Portuguese and a chef, José Avillez' main focus is to promote Portuguese gastronomy and to contribute to making Portugal a top gastronomic destination. He's considered a reference in Portuguese gastronomy and has stood out because of his enterprising spirit and drive to go further.
His immense curiosity, love for traveling and constant drive to experiment and learn have contributed a great deal to his creativity and evolution, though the great source of inspiration is Portuguese cuisine. He defines himself as a chef who's passionate about cuisine and about his country and who embraces innovation and creativity without ever forgetting tradition, quality, authenticity, and the worth of work. José Avillez grew up near the ocean and a pine forest, in Cascais and this had a profound influence on his work. He studied Business Communication in college, had private study lessons with the key author on traditional Portuguese gastronomy, Maria de Lourdes Modesto, and did many professional internships in several different restaurants in Portugal and abroad, such as El Bulli by Ferran Adrià, who transformed his concept of cuisine. In 2008 he took on the role of executive chef of the emblematic restaurant Tavares, in Lisbon, the place where, in 2009, he'd win his first Michelin star. In 2011 he opened his restaurant. Today he has multiple restaurants in Portugal (Lisbon and Porto) and Dubai, each with a different concept, but all expressing his passion for cuisine.
In his talk, José Avillez will talk about the creative process behind the creation of new gastronomic creations and wine-food pairings. He will also discuss how he and this team integrate input from multiple sensory systems and combine it with storytelling to help them create the perfect gastronomic experience.