There’s an old adage that goes, “women make good cooks, but men make better chefs.” As inaccurate as this statement might be, it does say something about the way society perceives the roles of the two sexes in the kitchen. Traditionally, women have taken on the role of the home cook. But they were usually not seen as capable to helm elaborate kitchens in restaurants. Till today, cooking remains one of the more male-dominated professions. Additionally, according to Glassdoor, a website where current and former employees anonymously review companies and their management, a female chef earns $0.72 for every $1 earned by a male chef. But hope is not lost. For decades, women have fought for equality in all areas of their lives. And this overall trend towards equality has had an impact in the food world. We might often hear about the dearth of female chefs in the kitchens worldwide, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t women in the industry who are killing the game. Women are revolutionising the F&B industry, and they deserve equal acclaim. It was for this reason that the organisers of “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants,” introduced “The Best Female Chef” category some nine years ago. 
This award, which was announced yesterday, 25 April, recognises the achievements of prominent female chefs – past winners include Dominique Crenn, who helms Michelin-three-star Aterlier Crenn, and Clare Smyth of London’s Core. This year, it shines a very bright spotlight on 29-year-old Daniela Soto-Innes, chef-partner at modern Mexican restaurant Cosme in Manhatten. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere Bookings at Cosme are about to fill up now that Daniela has been named the Elit Vodka Best Female Chef of the World. After bagging Starchef’s Rising Stars Awards and the James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef in the following year, the Mexico-born chef topped the poll of more than 1000 culinary experts for producing “innovative Mexican dishes with warm hospitality.”
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William Drew, Group Editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, explained that Daniela snagged the lofty title because she: “brings an unparalleled positive energy to her projects and has created a team that celebrates women of all ages. He added that she was also able to: “lead a dynamic team to great success and popularity in the fiercely competitive New York dining scene.” It’s an impressive achievement for Daniela, who was a student at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cooking academy, given that the restaurant she helms with business partner and fellow chef Enrique Olvera opened only five years ago.
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Cosme serves up traditional Mexican dishes like duck carnitas, barbacoa with shishito peppers, quelites, avocado, salsa and corn husk meringue desserts, all done with flair and great presentation. In addition to running Cosme, Daniela is also partner at Atla, also in New York, where they serve a number of light, progressive Mexican food in a laid-back dining room. She has plans to open two new restaurants in Los Angeles later this year with Enrique. By winning this award, Daniela hopes to use this platform to: “inspire both my generation and younger generations of leaders to come.”
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She will be accepting the award at the World’s 50 Best Awards ceremony held right here in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands Sands Theatre. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants will also host a series of events beyond the awards itself. The programme includes #50BestTalks, where foodies will get to find out more about key issues in gastronomy from esteemed figures in the culinary world. Masterclasses and collaborative dinners will also be held during the days of the events in Singapore.
Best Fe(male) Chef of the World
There’s no denying that Daniela is talented. However, the gendered award is not without its critics. Some have questioned if the accolade is entrenched in sexism, especially since there is no such counterpart for male chefs that is distributed by the same awards body. In 2013, the late Anthony Bourdain raised concerns about the validity of such a title. He said: “Why—at this point in history—do we need a “Best Female Chef” special designation? As if they are curiosities? #2013 #50BestWhat?” Critics also pointed to the lack of “Best Female Chef” winners featured on the higher positions in the main list. In 2017, Elena Arzak’s San Sebastian, Spain, restaurant ranked number 30. The best female chef of 2016, Crenn, didn’t even make it onto the top 100 list that year. In response to the criticism, director of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Helene Pietrini, stressed that moving forward they will commit to a 50/50 gender balance on its voting academy. Since at least 25 per cent of voters are swapped out every year, this will also allow the organisation to include more women in the next go-round.
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It does seem like things are improving. In 2018, Cosme made it to the 25th spot on the iconic best restaurants award. We’ll just have to wait with bated breath to find out whether Daniela’s restaurants ranks on the 2019 list when it is published on June 23. Tokenism or not, we’re certain that Daniela’s tenacity and artistry will inspire those around her.
