When chefs Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero walk into a room, they carry with them the distinct honour of helming the world’s first and only Michelin-starred Chilean restaurant — Araya in Singapore. But during their exclusive two-day showcase at Le Cirque Signature at The Leela Palace Bengaluru, in collaboration with Culinary Culture, their mission was more about introducing India to the uncharted nuances of Chilean gastronomy than about flaunting accolades. Also read | Inside a posh hidden sanctuary in Bengaluru
For many international diners, often the idea of South American food starts with Peruvian ceviche and ends at an Argentine steakhouse. Chilean food, however, occupies its own distinct, geography-driven realm. When asked how they explain Chilean cuisine to diners across global markets — from Singapore and China to India — chef Francisco highlights how intrinsically linked their menu is to Chile’s extreme topography. We share certain similarities with Japan, Korea, and Peru, in that we eat raw seafood, and we eat a lot of seaweeds,” he explains. Singaporean diners, he notes, brought a natural curiosity that matched their culinary vision: “Singaporeans, by nature, are very curious people. They like to travel, they like to discover new things, same as Japanese — both markets are very similar. Choosing Bengaluru for their first premier Indian showcase was a calculated move. Known for its tech-driven, globally travelled demographic and deep appreciation for hyper-local ingredients, the city provided an ideal backdrop for Araya’s debut. Also read | This secret garden restaurant serves a South America-inspired menu and makes you forget you’re in Bengaluru Chef Fernanda agrees, noting the surprising connections they found with the local diners: “Some of our customers, they went to Chile already. Chef Francisco chimes in, “You see some of the customers that were here last night, they visited Chile already, or they go very often to Singapore, and they try our restaurant. So, I think it’s been a very good first step in India. However, he clarifies that his use of Japanese technique isn’t an arbitrary fusion, but a response to shared environmental characteristics: “We believe in this marine terroir. When asked what core emotion or memory they hope Bengaluru diners carry home from their meal at Le Cirque Signature, both chefs look past aesthetics and land squarely on soul and taste. It’s not how the food looks or anything, it’s just the flavour and the hospitality that we put on every service.”
Araya’s culinary style is deeply informed by chef Francisco’s time in Japan, where he earned a Michelin star at his Tokyo restaurant, 81. “We have one of the longest coastlines in the world, which means a big part of our menu, a big part of our cuisine, is seafood .
“We always tell them, it’s a very geographic cuisine,” he says. “Barbecues as well,” chef Fernanda adds. “We can showcase the rich seafood we have, the rich culture we have,” chef Francisco says, adding, “A Michelin-starred Chilean restaurant — I think that’s our unique selling point. “Bengaluru is a great hub for international exposure,” chef Francisco remarks. “Flavours,” chef Francisco answers directly, adding, “To us as chefs, the most important thing is the flavour.
