The Fisherman

Sérgio Capilé moved far away from home to do what he likes best: Fish.

Sérgio Capilé, head chef at Sabi Sushi Forus (Photography: Anne Buckle).

Double meaning intended. Sérgio loves to fish. But his main reason for leaving Portugal is to feed hungry Norwegians.

- I’m always searching for bigger projects, is Sérgios explanation for the big move. Six months later he has stopped looking. He’s found his place, as head chef at Sabi Sushi Forus.

- It feels like two years ago, Sérgio says. A lot has happened since he came to Stavanger. He calles the restaurant, and the people in it, family. With good reason. Sérgios girlfriend, Sue is the manager. She moved with her boyfriend to join in the adventure. A lot of the staff are friends he lured in like fish on hooks.  Altso from Portugal.

- We speak a lot of Portugese in the kitchen, even the ones who speak Russian have picked it up. But meetings are in English, he explains.

He’s only 27, but has had six months in USA as well. Training and studying at the University of Central Florida. Only broken by a month in Brazil.

- It was so much fun, I went during Carnival season, Sérgio remembers. It was through this trip that he met Brazilians who would teach him the art of preparing sushi. He worked in a Japanese restaurant in the north of Portugal for three years.

- We hear that Japanese spend years learning how to make sushi. How was it for you?

- It was the same for me. I had to spend six months in the kitchen learning the preparations like washing rice before I got to make sushi. And when I did the head chef would grab my maki and throw it in the garbage. I just had to bow my head down and say sorry and continue with the preparations. I was so angry, but I would have been kicked out if I showed it. I just had to wait for a new test and see it I passed, Sérgio recalls.

Sérgio Capilés makes maki rolling look easy. But his skills have been tested quite a few times (Photography: Anne Buckle).

 He had to do another test to prove himself in Stavanger. Four days of being observed and making his best sushi to the owners of Sabi Sushi.

- You have to show your skills, it is how it is in this business. I made my specials, and got good feedback. After I got he job offer, I took a couple of weeks thinking about it in Portugal. I needed to be sure of this big change, and I needed to hear what Sue wanted. Now that we’re here I know we will stay longer. To develop.

- Norwegians are not so different from Portugese, Sérgio sais when asked about how he likes it here.

- Nowegians like their privacy, but when you have gained their trust they open their arma and make you feel welcome. Norway isn’t really that different from home, besides the weather, he has to add.  Sérgio describes himself as a ”small city guy”, and laughs when he gets recognized at IKEA.

- You can hear them whispering about the sushi-guy, he sais, smiling.

Sérgio Capilés phone is always close by. Sanitized, of course, for the kitchen (Photography: Anne Buckle).

After a hectic six months life is slowing down, a little, at the busy restaurant in Forus. Sérgio has had some time to do other things. The beaches of Jæren remind him of home, and are one of the reasons he thinks he’ll be happy here for a long time.

- The water is much colder, but I love the sea, and hopefully soon I can get my own kaiakk and do some fishing from that. I have tried the pier in Stavanger, but I need to get into the fjords.