Latin America's 50 Best 2021: Past and Future
On the evening of November 22, at the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, the gala of the 100 best restaurants in Latin America was held in Ecuador. The event was attended by a large majority of the country's gastronomic industry players.
The stage where the awards ceremony was held was beautifully decorated for the occasion, with the presence of the 15 restaurants belonging to the 50 Best Discovery list presented in the middle of the year.
In this edition the list was elaborated with a different criterion than the one the organization is used to, the restaurants that during the eight years that the event has been held, were on this list and obtained the highest number of points since 2013, the year of creation of the 50 Best Restaurants, were awarded. Thus, this list is now composed of 100 restaurants, and they are the best that have belonged to this count throughout these years. The organization chose this system, as it did not consider it fair to hold the voting when many of the restaurants had to close temporarily and others permanently, due to the pandemic.
The awards ceremony took place virtually, with a signal generated from the 50 Best headquarters in London, and began at 6:00 p.m. Ecuadorian time, with 7 cities connected simultaneously: Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Lima, Bogota, Oaxaca and our capital city.
The expectation of the attendees was great, since last year there was no face-to-face event due to the pandemic. Quito had to host this award ceremony and the local organization spared no effort to make this event a celebration in honor of a growing industry that has a great future in the region and the world.
Proudly, an Ecuadorian restaurant, Nuema, repeated on the list in 93rd place. This restaurant made its debut last year in this list, becoming the Best Restaurant in Ecuador.
The Nuema is run by Alejandro Chamorro and his wife Pía Salazar, and together they have conceived one of the most avant-garde and innovative proposals of our cuisine. They enhance in their dishes the richness and quality of the local product, creating incredible preparations. It is also worth mentioning that Pía Salazar was nominated for the Latin America's Female Rising Star 2021 award.
Also, the most sustainable restaurant was awarded and a prize was given for the best hospitality.
The attendees to this gala enjoyed an excellent catering prepared by Epikus of the USFQ, tapas from universities and gastronomic schools such as UTE, Escuela de los Chefs and GQB, tasted products of the participating global brands and the organization of the event was in charge of one of the most important chocolate companies in the world such as República del Cacao.
Undoubtedly, it was an event that attracted the attention of the gastronomic sector in Ecuador.
CANADA
Canada consolidated its position this year as a key market in República del Cacao's international expansion, with the official launch of the brand in Montreal and Toronto, two cities renowned for their diverse gastronomic scene and high professional standards.
These events were led by Andrea López, our corporate chef at República del Cacao, who spearheaded the brand presentation, accompanied by chef Javier Guillén. Together, they shared with customers and potential customers a direct approach to our brand's culinary philosophy and the essence of Latin American chocolate.
One of the highlights of this visit was the creation of a dessert buffet, designed and executed by Andrea as a demonstration of the technical potential, versatility, and functionality of chocolate in professional applications. The proposal included chocolates with different fillings, mini desserts with multiple textures, petit fours, mini cookies, and mini cakes, developed with a conscious gastronomy approach, with less sugar, less fat, and a focus on highlighting the unique notes of each cocoa origin.
The activations took place in high-end gastronomic venues. In Montreal, preparations were carried out in the Sofitel's pastry shop, alongside its kitchen team. In Toronto, the work was carried out with the support of the Four Seasons team, creating a professional environment that allowed for in-depth exploration of the creative and technical potential of the products.
Beyond culinary demonstrations, these meetings allowed us to deepen our dialogue with the Canadian gastronomic community, understand market needs, and strengthen relationships in a country that particularly values the triple social, environmental, and economic impact.