The surprise is not only in the plate

Interview: Pía León - Kjolle, Lima (Peru)

ALEXANDRA GORSCHE: Sustainability is a key issue. What is your definition?
PIA LEÓN: For me, sustainability first and foremost means humanity. We pay very conscious attention to our team - to peace, health and togetherness. Because without a stable, healthy team, no sustainable business can function. Of course, it's also about producers and regions like Cusco or the Andes. But as human beings, we all have to share what we create in culinary terms.

Has the perception of employees in the industry changed?
Absolutely. The most important step was to recognize that we have a problem. We changed a few things ourselves at Kjolle and Central: two days off a week for everyone, breaks between lunch and dinner, clearer structures. Small steps that make a big difference. Human sustainability is the foundation.

Which products surprise you again and again?
Cocoa. We have been working intensively with it for seven years. Not just the bean, but the entire fruit shell, the water, the husk. We use everything. For example, we use cocoa to make ceviche or a milk base. Simple, but ingenious. Other ingredients such as macambo or vanilla from the Amazon also have great potential.

Is it more difficult to surprise guests with such simple ingredients?
Yes, because expectations are often huge. But that's exactly our approach: the surprise is not just in the plate. At Kjolle, we work in an interdisciplinary way - with sound, tone, design and architecture. We want to touch all the senses, from the welcome to the last moment. The focus is on the overall effect.

How do you develop new ideas?
It often doesn't start with a product, but with a place. Our Mater research center explores regions and provides inspiration - from the Amazon region or the Andes, for example. We discuss the ideas as a team: service, bar, patisserie, everyone is involved. It's like a game - curious, collaborative, lively.

What is your vision for the future of top gastronomy?
Diversity. I love casual dining, cafés, simple markets - they are just as important as fine dining. It needs both. Creativity and community should inspire each other. Fine dining doesn't have to disappear, but it needs to change: to become more human, more accessible, more meaningful.

About Pía León - Kjolle, Lima

Pía León was named the best female chef in the world in 2021. After years working alongside Virgilio Martínez at Central, she founded her own restaurant Kjolle, currently ranked 16th in the World's 50 Best. Her cuisine is characterized by Peruvian biodiversity and her approach is interdisciplinary. Kjolle is an overall experience that combines cuisine, art and origin.

Note: This interview was conducted as part of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, at the Meet the Chefs event in Turin in June 2025.