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Manu, the restaurant run by chef-owner Manoella Buffara in Curitiba, Brazil, has been named as the Miele One to Watch ahead of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.
The Brazilian chef first opened Manu in 2011 and has since put Curitiba on the culinary map with her dedication to working with local producers and improving the general wellness of the neighbourhood in which she operates.
Building urban gardens, installing beehives and generally improving education around nutrition and waste in the local community Buffara is dedicated to uniting a community around healthy and sustainable food production and eating.
Buffara first trained as a journalist before discovering her true calling for cooking and going on to train in Alaska, Italy and at Copenhagen's Noma and Alinea in Chicago. Her restaurant tasting menu champions her local surroundings using foraged ingredients and produce from local suppliers in dishes like corn macaron and lettuce with pork fat, often applying techniques learned from her grandparents.
Speaking of her win to World's 50 Best, Buffara said, "It’s for me to use the award to show a female voice and to be able to talk about my beliefs and passions, but it’s also an opportunity to talk to people outside Brazil.”
Buffara will receive her award during the Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants ceremony on 30 October which you can live-stream here on Fine Dining Lovers.
Two further awards have also been announced ahead of the ceremony: Pía Leon is Latin America's Best Female Chef and the mother and son team from Nico's in Mexico city has been named as the recipients of The Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
