A message from our chefs.
Buenos días a todos.
The Araya experience is a tapestry woven from our Chilean South Pacific heritage and personal experiences. Authenticity lies at the heart of everything we offer on our plates, from the ingredients we have chosen from our native South America, to the fine produce and poignant influences from our time in Japan, Europe and beyond.
Every dish whispers tales of all that we hold dear, from cherished flavours of home, to the discovery of new tastes and cultures from our travels. We hope that your Araya experience will inspire warm memories and your own personal journey of culinary discovery.
Chef
Francisco Araya
Chef Francisco began his career at Alma in Santiago, before cutting his teeth at Andoni Luis Aduriz’s Mugaritz in Spain. His career has spanned the position of Head Chef and Creative Director at the acclaimed Borago in Santiago, before his return to Spain in 2008 when he joined elBulli.
In 2012, Chef Francisco opened 81 Restaurant in Tokyo, focusing on seasonal Japanese ingredients parsed in South American flavours. The eight-seat restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2013, when Chef Francisco was just 29 years old.
His time in Tokyo has given Chef Francisco a deep understanding and appreciation of Japanese ingredients, and how their superlative quality and versatility lend themselves to the elevation of his unique brand of Chilean South Pacific cuisine.
Chef
Francisco Araya
Chef Francisco began his career at Alma in Santiago, before cutting his teeth at Andoni Luis Aduriz’s Mugaritz in Spain. His career has spanned the position of Head Chef and Creative Director at the acclaimed Borago in Santiago, before his return to Spain in 2008 when he joined elBulli.
In 2012, Chef Francisco opened 81 Restaurant in Tokyo, focusing on seasonal Japanese ingredients parsed in South American flavours. The eight-seat restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2013, when Chef Francisco was just 29 years old.
His time in Tokyo has given Chef Francisco a deep understanding and appreciation of Japanese ingredients, and how their superlative quality and versatility lend themselves to the elevation of his unique brand of Chilean South Pacific cuisine.
Chef
Fernanda Guerrero
Chef Fernanda brings warmth and personality to pastry, crafting breads and desserts that evoke a deep sense of place and memory. She began in her family’s restaurant in Chile, before refining her craft at acclaimed kitchens including Alegre and NAPA Wine Bar & Kitchen — formative experiences that helped shape her thoughtful and expressive style. At Araya, her creations speak softly yet powerfully, rooted in tradition, elevated with technique, and always guided by heart.
Chef
Fernanda Guerrero
Chef Fernanda is one of the world’s most promising pastry chefs, with a special flair for creating artfully unique breads and pastries with a knowing sense of place.
Her freshly baked breads and ambrosial desserts are immediately transportive, taking diners to her homeland and into her trove of personal memories in elegant, sublime ways.
Her career has seen her work in feted restaurants including Alegre in Chile and NAPA Wine Bar & Kitchen in Shanghai. Long before she came to work in these big-name kitchens, Chef Fernanda practised her trade in her family’s restaurant in Chile, which her parents ran for 32 years.
