Born and raised in Peru, Chef Jaime Pesaque started his culinary journey as a teenager, then studied at Le Cordon Bleu, Italian Culinary Institute (ICIF) as well as the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

Afterwards, worked at a number of legendary restaurants such as El Celler de Can Roca in Spain among others in Europe before going back to his home country.

Upon returning, he led Al Grano, an Italian restaurant. Eventually though, Chef Pesaque shifted his focus back to his native Peruvian food as he opened Mayta in 2008.

In 2019, Mayta entered the list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, where it currently ranks 13th. In 2020, it made its debut on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, reaching 39th place. That same year, it was named Best Restaurant in the World by the World Culinary Awards. In addition, he has also been recognized by The Best Chef Awards.

As an entrepreneur, he expanded his business and opened concepts such as Sapiens, 500 Grados, and Mad Burger in Lima. Operating as "culinary embassies", he also opened Callao in The Hague, Netherlands and Mad Burger as well as NUNA in Miami, US.

In this Back to the Archives episode, Chef Pesaque shares his thoughts on the money aspect of a restaurant, the pressure chefs face, the reality of being creative and more.

Don't miss these Stoveside Stories - and bon appetit!

Though Chef Georgianna Hiliadaki first studied European Studies and Italian in the UK, she found her true passion and went to train as a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.

After her training, she co-founded Funky Gourmet in Athens and becoming the first Greek woman to earn two Michelin stars. She also helped open OPSO in London, and now works on restaurant projects in Greece and abroad.

In 2019, Funky Gourmet was slated to close temporarily but the pandemic caused a permanent shutdown. In 2024, she opened Iodio, a new restaurant in Athens to rave reviews. Recently, she started another new restaurant called Lianolia in Parga, a Greek resort town known for its natural environment.

In this Back to the archives episode, Chef Hiliadaki talks about food stereotypes, what real Greek food means to her, the wild Ancient Greek recipes she put to use and more.

Don't miss these Stoveside Stories - and bon appetit!

Born and brought up in London England, Chef Wong grew up in a restaurant family. His grandfather, who moved to London as a Chinese refugee, owned a restaurant in Chinatown. While his father was the first Chinese publican in the United Kingdom. In 1985, his parents opened Kym's a Cantonese restaurant in Pimlico.

He started to help in the kitchen by washing dishes since he was seven years old. Though he was accepted to law school, he only stayed for a cup of coffee and dropped out very soon after and changed his studies to anthropology instead.

When Chef Wong’s mother wanted to sell the family restaurant in 2012, he and his wife, Nathalie, took over and renamed it A. Wong. In 2017, A. Wong restaurant received its first Michelin star. And in 2021, A. Wong achieved a coveted second Michelin star.

Chef Wong, together with his longtime collaborator Dr. Mukta Das, a distinguished food anthropologist, also host a podcast called XO Soused. The program dives into a wide range of Chinese culinary topics, such as recipes, ingredients, cultural importance, and the fascinating evolution of Chinese cuisine throughout history.

In this Back to the archives episode, Chef Wong talks about the enormous variations and evolution of Chinese food, his take on Michelin stars, how Chinese cuisine compare to Western food and more.

Don't miss these Stoveside Stories - and bon appetit!