2024 is a big year for Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero, the powerhouse duo behind newly minted MICHELIN Starred restaurant Araya in Singapore. Their culinary alchemy — born from their roots and time spent in Spain, Japan, and China — delivers a glorious fusion of Chilean and Japanese ingredients, with a nod to the South Pacific. Picture Japanese delights like kinki and cod milt, livened up with aji amarillo; and Chilean merkén, rubbing shoulders with French pigeon and caviar. And just when you think they've outdone themselves, they go ahead and ferment and roast their own cacao, weaving it into sauces that demand reverence.
Aside from their stellar achievement this year, the couple has also marked a decade of partnership by getting engaged. What a year for Araya and Guerrero — one for the books, no doubt.
The World’s First MICHELIN Starred Restaurant that Champions Chilean Cuisine
“There are no words to describe the joy and pride we feel for Araya getting a MICHELIN Star,” says Araya. “Goosebumps! Really, goosebumps,” chimes in Guerrero.
Araya shares that ever since the news came out that their restaurant received its first MICHELIN Star, the couple has been busy with interviews with Chilean news and media. “Our aim was not to be the first Chilean restaurant to receive a MICHELIN Star. It was just to do a good job and to show the world what we can do. But, it feels good — it feels great! And for the people in our country of Chile, we are very glad that we made them happy.”
Imagine a cuisine that reflects the rugged beauty of its geography, and you’ve got Chilean food — a rough-edged yet magnificent tapestry that spans deserts, coastline, and everything in between. It’s a cuisine that's almost brutal in its honesty, a direct punch of flavours sourced from the land and sea. There’s no pretension here; this is food that knows where it comes from — like a simple yet tasty Pastel de Choclo, its sweet corn and beef layers unapologetically rich; or a plate of earthy Humitas, which taste like someone wrapped a warm summer field in a corn husk. There is also Asado — no frills, just the pure, smoky joy of slow-cooked meat that’s been kissed by the flames for hours.
“German influence is also pretty strong in Chile,” Araya says. “Especially with the desserts. We also called them by their German names growing up: kuchen, strudel, and Berliner!” Guerrero shares: “Pork knuckles, sauerkraut, and boiled potatoes are pretty common in Chile as well. We also have this hotdog sandwich called the ‘Completo’, which is topped with avocados, tomatoes, and sauerkraut. It’s so delicious,” she muses. And then, there's the seafood — Pacific treasures like razor clams and king crab that practically beg to be paired with crisp white wine, or maybe just eaten straight from the shell, with salt and sea still clinging to them.
However, if there was a local Chilean dish that the couple would agree best represents their country, it would be the Cazuela, which is the local Chilean take on a meat stew. It is the essence of home-cooked comfort: a bubbling pot of rich broth, filled with tender chunks of beef, chicken, or lamb that melt at the touch of the spoon. Whole corn-on-the-cob, squash, potatoes, and carrots sit in a golden, oily broth, simmered for hours to perfection.
Chileans respect their ingredients, but they aren’t too purist about them. They’ll mix merkén, their smoky, fiery pepper blend, with abandon, as if to remind you that this land once belonged to the Mapuche, and that their influence still lingers in every bite.
Native Chilean Seaweed — the Cochayuyo — is also starting to receive global fame as the protein-heavy plant was a dietary staple that dates back to ancient times. Today, Cochayuyo is flexing its culinary muscles as a meat substitute and flavour enhancer, making its way into dishes such as empanadas and risottos. At Araya, it shines in the restaurant’s new Costa menu, featuring the seaweed in bread and paired with lamb.
(Left Image: Patagonian-style Lamb Saddle, with Coffee Jus, Cochayuyo Seaweed Marmalade, and Tender Leaves)
A Tale of Two Chefs
Araya and Guerrero met when they were 18 and 13 respectively and were both raised in a town just beyond the outskirts of Santiago, the pulse of Chile. Both were also born into a family of restaurateurs, where the smell of simmering pots and the hum of busy kitchens were as familiar as their own heartbeat.
Guerrero grew up in her family’s restaurant. “I had to work for free!” she says in jest. But it was in this family-run restaurant where she discovered her passion and talent for cooking.
At Araya, Guerrero is the captain of pastry, where she crafts a bounty of irresistible desserts and baked goods such as the Marraqueta, a crisp Chilean roll; the Chapalele, a potato sourdough slathered in smoked chilli butter; and a pillowy soft bun filled with chorizo and paprika.
“I used to handle the meat stations in previous restaurants, but when I started working with pastry, I immediately fell in love with it. I also don’t have to suffer with the onions anymore,” Guerrero says with a laugh.
Araya, on the other hand, prepared for a career in Information Technology, but he chose to swap code for cuisine in pursuit of a passport to the world.
Despite being away from Chile for over 15 years, his taste buds have stayed fiercely loyal to their roots, never missing a beat in their connection to his homeland. He honed his craft by grinding it out in kitchens from Chile to Spain, even sharpening his skills at the legendary elBulli, where culinary dreams are either forged in fire… or crumbled to dust.
In 2012, Araya moved to Japan to set up a restaurant in Tokyo; however, after a little over a year, Chile pulled him back to its embrace, yanking him from the Tokyo hustle and into the kitchen at Alegre, where he’d spend nearly a year stirring, tasting, and reconnecting with his roots. This was where he and Guerrero reunited, as the latter was looking for a restaurant gig at the time.
“We began dating then,” says Araya. “You could say it was a fated reunion,” Guerrero adds. In 2015, Araya had an opportunity in Shanghai, and the couple was whisked away to Asia. And then, when the opportunity to open their own restaurant in Singapore arrived, the couple did not hesitate. “We love Singapore, it’s such a modern city — fast-paced and multicultural,” says Guerrero. “We are indeed so lucky to be able to share our cuisine to this part of the world,” adds Araya.
On Food Being a Shared Happiness
Both chefs reminisce about their favourite dishes, and both agree that an unrivalled gustatory experience for them both is biting into a freshly cooked seafood empanada after a day of swimming at the beach. “Especially when they are stuffed with scallops, cheese, and chives… Believe me, those are so good,” Araya expresses.
“Food, for me, is love,” says Guerrero. “It always brings people together. And on the other side, as a chef, if you know you cooked your best and put a lot of effort into what you are feeding others, and you see them happy… it’s going to make you happy as well. It’s really a shared happiness.”
“Yes, it really is love and happiness,” adds Araya. “Growing up, we’ve both been so exposed to food — it’s something we’ve always breathed in. I love this industry. I love cooking, I love eating, I love going to the market, I love wine, and I love the whole ecosystem.”
In the year that Araya and Guerrero have lived in Singapore and led their restaurant, both have already found some local favourites. Nasi Lemak is Guerrero’s pick. “I just love the rice, the peanuts, and the fried chicken — such a good combination of flavours and textures!” Araya, on the other hand, has a soft spot for Curry Puffs, confessing that he can demolish a box in one sitting.
As for kitchen dynamics, Guerrero says that they are tough when they need to be, but the team is essentially family. Araya stresses on the importance of personality, saying that it’s important to find the right mix of camaraderie and professionalism. “I would always recommend a mentor,” shares Araya. “Having someone who has more experience than you helps polish your craft. I believe it’s the bridge from good to great.”
Araya and Guerrero, through their restaurant, Araya, allow diners to experience something special in Singapore’s gastronomic scene. Chilean cuisine is as vast and untamed as the country itself, a melting pot of cultural, indigenous, and immigrant influences that don’t try to be anything other than what they are — not far from the Lion City’s diverse and dynamic quality. It’s honest, soul-stirring food, built for people who work hard and want something that fills their bellies and touches their hearts.
Araya’s food is bold, adventurous, finessed, but always, always rooted in a deep respect for the bounty of Chile’s diverse landscapes. It’s as if every dish is telling you a story — of survival, of community, of flavours that go way beyond the plate.
How amazing is it that we can finally have a taste of it right in the heart of Singapore?
Araya is located at Mondrian Duxton, #01-08, 83 Neil Road, 089813, Singapore. Book your table here.
All photos are courtesy of Araya, except for the Cazuela, which is from Shutterstock.
