Just one month into opening our doors, NUA stepped into the kitchen of Madeira Viva on RTP Madeira — and brought a bunch of chayote (“pimpinela”) along for the ride.

The segment gave us the chance to do what we love most: talk honestly about why we cook the way we cook, share where our ingredients come from, and show that Madeiran produce, long underestimated and often reduced to a supporting role, can hold the spotlight entirely on its own.

NUA founder Luísa Mendonça joined presenter Isabel Gomes alongside chef Valentina to demonstrate live, in front of the cameras, the dish that has already become something of a signature for us: a silky pimpinela and sweet potato velouté, seasoned with rosemary, sage and onion, finished with toasted almond flour and our homemade dehydrated loquat.

“Pimpinela is like that distant cousin at a wedding who only shows up out of obligation. We wanted to give it a seat at the head of the table.“

Luísa Mendonça, Founder of NUA

A Restaurant Without a Menu

NUA was born from a simple but radical idea: what if the land decided what we cook, rather than the other way around?

Most restaurants build a menu first, then go searching for the suppliers who can fill it. At NUA, we do the opposite. We call our farmers, predominantly organic growers across Madeira, and ask what the earth gave this week. The menu writes itself from there.

That means if you visit twice in the same week, you will have two entirely different experiences. Same kitchen, same philosophy, but different produce, different combinations, different plates. It is not a limitation; it is the point.

As Luísa explained on air: “The flavours are always changing. The way we prepare the food is always changing, always with the care to bring out the maximum from whatever agricultural products are available.“

01

Farmer First

We work directly with local producers, predominantly organic. No intermediaries, no compromise on provenance. If you grow it biologically on this island, we want to hear from you.

02

No Fixed Menu

Our dishes evolve day to day based on what the land provides. Every visit is a different encounter. Same values, new flavours. 

03
Improbable Pairings

We don’t fear failure in the kitchen. Our creative process is one of experimentation — crossing flavours that shouldn’t work together until they do.

04
Plant-based Abundance

We do not make a virtue of restriction. We make a virtue of creativity and abundance. Our kitchen team approaches vegetables, legumes, grains, and dairy with the same curiosity a fine dining kitchen might apply to any ingredient — because we believe this is how plant-based food earns its place at the table.

The pimpinela that appeared on Madeira Viva was brought in fresh from Camacha: organic, in season, and ready for its long-overdue close-up.

And a note for any organic farmers reading this: Luísa extended an open invitation live on air. If you grow biologically on this island and want to work with us, reach out. It would be a pleasure.

 

Final Thought

Pimpinella, Reinvented

For Luísa, this recipe captures something she has believed for a long time: that the ingredients most familiar to us — the ones we grew up seeing on every table — are often the ones most deserving of a second look.

Pimpinela has always been here, quietly present in Madeiran cooking, tucked into stews and broths without much ceremony. The goal was never to reinvent it, but to see it clearly — and to let its flavour, when properly supported, speak for itself.

That is what NUA is, in a sentence: paying attention to what has always been here, and treating it with the care it deserves.

Try the recipe at home, come visit us in Funchal, or both. And if you grow organically on this island — reach out. The door is open.