Larissa Gonçalves 2026 Winner
Proving that not all career paths are forged in the same way, the Brazilian-born head chef at Si Paradiso started out as a kitchen porter and has worked her way through every section. Gonçalves doesn’t claim to have always had a vision to be a head chef but, with the help of mentors passing through Si Paradiso, from Paul Bentley to Emily Jones, and now Ben Ing she’s been able to not just grasp the opportunity of the top job but imprint a sense of herself on it, whether that’s finding her creativity or using ingredients central to South American kitchens like palm hearts and introducing casual Brazilian street staples like pastel. And, excitingly, there’s doubtless more to come. Proving that not all careers are forged in the same way, the Brazilian-born head chef at Si Paradiso started out as a kitchen porter and rose through the ranks. Gonçalves doesn’t claim to have always had a vision to be a head chef but, with the help of mentors, from Paul Bentley to Emily Jones, and now Ben Ing (the ex-Noma head chef is Group Consulting Chef), she has not only grasped the opportunity of the top job but imprinted a sense of herself on it. Her creativity and the inspiration of her heritage is evident in her use of ingredients such as palm hearts and menu additions such as the beloved Brazilian street food, pastel.
