Making culinary history, Araya is the one and only Chilean South Pacific establishment to receive one Michelin star at the Michelin Guide Awards this year. Its sommelier, the amicable Tomas Tapia, also won the Michelin Guide Sommelier Award for his extensive knowledge in Chilean wines.

Earning the accolades just eight months after opening, the establishment is led by Chef-Partners Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero who both hail from Chile.

“We are proud to pave the way for a lesser known cuisine and introduce it to the rest of the world, especially after the recognition from Michelin Guide! It’s food that is very close to mine and Fernanda’s hearts, and we hope that more people get to experience it,” shared Chef Francisco.

Chefs Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero

Since its inception, Araya has steadily gained the attention of informed guests looking for something different in the over-saturated fine dining landscape in Singapore. The life partners’ creative, multisensorial and heartfelt approach to reimagining Chilean South Pacific cuisine with Japanese ingredients, has provided a much needed breath of fresh air.

Ingredients indigenous to the region such as cochayuyo and merken are elevated in dishes such as the Coral and Ama Ebi with merken, showcasing the versatility and the essential role they play in the cuisine. While ancient cooking techniques such as an earth oven used by the people from Chiloé Island are reinterpreted into the Curanto, a blue lobster cooked in a parcel of charcoal and corn husk.

In addition, Fernanda’s role as Pastry Chef instils the importance of bread in Chilean cuisine by creating a repertoire of sourdough, Marraqueta, and Chapalele for every meal. Her freshly baked creations are reminiscent of convivial meals with family. Her desserts and chocolates, on the other hand, are beautiful art pieces in homage to the wilderness of the region and South American single origin cacao beans.

La Panera

Honoured and humbled by the award, the team will continue to refine their methods of the culinary storytelling of flavours, indigenous cooking techniques and ingredients familiar to both Francisco and Fernanda.

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Images: Araya