Cláudio Cardoso

The executive chef at skyscraping Sushisamba on London’s Bishopsgate talks to Imogen Lepere about his favourite hidden restaurants, where he travels and knives that are worth more than cars

Where’s your favourite place to travel?

I love Cape Town. It’s where I grew up so I know it well and there are loads of incredible restaurants there and the people are very open-minded in their attitude to food. Nature is very present in the city, from the mountains to the sea, and I’ve always been inspired by its shapes, forms and colours.

What are your favourite restaurants in the world?

Blue Hill at Stone Barns bluehillfarm.com 54km north of New York. It’s all about the produce; there isn’t a menu, they just bring whatever’s growing on the farm that day. I also love Fera at Claridge’s (https://www.claridges.co.uk/restaurants-bars/fera-at-claridges/) Virgilio Martinez’s Central in Lima (http://www.centralrestaurante.com.pe/) and Nomad (http://www.thenomadhotel.com/) in New York. They all share a modern, adventurous spirit and all their chefs are creating trends.

When arriving in a city, how do you decide where to eat?

I do a lot of research in every single thing I do. I see it as a field trip when I travel, and book my tables for every meal at least one month in advance. I try to do 50/50 with top restaurants and underground restaurants, because it’s important to understand what the normal person on the street eats. When it comes to street food, I just wander around the city and see where has the biggest queue.

What is your favourite bit of kitchen kit?

My knives. The ones I’m using at the moment are measured to fit my hand. Good knives can last a lifetime and mine are worth more than my car. Some of them cost over £2,000 each.

Which hidden gems do you take your brigade to?

I began my culinary training in Portugal when I was 15 and have always loved Ericeira on the west coast. The food is traditional and driven by the sea – bread mash with seafood is served as naturally as possible, just cooked in seawater. In Cape Town, Gold (http://www.goldrestaurant.co.za/) is also a really special place – the menu reflects almost every country in Africa.

What one ingredient could you not live without?

Eggs. They’re so versatile and can be utilized from the beginning to the end of the day. They’re great value, have amazing flavour and they’re really healthy. Having said that, most comfort food has eggs in it too: pastry, bacon and egg sandwiches… who doesn’t love a fried egg with ketchup?

Who would make up your dream kitchen team?

My sous chef from Sushisamba, Andreas Bollanos, as well as Martín Berasategui, Dan Barber and Daniel Humm. All of these chefs are persistent in their ideas and have stayed loyal to themselves, which is how they’ve got to where they are today.