THE KITCHEN IS MY LANGUAGE, THE INGREDIENT MY VOICE
Manoella Buffara, named Best Female Chef in Latin America 2022 by 50 Best, is one of the world's leading culinary figures.
Be proud of your roots, be proud of your land, be proud of your family and your culture. That is our greatest inspiration!
The kitchen came to me like one of those all-consuming loves. It is through this place and the connections it brings that I’ve learned what it means to live better, and where I’ve deepened the pride in where I come from and where I live. Looking back, everything makes sense. There’s no other place I could be but in the kitchen at Manu. My life journey brought me back to the kitchen a place that was always there, even if I hadn’t noticed. From my father came the fields, from my mother came the sea, and from my daughters came the will to create change.
Manu Buffara is one of the most influential chefs in the world, renowned for her dedication to sustainability and innovation in gastronomy. She is the chef-owner of Restaurant Manu in Curitiba, which currently ranks 60th on the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. In 2024, she was honored with the prestigious The Best Chef Awards’ Three Knives distinction, reaffirming her position among the leading figures in global cuisine. In 2022, Manu was named Latin America’s Best Female Chef by the same ranking and received the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award, recognizing her unwavering commitment to sustainable practices and the use of local ingredients.
Manu celebrates Brazil’s rich biodiversity by prioritizing seasonal and organic ingredients, sourced from urban gardens and small local producers. Her restaurant is a true creative laboratory, where tradition and innovation come together to honor the connection between culture, food, and community.
Manu’s impact goes far beyond the kitchen, establishing her as one of the leading voices in contemporary gastronomy and a reference in the appreciation of ingredients, culture, and sustainable practices.
Time and Transformation
"My cooking goes beyond flavors; it reflects connections, traditions, and a vision for the future. Cooking is a political act a way to change the world, one plate at a time."
Born in Curitiba
Born in Curitiba and raised on a farm in Maringá, Manu learned about the cycles of nature from an early age. This experience shaped her vision of a cuisine that begins in the soil, passes through the hands, and is completed with affection.
Return to Curitiba
At the age of 14, she moved back to Curitiba with her mother and younger brother, Eduardo. This transition marked the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with opportunities and discoveries that would go on to shape her journey.
Enrollment in Journalism School
Manoella began her academic journey in Journalism, guided by a curiosity for people and their narratives. This communicative perspective continues to shape her path, emerging in the way she creates and shares stories through food.
Sabbatical Year and Travels
She worked at Salish Lodge and Spa in the United States, fished for halibut in Alaska, and traveled across Europe. This international experience revealed to Manu the transformative power of hospitality and gastronomy.
Training in hospitality and gastronomy
She studied Hospitality and then Gastronomy at Centro Europeu in Curitiba. It was during this time that she made the definitive decision to dedicate herself to the world of cooking.
Graduation in Journalism
She completed her university degree, closing an important chapter and creating space to fully immerse herself in the world of gastronomy.
International training and internships in Italy
She completed her chef training at the International School of Italian Cuisine (ICIF) and interned at the renowned restaurants Da Vittorio (three Michelin stars) and Guido (one Michelin star), in Italy.
Hotel Management
She took on the role of food service coordinator at Hotel Rayon and later at the Deville hotel chain. During this period, she gained solid experience in team leadership, menu planning, and kitchen operations management.
Internships in World-Renowned Kitchens
Between 2007 and 2010, Manu Buffara interned at Noma (Denmark) and Alinea (Chicago), two influential kitchens that deepened her connection to local ingredients, innovative techniques, and a cuisine that is both authorial and conscious.
Opening of Manu Restaurant
She founded Manu Restaurant in Curitiba, with an intimate concept deeply connected to local and seasonal ingredients, and a direct relationship with small producers.
Marriage to Dario Borges
She married lawyer Dario Borges, her partner in life and a strong supporter of the causes that drive her professional journey.
Birth of Helena
Her first daughter, Helena, was born.
Start of Hortas Urbanas Project
In the same year, it became part of the Hortas Urbanas project, promoting workshops on the comprehensive use of food and sustainability in urban communities.
Birth of Maria
She had his second daughter, Maria, further strengthening the family ties that inspire his affectionate cooking.
Nominated for Miele One to Watch
Manu Buffara was recognized as an emerging talent by Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, standing out as a chef with a promising future and growing impact on Latin American gastronomy.
Speaker at 50BestTalks
She was invited as a Keynote Speaker at 50BestTalks, where she shared her philosophy on sustainability, food culture, and social impact.
Manu Restaurant among the 50 best in Latin America
Manu Restaurant among the 50 best in Latin America reached 42nd place in Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, recognizing the impact and consistency of its work.
Creation of Mulheres do Bem
She founded the group Mulheres do Bem (Women for Good), made up of female chefs who prepare weekly meals for people experiencing homelessness in Curitiba.
Judge at San Pellegrino Young Chef and Rising Star Awards
Judge at San Pellegrino Young Chef and Rising Star at The Best Chef Awards, ranked 55th globally.
Founding of the Manu Buffara Institute
She founded the Manu Buffara Institute, developing projects focused on food education, sustainability, and health promotion in vulnerable communities.
Featured in The Best Chef Awards
She gained international visibility when she was once again recognized at The Best Chef Awards, among the leading names in global gastronomy.
Manu Restaurant in Latin America’s 50 Best
Manu Restaurant reached the 49th position on the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list, maintaining its presence among the continent’s finest.
Judge at Basque Culinary Center
She was invited to join the jury of the Basque Culinary Center, a globally renowned institution in gastronomic innovation.
Named Latin America’s Best Female Chef
She was named Latin America’s Best Female Chef by the 50 Best Academy, an honor that celebrated her social, technical, and creative contributions to gastronomy.
Residency in the Maldives
She led the kitchen at the Fresh in the Garden restaurant, at the Soneva Fushi Resort in the Maldives, where she brought her vision of a cuisine deeply connected to nature, origins, and respect for ingredients.
Launch of MANU, the book
In May, Manu launched her first book with Phaidon, featuring 60 recipes, essays, and memories, a reflection of her bond with territory and sustainability, ahead of Ella’s opening in New York.
New Rise in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants
Manu Restaurant reached the 35th position on the list, reaffirming its place among the best in the continent.
Caña Sustainability Award Winner
She received the Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award, in recognition of her team's exemplary environmental, social, and food practices.
Ranked 19th in The Best Chef Awards
She reached 19th place in the global ranking of The Best Chef Awards, marking her entry into the world's top 20.
Awarded Three Knives at The Best Chef Awards
She earned the highest recognition from The Best Chef Awards: the Three Knives, a symbol of prestige and excellence in the global culinary scene.
My inspiration comes from the land the culture and the people
Be proud of your roots, be proud of your land, be proud of your family and your culture. That’s my greatest inspiration!
Manoella Buffara - Brazilian Chef
Discover Manu’s cuisine beyond the plate
Manoella Buffara is not just a chef; she’s a transformative force in gastronomy. Leading Restaurant Manu in Curitiba, she translates Brazilian territory into dishes that balance flavor, technique, and identity. “My cuisine is not a manifesto; it’s a reflection of who I am and what I believe in,” says Manu. Internationally recognized for her visionary approach, Manu doesn’t work only with ingredients — she works with stories, memories, and connections. Each dish she creates is a conversation, an act of respect toward the producer, the ingredient, and the table. More than awards and rankings, Manu’s true impact lies in her ability to transform lives — whether through her cuisine or through the Manu Buffara Institute, where she uses food as a tool for social change.“I don’t cook to impress; I cook to move. To remind people that food is truth, roots, and soul.”
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