“The kitchen is my home”

DL: Who is Rui Medeiros?

I would say I am a free spirit. Humble, hardworking, and honest. I come from a very humble family, without much financial means. My father, João Augusto, was a farmer when he was younger. He taught me that the land was more than just soil—it was life, sustenance, something to be cared for with your hands. My mother, Maria Teresa, was a cook at the Luísa Constantina School in Rabo de Peixe, and it was alongside her that I developed, in a way, a passion for cooking. I learned that cooking was more than preparing food—caring, creating, and loving. So I have always been a hard-working person. From an early age, I learned to value work and be rigorous and disciplined, largely due to my upbringing. I spent part of my childhood in the countryside: cultivating, sowing. My father worked in a pineapple greenhouse, so I learned how to grow this regional fruit. If I am who I am today, it is because of this part of my childhood. From an early age, I learned discipline, focus, and resilience.

DL: When did your interest in gastronomy begin?

I’ve always had a taste for gastronomy, but from a different perspective. The truth is that this passion developed through my mother. As I said, the fact that she was a cook in a school meant that I spent a lot of time around the culinary world. And since I was a child, I learned to cook on my own, to prepare a meal while my mother was at work, and I had to prepare meals at home. Many family members told me to follow this culinary path, but there weren’t many opportunities in our region then. So, at the time, I chose other areas. However, in 2005, while I was doing my military service, I came across an advertisement for a cooking course at the São Pedro Hotel School, now EFTAZORES. I decided to follow one of my old dreams and have been in the field ever since.

DL: How did you get here?

My journey has been marked by determination, discovery, and reinvention. I took a course in reception, but decided not to pursue that field. I also did my military service, where I worked as an army policeman. At that time, I considered taking a police course, but the cooking course at EFTH ultimately consolidated my decision to become a professional chef. Through the course, I had the opportunity to make my dream come true. The school provided me with many opportunities, and thanks to my effort and dedication, I became the first student from the school’s cooking course to participate in the prestigious AEHT (Association Européene des Écoles d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme) competition. After the course, I interned in Belgium through the Eurodisseia program to boost my professional career. When I returned, I was invited to be head chef at Colégio 27, a restaurant outside the box and ahead of its time. After a few years, I went to France and worked as sous chef at Le Bistrot, a busy restaurant by the sea in Corsica, which gave me an insight into the international market. After a few months, I returned to São Miguel and was invited to be the Chef at the restaurant Convés, where I stayed for a year (2014-2015). I received an award: second place in the “Best Rice in Portugal” competition, organized by Unilever Food Solutions. It is an important award in my professional career, along with my presence in the ranking of “Mesa Marcada: The 10 Favorites | Restaurants and Chefs,” when I was Head Chef at the Forneria São Diniz Restaurant in Santa Clara from 2015 to 2017. Over the years, I have also been consulting for some regional restaurants, namely Q’énosso in Lagoa, Bar da Caloura, and Casa do Abel.

DL: Are you currently a chef/trainer?

I am a Chef and cooking/pastry Trainer at the Vila Franca do Campo Professional School, the Azores Tourism Training School, and the UnoJovens Association. I am also a freelance chef. I don’t like to be tied to a single place. We can always vary a little in today’s world: explore new spaces, teams, and dynamics. As a chef and cooking/pastry trainer at EFTAZORES, I participate in events and themed dinners at the Anfiteatro Restaurant in Portas do Mar.

DL: How do you feel in the kitchen?

I feel good and in my comfort zone, at my base, where I developed and studied. I am happy to see my work influencing others, particularly my trainees, whom I have the opportunity, through EFTAZORES, to take to national and international cooking competitions, namely: Olivier Roellinger, AEHT, Azores Skills, Young Talent in Gastronomy, among others. We were at the Better Tourism Lisbon Travel Market a few weeks ago, representing Azorean products. I have been going to BTL for a few years now, and this year I went with the Executive Chef and the Head Waitress, together with our trainees from the Anfiteatro Restaurant. I do what I like and am happy to share what I learn with others. In addition to learning, I also develop and study, and I feel very happy about that. It is a bit of a refuge, and has often been so. The kitchen is my home.

DL: Which is your favorite of all the dishes you have ever made? Which is the worst?

Well, of all the dishes I’ve made, the ones I like making the most are those involving fish. There’s no specific dish; I like working with it in general. It’s a delicate, sensitive raw ingredient that requires some care, and I enjoy cooking it. We live surrounded by the sea, and it makes sense that it should be that way. The sea is also part of our roots; there’s no escaping it, we’re islanders. I wouldn’t say there’s a worst dish, but the one I like least to cook is perhaps one that contains cow’s tongue. I confess that it’s not my favorite ingredient.

DL: Have you ever received criticism? Tell us about an episode.

Yes, criticism is inherent in any profession, and this one is no different. I remember one particular situation where a member of my team was repairing some equipment, he put one of the screws on the shelf and it ended up falling into the customer’s food on the counter below. Obviously, the customer called me to complain about this situation, where I had to act normally, apologize for the situation, and we resolved the problem internally. No one is immune to a situation like this; we just have to always be alert and avoid such situations as much as possible.

DL: How do you react to criticism?

I don’t react badly, as long as it’s said constructively. Destructive criticism, on the other hand, adds nothing. In my opinion, all criticism must be well-founded. Criticizing for the sake of criticizing is not criticism. So, it’s all a question of how you express yourself and the purpose of the criticism. I pay close attention to criticism and try to improve every day.

DL: What was the greatest compliment you have ever received?

Seeing people enjoying what I do is enough for me; that’s the best compliment a chef can get. I must confess that I often receive compliments about my baking in general, which I occasionally do as a starter at Restaurante Anfiteatro. I also do it as part of training with my trainees. There are also compliments on the social media pages of the schools/restaurants where I work or have worked, and on my social media pages.

DL: What are your ambitions?

I aim to continue doing what I am doing now, learning every day, meeting chefs who share the same experience, and working in the field. Currently, I am focusing on my digital presence. It is an increasingly established reality in our society, and my goal is precisely to showcase my work, the Azores, the quality of our products, and the influence of our roots in the world of cuisine. All of this can be seen on my Instagram page @chefruimedeiros, where I have been posting content of this kind.

DL: Do you feel fulfilled?

Yes. I do what I like, and that makes me feel very fulfilled. People usually say that if you do what you like, it’s easier. I do what I want, and it’s very hard work. When you do something for pleasure, you get very tired. Especially when you have a lot of responsibilities, you have to know how to manage your time and priorities, and that’s not always easy. However, I feel I have chosen the right path and profession. It’s an achievement that takes a lot of work, but the enjoyment makes up for the fatigue.

DL: Where would you like to be in the future? Why?

I would like to continue with my work: training, learning, sharing with my colleagues, those who want to follow in my footsteps in the kitchen, sharing my essence, and influencing more people. Perhaps I could acquire a small space to do what I like—something simple, quiet, and comfortable. However, all of this requires financial support, and a lot of bureaucracy takes a back seat. However, I envision a future where I can always invest in knowledge and wisdom.

In Diário da Lagoa, Clife Botelho-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.