Rafael Cagali is the first to admit that cooking wasn’t his first love. In fact, he always considered himself more of a mathematical mind than a culinary creative, having studied economics at the University of São Paulo, in his home country of Brazil, before ever stepping foot in a professional kitchen. But once he did, there was no turning back.
That said, restaurant culture was always something Cagali was immersed in – his mother and aunt were among the first to open the popular self-service ‘per kilo’ restaurant concepts in Brazil – but he didn’t consider cheffing as a career until he moved to England. In a bid to improve his English and fund his studies, he landed a restaurant job and, inevitably, caught the cooking bug. The result? A CV peppered with tenures at Europe’s most well-respected restaurants, including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, Simon Rogan’s now-closed outpost in Claridge’s and Grand Hotel Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda, before he branched out on his own in 2019.
Cagali opened Da Terra – taken from the Italian phrase meaning ‘from the earth’ – in the historic Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green and within eight months it had a star to its name. The second followed in 2021, putting a firm stamp of approval on Cagali’s unique cuisine. rooted in his Brazilian and Italian heritage and showcased via inventive, playful and personal tasting menus. Think dishes of quail tortellini with black truffle, wagyu sirloin with lobster rice and the signature Romeo and Juliette pairing of cheese and guava.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Cagali overhauled Da Terra last autumn in a four-week refurbishment, including behind-the-scenes upgrades and an extended open kitchen in a bid to create the kind of personal and connected experience that’s at the heart of his culinary ethos. Here he talks bringing a taste of Brazil to Bethnal Green, and how he fell in love with fine dining.
Tell me about your childhood. Did you always want to be a chef?
It wasn’t something I thought about as a kid, even though my mum had a restaurant. That said, my mum was on the business side rather than in the kitchen so maybe that’s why. All I was interested in was playing football. I wanted to go pro, I actually did play professionally for a while before I went to uni. I don’t know how far I could have gone, but if I weren’t a chef, that’s what I’d want to be doing.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Eating my mum’s chicken pie, which we call torta de frango. It’s a very traditional Brazilian dish and it’s different to the pies here in the UK. For a start, most Brazilians eat it cold or at room temperature. It’s a shortcrust pie with shredded chicken, peas, and a cheese called catupiry that binds everything together and makes it really creamy. It’s delicious, I always ask for it when I go back to visit my family.
When did you start your career as a chef?
I came to London at 21 to learn to speak English better, and started working in restaurants to support myself. That’s where the love came from, and so I decided to retrain at college. I did a lot of work experience during those years, which really helped me to prepare for my first experience abroad, which was at the Grand Hotel Villa Feltrinelli.
From Brazil to Italy, your career has taken you across the globe. Which country’s cuisine did you like most and why?
I love Italian food. I have an Italian grandfather, so I feel really connected to it; I grew up eating a lot of Italian food. Naturally, there are a lot of Italian influences in my menus at Da Terra, like in the tortellini in brodo dish. And of course, I love Brazilian food. It’s so nostalgic. I haven’t lived in Brazil since I was 21, which is a while now, so eating Brazilian food is a great way to remind myself of home.
What was it like working under Simon Rogan?
It was great working for Simon. I think the biggest thing for me during that time was learning how to interact with guests. It’s hard, you have to have the right personality for it, you have to be really open. But it’s really rewarding.
Why did you want to open your own restaurant? And why did you choose Bethnal Green?
Doesn’t every chef want to open their own restaurant? At least, that was a long-time goal of mine. Bethnal Green was a stroke of good luck. I had been thinking of opening for a while, I felt ready, I’d planned, thought it all out, I was just waiting for the right moment. Then the space came up at the Town Hall and it felt like serendipity.
It’s been a great location for us, the building itself is beautiful and it’s an area of town that’s really cool and where the culinary scene is developing rapidly. We did a refurbishment recently, having been in the space for five years, and worked out how we wanted to enhance the guest experience. For example, we now have a lounge where people start their evening with snacks and drinks, which is completely new.
What influences your menus?
It’s a lot of different things. There’s my Brazilian and Italian heritage, there’s my international training, there’s food memories from my childhood, there’s the travels I’ve done throughout my life. I also try and cook with a sense of joy and fun, and let that feeling be the springboard for the creative process for my dishes.
How did it feel to be awarded a Michelin star just eight months after opening? What’s your advice for chefs working towards Michelin-star status?
It felt crazy. I never expected to get the star so quickly. Of course, it brings a level of pressure and it changed how we approach the restaurant, but having the stars is something that makes the whole team so proud and grateful. My advice would be to keep being curious and remember that there’s always something to improve on and new things to learn.
What is your one other favourite London restaurant?
I really love Endo at the Rotunda. I’ve just visited Japan, so any way I can transport myself back there is welcome.
Are there any other London chefs you’re impressed with at the moment?
I recently went to cook a four-hands dinner with Chet Sharma at BiBi and I was so impressed with the whole team. I’ve known Chet for ages, he’s a fantastic chef, but the whole kitchen team was so strong and efficient, so that was really cool to see.
What’s your favourite dish on the menu?
I’m really fond of the moqueca. It’s a bit of a signature at Da Terra. We bring a traditional preparation of the moqueca to the menu and talk to the guests about where it comes from in Brazil. Then, we bring our own version to the table. It’s a really nice moment of sharing with the guests, which is after all one of the best bits about being a chef.
Visit daterra.co.uk
Read more: Meet the chef – Simon Rogan of L’Enclume and Aulis