Kappo reopened more refined, more ambitious (and closer to the star)

Time Out

5 hours ago

The light wood tones and red lights have vanished, along with the tables behind the counter and some of the informal charm. A new light contrasts with the black that now dominates the space, there's a new counter — even closer to the kitchen — and a fresh energy. Tiago Penão's Kappo has reopened in Cascais after two months of renovations. It's more elegant, refined, and hopefully closer to its goal: a Michelin star.
'I'm like a kid in a toy shop,' laughs Tiago Penão after another fully booked service — 12 seats at the counter. 'The feedback we've received has been great. People say we're really in a Kappo 2.0. It was a pretty cool upgrade. That was our goal and we're happy with it,' the chef proudly says, for whom two months were more than enough to develop a 'new restaurant'. 'This is the restaurant I've always imagined, with the concept I always envisioned, served exactly as I imagined.'
Unlike before, this new Kappo only offers one seating. The aim is to serve all 12 guests at the same time, without rush or pressure to turn tables, as could happen since opening in 2021 — and even before Izakaya launched a year later, not far from here. 'That was always the plan, and now was the right time to implement it,' explains Tiago Penão.
This was also made possible by Izakaya's success, which will open a second location in Príncipe Real later this year, and the addition of both restaurants to the Cook Book group portfolio, led by chef José Avillez and the Arié family. 'We believe we should bring something new every year, and this transformation had been planned for a year because we felt the restaurant was a bit tired, so to speak. We wanted to do an extreme makeover, almost,' he adds.
The transformation was entrusted to architect João Tiago Aguiar, who also designed LOCO, Alexandre Silva's Michelin-starred restaurant. 'Our idea was for the kitchen to be the stage so that people focus on what they're eating and what we're preparing. That's why everything around is dark,' explains the chef, comparing it to the audience sitting in the shadows at the theatre while the show takes place.
'I don't like to say the space feels more luxurious, but it is certainly more comfortable and nicer to be in. As for the gastronomy, we haven't changed our concept or our offerings, only the way we serve. Gastronomically, we maintain our identity, but now we really have a bit more room to do a little more and better,' he sums up. 'That's always been the goal from the start, and now was the right time to put it into practice.'
Guests are invited to arrive a little before 8pm (or 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays when they also serve lunch) so that, even if service happens simultaneously, the personalised attention doesn't disappear. Sometimes from outside the counter, sometimes from inside, where front-of-house and kitchen intersect so often. 'The idea is to serve everyone at the same time, but we can also adapt a bit to each person's pace, and we have tricks within the menu in case there's any timing mismatch,' Penão explains confidently in this new phase. 'We really like trying to practice Omotenashi, which is the Japanese art of impeccable hospitality – anticipating unspoken wishes. Now we have time for that, and increasingly, we'll be focusing on it and improving in this area,' he adds.
The menu (€135) is slightly larger and follows the same line that has defined Kappo so far, drawing inspiration from the Japanese omakase tradition, where trust in the chef and their team is absolutely essential. The dishes aren't announced, only the techniques. 'Kappo cuisine in Japan is always divided by several cooking techniques – raw, grilled, fried, boiled, marinated… That's the structure of the menu and it will never change,' he assures. With 11 courses, there are classics that cannot disappear, such as the toro roll (tuna belly) wrapped in nori seaweed with caviar right at the start, or the Edomae-style nigiris towards the end. But there are also surprising new additions, like the crunchy snack made with mochi dough combining caviar and monkfish liver, or the traditional shabu-shabu where thin slices of wagyu are cooked with vegetables in a kombu dashi broth.
'I don't think it's more difficult [to serve the whole counter at once], I think it's more interesting for us and more challenging in the way we prepare things. There are dishes we can make individually, and others that are made for everyone at the same time, like the shabu-shabu. It's also more rewarding because we have time to talk to people, ask if they liked it or not, and that's where the front-of-house team really comes into its own. It's always been the goal to do things this way. We couldn't at first, but now we can,' Tiago Penão reflects.
Without rushing, but with a very clear goal, and while avoiding the pressure that comes with it, the chef feels free and with more space to create. 'I've always had complete freedom to create, I've always been comfortable, but now we simply have more time,' he explains. He adds: 'With the kind of service we're doing, it's easier to introduce things that are more complex.' Does that mean Kappo is better today? Tiago Penão has no doubts. 'We've managed to raise the quality of what we deliver a bit, and we can offer Japanese cooking techniques that aren't seen very often.'
At the end of the meal, another new touch: coffee is also a moment in itself – or matcha for those who prefer – served alongside petit fours and a poem, in true Japanese style. 'We wanted to improve the final moment, so people could relax and linger in the restaurant afterwards,' explains the head chef. 'We thought of many things we could give guests to take home as a keepsake, and we felt a poem was the nicest and most original way to do that. I also really love matcha – I drink it every day. We wouldn't claim to perform a full matcha ceremony because that's highly complex, but we like to serve it with quality,' he adds, highlighting the 'greater effort to bring Kappo even closer to Japan.' 'Always keeping our identity because none of us are Japanese, and we like to bring a bit of our own experiences and backgrounds, while never disrespecting Japanese cuisine.'
Back in March, when announcing the restaurant's temporary closure, the chef wasn't shy with his warning: '[Kappo] is really going to level up, both gastronomically and in terms of the customer experience.' Two months on, the results are clear. 'The goal from day one – and it's always been clear on our part – is the Michelin star. We're putting everything on the line. It's all or nothing,' he jokes, with the lightness of someone who knows the only way to achieve it is through focused, respectful teamwork, as has been the case. 'I owe a lot to my team as well, so I'm living the dream.'
Avenida Emídio Navarro 23A (Cascais). 21 484 4122. Wed-Fri 20.00, Sat-Sun 13.00, 20.00