulhao Pato, asparagus, coriander, Oscietra caviar
What is the special bond you have with Macau?
In Portugal, we always hear about Macau. We all have some uncles or cousins who lived here or came from here. And for us, a small country like Portugal, to have a relationship with a big country like China, it’s very special. So I was happy when I got the invitation to come here to open Mesa. It was difficult [back then] because it was during the pandemic. We delayed it a couple of years, but now we’re here and I feel at home.
Is there a stark difference between the Portuguese cuisine in Macau and Portugal?
What people call Portuguese cuisine in Macau, we [as Portuguese people] don’t recognise it so much. That’s because the cuisine is already Macanese. It’s different, it’s changed. But of course, history put us together.
At Mesa, our cuisine is more Portuguese from Portugal, but we also try to adapt to local tastes. We don’t change recipes, but we reduce the salt level because people in Asia generally prefer less salt than people in Europe. We are trying to bring our Portuguese identity over.
It is, however, tricky to present Mesa as a Portuguese restaurant because people here have a preconceived idea of what traditional Portuguese cuisine is, and Mesa is not that. It’s a different take on Portuguese cuisine. Sometimes, people come here and they’re hoping for the whole suckling pig and a big portion of cod, but we’re serving smaller plates of that here, in a different style.
José Avillez and Herlander Fernandes in the kitchen
Mesa aims to offer the best of contemporary Portuguese cuisine in Macau. How are you collaborating with chef Herlander Fernandes to achieve this?
Herlander is Portuguese but has been in Macau for seven years, more or less, with experience in the local market. He’s a young chef at 31 [years old], but he has a lot of passion and talent, and we always talk about creating new dishes. I have a lot of ideas, some things that I want to bring from Portugal, and sometimes he will also suggest to me. We are always exchanging ideas, and creating new dishes in the distance. Then, I’ll come over, he’ll prepare for me to taste, and I’ll correct or tweak a few things. So it’s like this. I think when you have mutual respect, it’s easy to work with each other.
Could you elaborate on the philosophy of compartilhar and how it influences your approach at Mesa?
Compartilhar means to share, and that’s our philosophy here. I also think that to cook is to care. I’m cooking for somebody, and I’m taking care of that person—like family. I think that’s part of the Portuguese spirit. That’s also like the Chinese spirit. So, we tried to connect those dots because we are very different in many things, but in this, we are similar.
Is there a dish at Mesa that reflects that Portuguese and Chinese connection?
We have a rice dish, something very typical from Portugal, but we added duck, made with a Peking duck technique to make the skin crispy. We serve the breasts on top of the rice with some fermented cabbage. So we have some influence of local markets, but without changing the identity too much, to add value but still have that connection.
The main dining room has a sky screen
Diners can expect a bold and contemporary interior
You grew up in Cascais, a town on the Portuguese Riviera. How has that influenced your culinary style?
Who I am today, and what I cook today, are everything that I have lived, up until this moment. I was born near the sea in Cascais. It’s a little bit bigger now but it used to be a fisherman’s village. I was born on a small farm with my grandparents, where we had rabbits, chickens, ducks and a vegetable garden with fruit trees. My father was a hunter, he passed away when I was young, but I have a huge connection to the world of food and ingredients. My mother didn’t know how to cook. That’s why I started cooking with my sister when I was 10 years old. We used to bake cakes to sell them to neighbours and family. It was a great business because my mother paid all the costs and we had 100% profit. It’s my best business yet!
What about now? Where do your inspirations come from now?
Every time I travel, I get inspired. And when I’m in Macau, I’m always learning new techniques, and new ways of eating and tasting. It all helps to develop my work. I think that one of the best things for chefs is to travel. You can travel within your country or you can travel abroad, but it’s an opportunity to get to know people, get to know different ways of eating, and different ingredients and seasonings. That’s how we can develop and evolve.
Beyond your culinary career, you’ve ventured into wine-making, television, radio and opened a hotel. How do you balance it all?
I have always tried to remain faithful to my beginnings as a cook but, at a certain point, I had to learn to manage the business. And that’s very important because I think young chefs sometimes think “Oh, I am realising my dreams and I don't care about the food costs.” But it’s really important to make things work and create a product that your guests like. You don’t cook for you, you cook for your guests. So I divide myself between managing the business and creativity in the kitchen, creating new concepts, cooking, TV and books. I like to be part of all phases of the project. I will design the interior, for example, and Mesa was an amazing interior design project to be a part of.
How do you let off steam?
I exercise. Usually three times a week. I love to be in the countryside. I love to be in the sea. I’ll spend time with my kids and my wife and enjoy time together, just the four of us, and disconnect. I love people, but in this profession, I’m surrounded by people 18 hours a day, so sometimes I just need to switch off.
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