Michelin Star Dining in Panama: The Kaandela Experience

There are kitchens in this world where fire is not a tool but a language where flame speaks to flesh, smoke whispers to grain, and ember transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Kaandela is such a kitchen.

A Culinary Destination in Casco Viejo

Seated within the colonial walls of Amarla Boutique Hotel in Casco Viejo, Kaandela has become Panama City’s most talked-about dining destination a restaurant where Chef Edy Acedo channels the raw energy of open-fire cooking into dishes that honor Panamanian identity while pushing culinary boundaries into uncharted territory.

Awards and recognition:

Special mention for best food at El Buen Tenedor de Panamá. Winner of the Latin America Design Awards 2023 in the branding category. Featured among Forbes Travel Guide-standard experiences. Celebrated as the perfect blend of cuisine and luxury in Casco Viejo.

The Tasting Menu: A Voyage Across Panama

The tasting menu is a voyage. Five courses that traverse Panama’s regions Pacific corvina kissed with nance wood smoke, highland vegetables from Kaandela’s own farm in Boquete at 1,500 meters elevation, slow-cooked short rib glazed in organic pepper demi-glace. Each plate is a map of the country rendered in flavor.

What the five-course journey includes:

Smoked and cured fish using ancient preservation techniques. Fire grilled proteins from sustainable Panamanian sources. Seasonal vegetables from Kaandela’s highland farm in Chiriquí. Artisan bread baked over wood fire. And signature desserts like guava sticky toffee pudding with cashew ice cream.

Pricing:

The five-course tasting menu runs $80 + 17% tax and service. With wine pairing, it’s $90 + 17% tax and service. A Zero Degree Mixology option is also available for non-alcoholic pairing.

The Space: Design as Art

The restaurant itself is a work of art. The design by Volta Rocks winner of the Latin America Design Awards 2023 weaves indigenous forms and textures into a space where the open kitchen becomes theater and the palm-shaded patio becomes sanctuary.

Two distinct dining experiences:

The open kitchen bar, where you sit at chef’s counter level and watch every flame and cut. Or the intimate patio, where 22 seats rest beneath palm trees, orchids, and a glass roof.

The Wine Experience

For a different perspective, explore the wine experience at Kaandela, where curated pairings transform an afternoon in Casco Viejo into an education in flavor. The sommelier guides you through international labels alongside Panamanian inspired tapas corvina ceviche with Chardonnay, artisanal cheeses with Tempranillo.