Peruvian chef Pía León is well known on the Latin American dining scene, but even more so on the world stage.
In the 18 years since she became a chef in Lima, chef León has been a driving force behind some of the best kitchens in Peru. Having gone from being the only female chef in Central, voted the World's Best Restaurant in 2023 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants, chef León opened Kjolle in 2018 and Mauka in 2022.
"I want to showcase the biodiversity of Peru," says the chef. "Most people ask me what is the difference between Central and Kjolle because we share the same space. We share many things. At Central, it's all about the ecosystems and altitudes from all the regions of Peru, whereas at Kjolle we want to showcase the ingredients. We are not bound by limits. Our dishes aren't composed of the ingredients from the same altitude. At Kjolle, the main thing is to show all the biodiversity that Peru has to offer, from the Andes to the coast to the Amazon."
It is this philosophy that earned chef León the title of the World's Best Female Chef by The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2021.
"Though I received the award during difficult times, the award isn't only for me. It is also for the team and for Peru and Latin America. So it was a big, big award. Nowadays, I concentrate on Kjolle and Mil in the Andes, the restaurant we have in Cusco, and our research centre Mater Iniciativa," she says.
Pía León's signature restaurant Kjolle.
"I think at this point of my life, I don't know what's coming. I started my career almost 18 years ago, beginning in Central. It hasn't been easy to balance my work and my family life because I have a child. It was not easy but at this point in my life, I am 36, I have found that balance. However, this hasn't slowed me down. I will be bored and I need the adrenaline rush as I cannot be too calm.
"The good thing is that we have a very strong team through all three restaurants [Central, Kjolle and Mil] and I do not think we are going to stop. My husband Virgilio Martínez [chef-patron of Central] and his sister Malena [head of Mater Iniciativa] and I all push each other. We're not going to stop and we don't want to stop. This is our passion."
Her first flagship restaurant, Kjolle is named after a flower. "I was in Cusco to go to Mil and we were walking around 3,000-4,000 metres above sea level and I spotted this beautiful tree with these beautiful flowers, which were yellow and orange. I asked the locals what plant it was and it got me thinking. The nice message is that even though the plant grows in high altitudes, it represents like a lot of resistance, since it has such beautiful flowers, despite the extreme temperatures. That is when I decided to name my first restaurant Kjolle," explains chef León.
Peruvian chef Pía León.
At the end of 2022, chef León opened another restaurant at the Palacio Nazarenas hotel in Cusco. Named Mauka after an endangered Incan root vegetable, the restaurant will promote, preserve and celebrate Cusquenian cuisine and the rich biodiversity of the terroir.
"We use ingredients only from Cusco like potatoes, Andean grains, meat from the area, local cheese and the cacao," says the chef.
"We want to be different; each restaurant with their own identity but we want to be together also. We like to be connected in some way because we have the same mission. So you will find, of course, things in Kjolle that will remind you of Central but I think we try to make it difference. We are different, but in some way you will find some connections and the connection is Mater. Mater is like a pyramid; they give us all the information and it is then dispersed to the restaurants, which turn the information into different things. However, because sometimes things are just in season for a very short while, we need to make fast decisions. This is the thrill of the job.
"Peru is a lucky country because you have different biodiversity in all the regions, with different ecosystems. At Kjolle, you will find scallops from the coast mixed with some roots from the Andes and finished with tiger's milk or fruit from the Amazon. We don't have marked geographical limits."
A creative concept.
Eating at Kjolle isn't only about the Peruvian produce on the plate. It encompasses the country's culture and soul.
"We work together with ceramic artists, people who design our tableware or the art on the walls. We have different disciplines to put together and this is showcased in the restaurant. The idea is to have not only a good food experience but also about the eyes -- you can see, you can feel, you can touch, you can hear because even the music is curated by a Peruvian musician. The main thing is also to showcase colours with our local ceramics, napkins, tableware, which is also about various textures. This is why we also have tables strewn with herbs and textiles so it gives you a complete experience," adds chef León.
"Peruvian cuisine has a lot to offer in terms of culinary concepts. We never run out of new ideas or ingredients as we are forever finding and learning about new things. We still have a long way to go in knowledge and exploration."
Muchos Tuberculos.
