'We're bringing a taste of Venezuela to Cork': Meet the chefs behind Scálaí 

The Black Market is Cork’s uber cool foodie hang-out on the Monahan Road. New food businesses staking their claim to a slice of the city’s high quality, fast/ casual food scene have found success after earning their stripes here.

The Pie Guys and Tongue Tied are two of the market’s success stories, and now it’s the turn of Scálaí to grab a piece of the action - the new plaice to get your catch of the day!

Open since February, Scálaí is the new concept from cousins Rodrigo de Almeida and Paulo Ferreira, second-generation Portuguese, born and raised in Venezuela. Countries with a shared culinary tradition of fresh fish.

Scálaí - named after the Irish word for scales – is an homage to their home, heritage, and appreciation for Cork city’s warm welcome.

I caught up with Rodrigo to learn more about Scálaí, life before Cork, and how memories of family dinners fuel their passion for food.

Rodrigo grew up in a close-knit family. His mother was an accountant, his father a computer engineer, and it was in his father’s footsteps he originally wanted to follow.

One of his grandparents owned a butcher’s shop and, from 13 years old, Rodrigo worked shifts after school and at weekends.

Both his grandmothers were homemakers, prolific cooks, and major influences on Rodrigo’s love of cooking. Most of all, it was family that taught him the importance of hard work, ambition, and togetherness.

“My passion for food and cooking comes from my grandmothers,” says Rodrigo. “Especially my memories of our family coming together at weekends. On Sundays, outside in the sunshine, we would make a barbecue, bring some steaks or sardines. Even today, one of my favourite dishes is grilled sardines, Portuguese style. That’s where my passion for food really started.”

In 2017, Rodrigo married and had opened a restaurant with his father. But with the economy in crisis, life in Venezuela was becoming increasingly hard.

“The situation was bad. My mother and father told us we should leave the country because things would only get worse. So, my wife and I moved to Portugal. But it wasn’t like what we were expecting. There weren’t many opportunities for work. It was really hard.”

Rodrigo returned to cookery and began studying as a chef, graduating with a degree in 2019.

But, unable to get a foothold in Portugal, he and his wife left for Cork in 2018, and he immediately landed a job working as a kitchen porter at Apple’s headquarters in Hollyhill.

“I started to jump into kitchens. I had worked in a lot of different kitchens with different cuisines when I was studying to be a chef. I learned a lot, but I also wanted to learn more so I could do more,” says Rodrigo. “I love to give twists to recipes; to give it my touch!”

After leaving Apple in 2022, Rodrigo took a head chef role working for a catering company, which was taken over by all-Ireland caterers, Gather & Gather, a year later.

Rodrigo is still working as a head chef there, somehow managing to balance that busy role while creating his new venture, Scálaí, with Paulo.

“I like the stress of both! I’m running my own business with Scálaí, but the work at Gather & Gather is also very busy. I prefer it when I have so much to do. I really enjoy working under pressure.”

Having to leave their family behind in Venezuela to find a better life for themselves, there’s a real sense of gratitude they can call Cork home, to build a life here with new friends and community.

“It’s our way of saying thank-you and giving back for what Ireland has given us,” Rodrigo says. “I am eight years in Ireland; it’s an amazing country. We have a lovely sunshine day, a rainy day, but every day is different; every day gives us a challenge and there’s opportunity for everyone.

“We wanted to have a name for the business that was traditional, and because we knew we were going to have fish and chips on the menu. Paulo came up with Scálaí because his friends said why not use something in Irish. He did some research, came up with the name, and we both really liked the idea.”

Although Scálaí is a celebration of fresh fish and seafood, there’s more to it than fish and chips. Rodrigo creates the seafood-focused savoury dishes, while Paulo, a trained pastry chef, creates delectable, sweet things for dessert.

“We have a classic fish and chips, which is really traditional. I tried fish and chips in many different places, and tasted lots of different styles of batters for the fish. The best I tried was Catch of the Day in Kinsale. They are famous for their fish and chips, their batter is amazing and the portion of fish is great,” says Rodrigo.

“I try to replicate something like that and then give our twist on it. Our batter is beer batter – not 100% beer, but enough to give the batter a good flavour. We add sparkling water to the batter to keep it light and crispy. The tartar sauce is also different. You can taste the gherkin, shallot, capers and parsley - it’s a great combination. The mushy peas we give a twist also. We make them creamy finished with mint and dill. People tell us it’s the best mushy peas they have had!”

Every Friday, it’s Mexico for inspiration with Taco Friday! A trio of fish tacos are filled with different fish each week. One week was octopus, scampi, and white fish piled high inside toasted corn tortillas with salsa, salad and sauce.

“Everyone loves our tacos, and they sell really well,” says Rodrigo.

Scampi and calamari are given a Japanese-style treatment with a light, crispy tempura-style batter, steaming the fish as it cooks, keeping the fresh prawn tails and squid rings tender and juicy inside.

There are also flavours of Rodrigo and Paulo’s Venezuelan heritage with dishes inspired by his mother’s own homespun recipes.

“A starter dish we have that is important to me is our salt cod croquette. It’s based on my mother’s own recipe and a real taste of our Venezuelan home. We make it the traditional way by soaking salt cod overnight, then we poach it gently and mix it with soft potato, parsley, shallots, olive oil, salt and pepper. Brazilians and Portuguese, they tell me they are very good croquettes, and I invite everyone to try them when they visit us.”

Paulo’s talents lie in the pastry kitchen. The South American dessert, Tres Leches, is always on the menu.

“It’s our best-seller. It’s a traditional cake from South America using three types of milk: condensed, evaporated and powdered. Together they keep the cake moist, light and fresh tasting. Traditionally in Venezuela, it is served with cinnamon, but we see that not everyone likes the taste of cinnamon here! So, instead, we give it a little twist with Biscoff.”

Of course, in Ireland, there is a long tradition of Friday fish, with fish and chips a favourite dish. Portugal, the land of Rodrigo and Paulo’s ancestors, is renowned for its seafood culture, but what about Venezuela?

There is, he says, but Venezuela is a large country, so it depends where you are.

“The state in Venezuela I come from, I can be at the coast in 45 minutes. Every Sunday, my father-in-law, who is from the coast, cooks a whole fish deep fried. It’s served with rice, tostones [unripe plantain] that we also deep fry, coleslaw on top and a traditional Venezuelan salty white cheese. He cooks fish like this all the time.

“In the south of Venezuela, most people eat meat, but in the river, they catch sweet water fish. It has a very different flavour and texture to sea fish. It’s really awesome.”

The Scálaí mantra is ‘Tradition, Fresh, Respect’ - three things that are close to Rodrigo’s heart.

“It’s about respect for the recipes, the food, the tradition, and what everyone is doing for us by coming and eating with us every week. In Venezuela, it’s traditional every weekend to come together and eat together family style.

“We share big moments over food, and in that tradition, we share the moments that keep our memories with us all the time.”

Rodrigo is at his happiest when he sees these same cherished memories of home play out at the dining tables inside The Black Market.

“I love seeing families come and order fish and chips from us, sit down together to eat family style with all the food laid out on the table. That makes me feel like we are doing something good. It’s people choosing to come here, enjoy what we’re doing, and saying to us that it’s tasty. All the hard work, all the stress – it’s worth it for moments like that.”

So, why put Scálaí at the top of your list of places to eat in Cork?

“If you want to try a delicious twist on a traditional recipe fish and chips, give us a shot. You will be surprised. We have great scampi, calamari, and generous portions of fish with hake and cod always on the menu.

“Our fries are triple cooked, and people say they are the best chips they have had. Don’t forget to save room to enjoy our desserts, too!”

• Scálaí is open Wednesday – Sunday, 12-8pm.
• www.instagram.com/scalai.ie