Town & country
RAFAEL CAGALI • Da Terra & Maré
WORK • Wednesday Routine
RAFAEL CAGALI • chef-owner • Da Terra & Maré
Neighbourhoods you work in: Bethnal Green (Da Terra, Elis) & Hove (Maré)
Neighbourhood you live in: Havering-atte-Bower
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Usually I spend the morning catching up with the kitchen team at Da Terra, going through plans for the week and discussing ideas, improvements or new ideas for dishes or the organisation in general. We have a quick breakfast bite all together, followed by a catch-up with the senior team, including front of house. After staff dinner at 4p, I do testers with the food at 5p, then there’s the staff briefing at 530p, and we’re ready to open for dinner at 6p.
What’s on the agenda for today?
I’m at Maré for lunch service, so I drove down to Hove from Essex early this morning. We’re hosting a private takeover of the restaurant – one of our first since opening in September, which is exciting. It’s my first time opening a restaurant outside London, and Hove has such a great energy, with a strong community of independent hospitality businesses that we’re really happy to be a part of. Tonight, I’ll head back to the city for dinner service at Da Terra.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I’m desperate to go to Miga, a newish Korean restaurant that opened right on our doorstep. It’s around the corner from Da Terra but I haven’t made it yet and have heard great things. I recently visited Legado, also in East London, which was amazing – congratulations to Nieves [Barragán Mohacho] and her team.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I take our dog, Rolo, for long walks – we have lots of nice parks around us. I also like going to the gym, particularly for swimming. Looking ahead, my partner Charlie and I have a tradition of going to the theatre in the lead-up to Christmas. We’re always quite last minute with the show we pick, but this year we’ve landed on one surprisingly early – it’s Oliver!
Any weekend getaways?
I want to go back to Stockholm to return to Frantzén, which is a must… but also ABBA The Museum. The ABBA museum is wicked – such a fun spot, and because it’s a little further outside town, you can make a lovely day of walking there and back, stopping for food along the way. Stockholm’s also great for wine bars, spotlighting local produce – one of my favourites is Rolfs Kök. For restaurants, I recommend Aira, Sushi Sho and Babette.
What was your last great vacation?
When Da Terra closed for refurbishment, we took the senior team to Brazil for two weeks, travelling and cooking along the way. It was good to show them my home culture and get some inspiration for the menu. I try new places every time I go to São Paulo as the food scene there is constantly evolving, but I always go back to Tuju and Evvai for fine dining.
For more traditional food, you have to try pastel [a Brazilian empanada, or pasty]. For breakfast from a local bakery, go for a pão na chapa, which is bread toasted over a plancha, with butter. I also like it topped with requeijão (soft cream cheese) and ham, with a side of café com leite or a filter coffee. I never miss out on breakfast at the Fasano hotel – they do great spreads with the freshest fruit. For cocktails, head to Tan Tan.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I love coffee and recently upgraded my machine to the Sage Barista Touch Impress.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I always have a good time walking around Selfridges – especially the homeware section.
Where are you donating your time or money?
We work with StreetSmart, a charity aimed at tackling homelessness in the UK.
Photo: Matheus Luz Cagali