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Kjolle

Lima

A colourful showcase of Peruvian biodiversity

On the Pass

Pía León

Pastry Chef

Anny Rodriguez

Tasting the rainbow: Pía León rose to fame as the head chef of Central in Lima. But in 2018, she felt the need to express her culinary vision in an independent way. Kjolle is her first solo restaurant, where she zeros in on Peru’s vibrant pantry and lets her gastronomic instincts run wild.

Simple, but not easy: At Kjolle, León strives to preserve natural flavours – her dishes show a high level of research and testing, but the produce is always recognisable and never overly manipulated. This process, however, is far from easy: León and the team spend months researching the best ways to use each part of the ingredient to create the least amount of waste, while maximising flavour and adding unexpected elements.

Image, taste and context: Painting with colours as well as flavours is part of Kjolle’s DNA, and a meal here is sure to fill up your camera roll with photos of dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious. ‘Context’ completes León’s three-pronged culinary philosophy, exemplified in unique pieces of ceramics, glassware and interior design the chef curates alongside local artists and artisans.

A love for tubers: León’s most recognisable dish is simply named Many Tubers and consists of toasted yellow and red slices of olluco, an Andean potato-like root, held together by a creamy oca paste – a highland tuber – served on a tart made from cañihua dough, a cereal similar to quinoa.

Natural leader: Pía León was voted as Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2018. Three years later, she took home the trophy for The World’s Best Female Chef, cementing her position as a role model to cooks all over the world.

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