This week on Taqueando, Bill Esparza sits down with Chef Ivan Ralston of Tuju — Brazil’s top restaurant and one of the most important dining rooms in South America. A two-Michelin-star, Green Star destination recently named Best Restaurant in Brazil by Latin America’s 50 Best, Tuju isn’t just redefining Brazilian fine dining — it’s rewriting how kitchens work.

Ivan traces his unlikely path from studying jazz bass at Berklee College of Music to leading one of South America’s most acclaimed restaurants, explaining why playing jazz on stage is more stressful than running a 10-course tasting menu. From Brazil-first ingredients (Bahia cacao, Amazonian duck, Brazilian truffles) to a seasonality system based on rain cycles — not European calendars — Tuju is deeply rooted in place.

The conversation also dives into São Paulo as a global immigrant city, why Brazilian cuisine can’t be reduced to churrasco, and how Ivan ditched the militarized brigade kitchen for a calm, humane, headset-driven system inspired by music and orchestration. Plus: Ivan’s essential São Paulo eating guide — from botecos and PFs to sushi, pizza, and modern Brazilian classics.

A must-listen for anyone obsessed with Brazilian food, South American fine dining, Michelin restaurants, Latin America’s 50 Best, chef culture, and the surprising overlap between jazz and hospitality.

Produced by Robert Haleblian

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