A Long-Awaited Hidden South American Gem Glistens in Singapore

If you want to dine at Araya, which is located in Singapore’s Mondrian property, you’ll have to find it first. Pull that off, and a rose-colored jewel awaits. Chef-partners Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero bring together the beauty of Chile’s landscapes with a mélange of flavors from their collective experiences with cuisine spanning Japanese, Middle Eastern, and South American cultures. Thanks to interior designer Emma Maxwell, who worked closely with Araya and Guerrero to realize their vision, coziness emanates from the blush-toned interiors in the forms of rose quartz slabs, copper and bronze finishes, and an abundance of cognac leather. Of course, there’s more to a destination restaurant than a feast for the eyes: expect dishes like Brazilian fish stew, made with coconut oil and the Japanese kinki fish, or a delicate orange meringue with apple custard and orange flan. To drink, don’t sleep on the ample selection of Chile’s Seña: a blended red wine whose every vintage, it seems, is lauded by critics.

Photography by Guo Jie Khoo, courtesy of Araya Singapore.