From Madeira to Chefs on Fire. Octávio Freitas conquered Cascais with this dish (and is already dreaming of a second Michelin star)

In its second year at Parque Marechal Carmona in Cascais, Chefs on Fire proved that a larger and more spread-out space doesn't necessarily make it difficult to access certain dishes. This Saturday, September 19th, Madeiran chef Octávio Freitas proved himself by being one of the most requested dishes at the festival, even though he was located in the palace area, at the opposite end from the main entrance of the event.

At the debut of the Madeira Stage at Chefs on Fire (an initiative that aims to give visibility to Portuguese regions, as has already been happening with international stages), the chef at Desarma, a restaurant located on the 11th floor of The Views Baía hotel in Funchal, captivated visitors' palates with a beef rib with onion textures that was one of the first dishes to run out after so much demand.

“The choice of this dish has to do with a tradition we have, which is slow-cooked meats in Madeira. I have here a slow-cooked rib, a long cooking process that we finish here over the fire, caramelized with a Madeira wine reduction, right? As it couldn't be otherwise. We are caramelizing the whole piece with a reduction of this wine,” the chef told MAGG.

“The dish is accompanied only by onion textures, that is, we have a white onion that has been pre-cooked with mustard, we have an onion that is being roasted in the middle of the embers, which is smoked, and then it is pickled, we use a very fresh vinegar, which gives a very refreshing touch to the dish, it has chives, some lemon wedges, and this is one of the dishes that is part of Desarma, which has a Michelin star, and it is the meat dish from my menu, which was adapted for Chefs on Fire,” said Octávio Freitas.

Regarding the visibility that these types of events bring to the restaurant he leads in Funchal — open since 2023 and which managed to win its first Michelin star the following year — the chef has no doubt that it is an incredible showcase of his work. “I’ve been cooking for five hours now, and we haven’t stopped. This queue here is incredible, it fills my soul to see people getting to know us, learning who Octávio is, what Desarma is. These events are truly incredible, this is a unique opportunity to bring things closer.”

And for those who haven't yet heard of Desarma, there's nothing better than the chef himself explaining it. “It's a restaurant located in Madeira, it's not a traditional restaurant, it's not a regional restaurant, it's a restaurant with a Madeiran chef, and that's how I usually and like to classify it. There's an identity in that restaurant that has a lot to do with the land where I was born, I'm from Madeira, and obviously there's an influence from someone who was born and is passionate about their island, and that has a huge impact on Desarma.”

"It's a storytelling kitchen, because I love stories too, and that's how I really like to describe what happens in the restaurant; it's a place where stories are told through food. We operate with a tasting menu, we have a nine-course menu and a twelve-course menu. My snacks represent a Madeiran festival, it's a traditional festival, so they are snacks that are eaten at festivals. I have another dish called 500 Years. And 500 years is the age since Madeira was discovered, and I have a dessert that is made of stones, which describe the Madeira wine, sugar and cane honey."

And Octávio Freitas doesn't hide his ambition to achieve a second Michelin star. "I'm in my third year and I've worked with this group for 20 years. I've already renewed the star three times—but it's not just about maintaining a star, I want to win two. And I think this needs to be acknowledged; whoever doesn't want to say it, doesn't want to, but I do. And that's perfectly fine, there's no problem in saying what you want."

The second and final day of Chefs on Fire takes place this Sunday, September 20th, with the gates of the Parque Marechal Carmona venue opening at noon. Tickets are still available for this second day, with prices starting at R$ 50 for an individual ticket (without food or drinks), R$ 85 for an individual ticket (5 dishes and 2 drinks), R$ 20 for a kids' ticket, and other combined ticket options.