This week on Taqueando, Bill sits down with Chef Manu Buffara, one of Latin America’s most influential chefs and the force behind Manu in Curitiba, Brazil — consistently ranked among the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

From her early days in journalism to training in Italy and staging at Noma, Manu shares how her global experiences shaped a deeply personal approach to cooking rooted in local ingredients, seasonality, and storytelling.

But this conversation goes far beyond the plate.

Manu breaks down:

• What “local” really means in Brazil — and why it’s about people, history, and economics, not just ingredients
• How working at Noma changed her philosophy on simplicity and product-driven cooking
• Why she moved away from cooking for awards and started cooking for herself
• The evolution of fine dining — and why toxic kitchen culture has no place in the future
• How she built a restaurant where staff actually have a life, with shorter hours and a healthier culture
• Her foundation work feeding communities and empowering women in Curitiba

Plus, Bill shares the story of dining at Manu during the pandemic — a deeply personal, unforgettable 11-course experience that captures what makes her restaurant so special.

This is a conversation about food, empathy, leadership, and the future of restaurants — and why Curitiba might be one of the most exciting food cities you’re not talking about.

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