I
t was probably inevitable that this Food Chain would circle back to Lima. Peru’s capital is one of the world’s great gastronomic cities, where roughly 80 percent of foreign visitors say food is their primary motivation for visiting. What I didn’t expect was that the return would happen so quickly.
But here we are, on the second floor of Casa Tupac, a spacious modern building in the Barranco neighborhood surrounded by gardens planted with native Peruvian species, where chef Pía León runs Kjolle. For many years she shared both kitchen and vision with her husband, Virgilio Martínez, downstairs at Central—the groundbreaking restaurant that brought Peru’s diverse landscapes, from the Pacific coast to the high Andes, to the forefront of global gastronomy and took the No. 1 spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2023.
But León wanted a stage for more personal expression. With Kjolle, she has built a restaurant that reflects her own culinary perspective, one that foregrounds Peru’s vibrant pantry while preserving the natural character of its products. “Her cooking has a very clear narrative,” says Colombian chef Harry Sasson, last week’s Food Chain protagonist. “Each dish tells a story. Like my menu, hers begins with the ingredients.”
