Rafa Costa e Silva

Rafa Costa e Silva is a Rio de Janeiro-born chef and owner of Lasai, a Michelin-starred farm-to-table restaurant in Rio's Botafogo neighborhood that he opened in 2014. After earning a business degree, he trained at The Culinary Institute of America and spent a decade working internationally, including as executive chef at the two-Michelin-starred Mugaritz in Spain under Andoni Luis Aduriz, before returning to Brazil to establish his own restaurant. Lasai quickly earned a Michelin star and has been recognized as a gastronomic reference point in Rio, ranking #26 on Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants in 2018 and featuring a daily-changing 12-course tasting menu sourced from local producers and his own gardens.