“Good food is not for the faint of heart. It is for creative minds and strong hearts. The only limit is your soul ”.
Manuel Ferreira
A Chef who loves comfort food
The Executive Chef of the Lux Hotels Group, Manuel Ferreira, was born in French lands and it was in the city of the Jesuits, in Santo Tirso, that his taste for cuisine started, at 28 years old. The first space where he had the opportunity to put his gastronomic experiences into practice was in his parents’ restaurant.
The training course started at the Professional School of Mazagão, in Braga, under the tutelage of Chef Martins, one of the first trainers of the School of Hospitality and Tourism of Porto.
He started his professional activity in one of the largest hotel groups – Continental Group – as a cook, but the need to learn new techniques and challenge led him, after two years, to move to new places.
It was at the Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa that he developed his full potential and absorbed all the knowledge and passion from the greatest references among chefs: Jerónimo Ferreira, Celestino Grave, Ilídio Barbosa, Marlene Vieira and Pedro Sequeira.
Throughout these years, all techniques and new trends in gastronomy have been put into practice, such as traditional Portuguese cuisine, fusion cuisine, molecular cuisine, oriental cuisine. The mentoring of these excellent professionals was key to accepting another challenge, this time alone. He is currently in command of his own kitchen, in Galeria do Largo (a part of Porto A.S. 1829 Hotel) – a traditional street restaurant. Its cuisine favors comfort food, homemade food, with the best ingredients selected directly by the Chef and team, who shares with him the same energy and passion.
Since 2017 he has participated in several television shows, such as the “Pau para uma Colher”, from “Grandes Manhãs”, and more recently in the “Bom Garfo” from “Alô Ricardo” show, both in Porto Canal channel.
He loves to discover and rediscover his country, making regular visits to local producers. In your kitchen there is no shortage of seasonal products used in old, traditional, and regional Portuguese cuisine.
If being a chef is an art? The Chef answers: his art is to be a Cook.