Okay, yeah, I’m ready for that.

Baldracca. It’s an Italian word. But I’m Brazilian, so we pronounce it a bit differently, although it’s basically the same. Do you know what it means? — Shameless? — No… it’s a bit worse than that. I’m trying to be diplomatic, but yes — it means “whore.” Before me, there was a pizza place here, and the name comes from that. The owner realized he was almost married to the restaurant — spending all his time there, all his money, thinking about it every day. That was his relationship with the place, so he used that word. In a way, it’s a very romantic idea to open a place like that, so we did the same — we kept the name.

Maybe “punk”… no. But I like to be kind of an outsider. That’s my idea.

Well, I did culinary school in Brazil. Then I realized I needed to come to Portugal, because at that time I had a girlfriend who came here to study, and I said — why not, I’ll come and spend some time in Portugal. Then I figured out that I could also do a master’s in culinary school here. After that, I realized I wasn’t able to go back to Brazil, so I stayed here and started to work. I worked in… I don’t know if you know it — and I worked with Zé, we were working together there. Then I opened my first business at Muza. Muza is a Lisbon brewery very nearby. In 2020, in January, I opened — and in March I closed because of COVID. Then we kept opening and closing every three months until I found this place and realized that I could open a restaurant.

I mean, we have different stories here about restaurants and kitchens and everything. Basically, I think we can mix everything together — good ingredients, good skills, techniques you use in the kitchen — while still keeping the vibe of a very loud tasca. We put on loud music, people talk closer, and it becomes a cozy place — that’s what I like to do. First of all, we are a very small space, and we play loud music because, for me, it’s not comfortable to hear the conversation at the next table, so it creates a kind of barrier. At the same time, it builds a very nice environment, because in the end everyone is talking, exchanging things, talking about everything — people who maybe met just 10 minutes before. By the end of the night, we’ve created a really nice atmosphere inside the restaurant, with good food, good ingredients, and different plates.

Everything all together. A very cozy and tiny place, with the owner or the people working there talking loud, making jokes with customers, and serving proper good food. That’s it for me.

Yeah. But I think here, in my restaurant, people can feel that there is work behind it. So for me, it’s okay — I don’t need to explain it too much. I can see that people recognize the service and the work we put into each plate. We are a bit different — we think differently. I’m not Portuguese, and there are many people in my team who are not Portuguese. We bring different ideas to Portuguese cuisine, and we mix different products and skills from around the world in each dish. So yeah, I think people recognize that.

 It started with different approaches to the same product. When we started this project, I had a chef with very strong skills and knowledge, and he brought very good ideas. There was another guy — also Brazilian, but working in Spain — and he brought Spanish perspectives. So we said — why not mix everything together? Not in a bad way. We realized we could combine everything in the same restaurant.

I think every plate looks kind of simple. For example, the grilled squid with moqueca — a Brazilian curry — and we also use fermented, dehydrated tomato. You don’t really see it on the plate, but it makes a big difference when you taste it. Also the croquettes — I don’t know if you tried them. I had the idea to make a croquette inspired by soup — so it’s not a soup, but it tastes like one. In Portugal, there’s a traditional soup, caldo verde — potato, cabbage, and chouriço. When you bite the croquette, you get the same flavor as the soup. It looks simple, but it took a long time to get the recipe right.

We are in a neighborhood where it’s not so easy to have locals. I have regular customers who have been with us since we opened four years ago. But many locals feel a bit shy to come in, because we serve different food. They are more traditional. It’s not that they don’t like it — they just don’t know these ingredients. So I try to bring them in. I send dishes to their table, let them try different things, and I win their hearts. Also, there’s a café nearby — we talk a lot about food, and once a month we organize lunches or dinners for locals. We cook, we offer everything, and we spend time together. It helps me become more local, and shows that this place is democratic — everyone is welcome.

I’ve been here around 12 years. From the beginning, I started building relationships with suppliers. We created strong bonds. Then it became easier — new suppliers come, I try their products, and decide if we use them. Working in the industry helped me find good people to work with.

Yeah, all the time. For example, tomato salad — we only do it when tomatoes are in season. I have a supplier with many varieties — last time I visited his farm, he had around 270 different types. So when it’s the season, I just say — bring me tomatoes, I don’t care.

Yes. First of all, the environment. You came for lunch — but dinner is completely different. At night, with loud music and everyone talking, it becomes an organized chaos. At first, people see that. Then they relax — we tell them, come on, you’re going to eat very well. Then the dishes come, and everything connects. When you have quality, skills, atmosphere — everything together — that’s the secret.

Yeah. It started during COVID. We were trying to figure out how to keep working, so we created a chef collective — “New Kids on the Block.” Every week we had different rules, changing constantly. It helped us stay connected and active. Then we started doing more pop-ups and collaborations. Now everyone is doing it — every week, every day, different chefs, different places. For me, it’s good — it breaks routine, brings new energy, new people.

Everything needs to be together. A good chef with a bad environment — not the same experience. A good atmosphere without good food — also not enough. When everything is together, that’s the secret.

I can’t say just one. But if we’re talking about a traditional Portuguese tasca — I would recommend a place nearby, run by a friend. And if you want something loud, with everyone talking at the same time — go to Zans.

I have a lot of respect for Michelin restaurants. Sometimes people might think we’re being rude — but no. It started as a joke — someone wrote “fine dining is dead” on the wall. We kept it. I like fine dining. I eat it. But not every day. You can eat very well without being in a fine dining format. So it’s more of a joke — but it worked.

Interesting, I was kind of nervous. — Me too. (laughing) Thank you so much. — Welcome.