Ignacio Ovalle

Chef at La Calma by Fredes (Santiago de Chile, Chile)

Ignacio Ovalle's work opens the door to the spectacular Chilean seafood as it comes out of the sea - oysters, locos, limpets, chochas, piures, snails... and he settles down with a cuisine that cooks the fish whole and works the heads.

He began his life in the kitchen of the Restorán Opera in Santiago de Chile, with a ten-year career in which he had a great apprenticeship in French cuisine, his step was from basic cook to executive chef.

He attended Paul Bocuse's school in Lyon, France, and also worked in the kitchens of two of his restaurants.

He worked as a corporate chef for La Vinoteca in Santiago de Chile, where he was responsible for the development of its restaurants and bakery.

Since the end of 2021, he has been in charge of the kitchen at La Calma by Fredes, where he is responsible for the search and procurement of all our raw materials, which come from all over the Chilean coast, maintaining close contact with divers, shellfish gatherers and collectors.