If someone could experience Kaandela only once, what would you hope they remember years later; not about the food itself, but about how they felt?
We hope they remember the feeling of having traveled through Panama without ever leaving the table. Kaandela was born from a deep sense of pride in our territory and from the desire to share it through a different perspective. Every experience is an invitation to discover landscapes, ingredients, stories, and communities that are part of Panama, yet may remain unknown even to those who live here.
Years later, we would want our guests to remember the curiosity they felt, the sense of discovery, and perhaps a deeper connection to this country. More than remembering a particular dish, we hope they remember that, for a few hours, they became part of a journey through Panama.
Kaandela restaurant in Panama, is truly one of a kind
Every great restaurant has a point of view. What belief, philosophy, or conviction has guided Kaandela from the very beginning and continues to shape every decision today?
Our guiding belief is that there is still so much of Panama left to explore. Kaandela is a cuisine that explores the Panamanian territory. Fire is at the heart of our kitchen, not only as a cooking technique, but as one of the oldest and most universal ways of gathering, transforming ingredients, and creating connection.
We work with local ingredients, including many that are unconventional, overlooked, or rarely seen in a fine dining context. Through research, travel, relationships with producers and communities, and the creative vision of Chef José Aparicio and his team, we seek to give these ingredients a new language while respecting where they come from. Every decision begins with the same question: what else can Panama teach us?
How has Panama; its people, landscapes, traditions, and culture influenced Kaandela in ways that someone visiting from another part of the world might not immediately recognize?
Panama is much more complex than what can be seen at first glance. It is a small country with an extraordinary diversity of landscapes, ecosystems, cultures, and traditions. At Kaandela, Panama is present in ways that may not always be immediately obvious. It can be found in an ingredient sourced from a remote region, in a technique connected to memory and tradition, in the influence of the communities that have shaped our identity, or in the story behind a product that has existed here for generations.
Our country is a meeting point, but it is also a territory with a voice of its own. Kaandela seeks to listen to that voice, explore it, and translate it into an experience that allows guests from anywhere in the world to discover a Panama they may not have expected.
Celebration is at the heart of what we do. In your opinion, what transforms an exceptional meal into an unforgettable life moment?
An exceptional meal becomes unforgettable when it becomes part of someone’s personal story. Food can be technically perfect and beautifully presented, but what remains with us is often something less tangible: the people who were sitting beside us, the conversation we had, the way we were made to feel, or the realization that we were experiencing something for the first time.
Hospitality creates the space for those moments to happen. When intention, generosity, human connection, and a sense of place come together, a meal becomes more than an experience. It becomes a memory that belongs to you.
Credits: Sould Focus Media
What is something about hospitality, fine dining, or celebration that you believe the industry often overlooks, but deserves far more attention?
Perhaps, in the pursuit of perfection, our industry can sometimes forget the importance of genuine human connection. The most memorable hospitality is not necessarily the most formal or elaborate. It is the kind that makes people feel seen, understood, and genuinely welcomed. Technique, design, and excellence are essential, but they should never overshadow the human being at the center of the experience. True hospitality is ultimately an act of generosity. The details matter because people matter.
Looking ten years ahead, what legacy do you hope Kaandela leaves, not only within Panama, but in the regional conversation around hospitality, destination dining, and meaningful experiences?
We hope Kaandela contributes to a future in which Panama is recognized not only as a destination to visit, but as a territory worth traveling to specifically for its culinary identity. Our greatest legacy would be to have helped create greater curiosity and pride around Panamanian ingredients, producers, landscapes, and stories, and to have shown that our territory can inspire experiences with a voice that is both deeply local and internationally relevant.
Beyond recognition, we hope Kaandela inspires others to look closer at their own territories. Latin America holds extraordinary stories that deserve to be explored and shared with confidence. If, ten years from now, Kaandela has helped expand that conversation while remaining true to where we come from, that would be a legacy we would be deeply proud of.
Complete this sentence: Luxury is…
Luxury is feeling that something was created with intention, shared with generosity, and remembered with the heart.
