Rita Paraíso, Chef-In-Residence at Table & Apron
Moving through the world like a migratory bird, Rita Paraíso has only in Malaysia since August 2019, and joined the Table & Apron family in January 2020. "Mine is mostly a research and development role for both the restaurant and the bakery," explains Paraíso, who was born and raised in Portugal. "I’m also in charge of any special projects, like pop ups and charity events. I’ll be here for at least another year and a half."
So far, Paraíso has been responsible for cooking up some dishes on the daily specials board and has concocted a couple of new items for the bakery. "Have you tried the whey caramel cookies? I’m trying to focus on using up byproducts from the production of our regular menu items," explains the eco-conscious chef, whose resume is peppered with positions at restaurants in London.
Food aside, Paraíso derives joy from embroidery, cats and rock climbing, the last of which she hasn't enjoyed since the Covid-19 movement restrictions. "I’ve only been home for about a week so I haven’t lost my mind yet, though I’m finding it a bit hard to stop baking," she says. "I do think we’ll run out of ideas on what to cook soon, but we’ll survive! Noodles were not a big part of my childhood as they didn’t become a thing in Portugal until 2009 or 2010, but I did eat them a lot at university."
Rita's Mushroom, Tarragon & Egg Yolk Noodles
