Andréa Pittaluga launched La Ola with a simple idea: hand the kitchen to talented chefs and let them cook what they want. Khouloude Ben Thayer’s residency brought aubergine terrine with hazelnut chimichurri, while Ely Tran served dashi kombu and pandan desserts from her Southeast Asian repertoire. The format stays the same – small plates, natural wines, an all-women front-of-house team – but the flavours shift entirely depending on who’s cooking. The residency concept means each chef brings their own approach, which is exactly why it works.


