Only a few names in Chilean fine dining shine as brightly as Chef Francisco Araya, the creator behind Araya restaurant which became Singapore’s first Chilean Michelin-starred venue in 2024. That same year, Chile’s 2021 vintage was named No.1 Wine of the World by Wine Spectator. World Gourmet Festival 2025, a true celebration of culinary excellence brings the two worlds collide in this event.
World Gourmet Festival is one of the region’s most anticipated events, bringing together Michelin-starred chefs and culinary luminaries from around the globe. This year’s edition was particularly special, marking the 25th anniversary of the festival, and featuring a prestigious partnership with Independent Wine & Spirit (Thailand), on behalf of Don Melchor, one of Chile’s most revered wine houses.
More than 22 Michelin stars were represented, among them Chef Francisco Araya, whose cuisine reflects a distinctive fusion of South Pacific Chilean ingredients with refined Japanese techniques. His cooking is a celebration of originality, balance, and thoughtful craftsmanship qualities that stood out vividly in his menu at Guilty, one of Anantara Siam’s celebrated dining venues.
For this year’s edition, Chef Francisco brought his signature Chilean Japanese flair to Guilty, one of Anantara Siam’s standout dining venues. The highlight of his menu was an exquisite medium rare Grilled A5 Wagyu, served with tender, juicy, and showing off a beautiful marbled, with a touch of smokiness and a finish that lingered long on the palate. It was accompanied by a delicately spiced sauce that added a complex, warming dimension to the dish, building flavour with each course and culminating in a truly memorable main.
Yet what truly elevated the dish was the wine pairing, a brilliant match that showcased Chef Francisco’s deep understanding of flavour balance and texture. He paired the wagyu with not one, but two vintages of Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon: the iconic 2021 vintage, ranked No.1 by Wine Spectator, and the newly released 2022 vintage, making its Asian debut at the festival, having just scored an impressive 99 points from James Suckling, one of the world’s most influential wine critics.
Though both wines originate from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in Puente Alto, Maipo Valley — at an altitude of 650 metres above sea level — their characteristics are notably distinct. The 2021 vintage brought a deep richness and bold, meaty aromas that complemented the wagyu’s umami and depth. In contrast, the 2022 vintage offered a fresher, more vibrant profile, with subtle berry notes and a lighter body, giving the same cut of meat a completely different expression. This clever dual pairing turned a single dish into a tasting experience showing how one core ingredient could deliver two entirely unique journeys, simply through the lens of the wine that accompanied it.
Though the World Gourmet Festival 2025 has now drawn to a close, the memories of those extraordinary pairings and the artistry behind them linger on. Each chef brought something remarkable to the table, but it was Chef Francisco’s visionary approach to pairing Chilean cuisine with Chile’s finest wines that left a lasting impression.
