Helena Rizzo, executive chef of Mani restaurant in Sao Paulo, was named as the winner of The Veuve Clicquot Latin America’s Best Female Chef for 2013 by the organisers of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants sponsored by Cusqueῆa.
The inaugural Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held for the first time in Lima, Peru on 4th September 2013. The Awards are organised by William Reed Business Media, the organisers of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
The Veuve Clicquot Latin America’s Best Female Chef Award is voted for by The Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a group of over 250 industry experts from across the region.
The Veuve Clicquot Latin America’s Best Female Chef award celebrates the work of an exceptional female chef whose cooking excites the toughest of critics across Latin America. The award is inspired by the life and achievements of Madame Clicquot, who nearly 200 years ago set the standard for women in business. The winner reflects Madame Clicquot’s attributes of innovation, creativity and determination.
Aymeric Sancerre, Veuve Clicquot’s Director of International Communications, explained: “Madame Clicquot was a woman who two centuries ago revolutionised Champagne with her extraordinary stamina, her thirst for innovation and her quest for ultimate quality. Helena Rizzo represents exactly these values in gastronomy today and I am proud that our name and rich history is associated to such a wonderful personality.”
William Drew, from William Reed Business Media, said: “We are delighted that Helena Rizzo has been recognised as the leading female chef in the region. Since opening her restaurant, Mani, in 2006 she has married Brazilian culinary traditions with more contemporary techniques to increasingly brilliant effect. Her dishes are beautiful, innovative and delicious – and the title of The Veuve Clicquot Latin America’s Best Female Chef is richly deserved.”
Rizzo discovered her passion for food at age 14 and since then she has worked continuously to discover and master new techniques and flavors to enrich and advance her creations. As a young woman, she travelled and worked extensively in leading kitchens across Europe, culminating at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain – recently named as The S.Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurant – where she met her future husband, Spanish-born Daniel Redondo.
In 2006 Rizzo, together with husband, opened Mani restaurant in the exclusive area of Jardim Paulistano, Sao Paulo. At Mani, Rizzo works with predominantly traditional Brazilian ingredients delicately treated with the latest techniques of international cuisine. While the Spanish influence on Rizzo’s cooking is pronounced, her dishes retain a distinctively local core. She also adds a female sensibility to flavour combinations, allied to stunning presentation, resulting in a unique dining experience. A signature dish on Rizzo’s menu is maniocas baked and served with tucupi froth, coconut milk and a slick of white truffle olive oil.
Mani featured on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time in 2013 at number 46.
Rizzo will be presented with The Veuve Clicquot Latin America’s Best Female Chef Award at the inaugural awards ceremony for Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants in Lima, Peru on 4th September 2013. The list will be published online at www.theworlds50best.com/latinamerica/en/ as it is announced to the assembled chefs and guests.
