Rodrigo Fernandini BIOGRAPHY: Peruvian Chef

Rodrigo Fernandini is the Peruvian chef who went from reality shows to the stoves of Manhattan —and from sleeping in his car in California to opening his own fine dining restaurant in Barranco, Lima. With more than 5 million followers on social media, his famous cry of “¡Buenazo!” echoes across TikTok and Instagram every time he prepares a ceviche, an arroz con pato or some Peruvian recipe that wins over half the world. This is the real story, unfiltered, of the man from Chiclayo who turned his passion into his greatest success.

Who is Rodrigo Fernandini?

Rodrigo Fernandini is a Peruvian chef, food influencer and entrepreneur born in Chiclayo in 1991. He is the founder of the restaurant Artesano in Tribeca, New York, and of the restaurant Fernandini in Barranco, Lima. Before devoting himself to cooking, he was Mister Perú 2012 and a contestant on the reality show Esto es Guerra. Today he is one of the most popular Peruvian cooks in the digital world, a licensee of the Marca Perú and author of the book Mi historia en 100 recetas (Grijalbo, 2025).

Rodrigo Fernandini

Rodrigo Fernandini's personal details

Beginnings of his career: from Chiclayo to the world

Rodrigo Fernandini's first culinary memory is not in any cooking school. It is in the kitchen of his home in Pimentel, Chiclayo, sticking his nose into his mother's pot to smell the garlic, onion and chilli base. “That perfume that filled my house every day”, he recalls. Those childhood aromas, together with the trips to the market with his mother —who always brought fresh fish from the local fishermen—, planted a seed in him that would take years to flower.

Because Rodrigo did not go straight to the stoves. At 15 he began working as a model and host to earn money. He was good-looking, charismatic and the camera loved him. That led him to appear in commercials and eventually to be crowned Mister Perú 2012, representing the country at the Mister Mundo pageant held in London, where he came fourth. He also moved into Peruvian television as a contestant on the hit reality show Esto es Guerra in 2013 and on the show Very Verano.

But something was nagging at him. He tried to study Law at Universidad de Piura, but lasted only a year: “It was definitely not for me. I was always a restless, distracted student, I spent more time in the principal's office than in class”. Cooking, the thing he avoided watching on television because it hurt not to be devoting his life to it, finally called him for good. One day, sitting on his bed, he made the decision: “Whoever is good at what they do, whatever the trade, will do well. And life is very short.” At 19 he knocked on restaurant doors and told the chefs: “Do not pay me. I just want to cook and learn.”

That is how it started. He studied at the prestigious culinary school Le Cordon Bleu in Lima, financing his training with his modelling income. When he finished, he set off for the United States with one suitcase, a lot of drive and —as he himself admits— very little money. On arriving in California, he spent a month sleeping in his car because he could not afford to rent a room. That sacrifice, far from breaking him, made him stronger.

Rodrigo Fernandini's professional career and achievements

Rodrigo Fernandini's professional career is a steady climb, marked by hard work, creativity and a total commitment to Peruvian cooking. These are his most important milestones:

• Le Cordon Bleu Lima: Formal culinary training where he perfected technique and developed respect for the product.
• San Francisco (7 years): He trained in the kitchens of the best restaurants in SF, including Michelin-starred establishments, learning a philosophy of life and culinary standards from mentors such as chef Jason Pond.
• Food pop-ups in California: He started with Peruvian tasting menus once a month. On the first night only two diners turned up; he did not cancel. In time, the pop-ups became weekly and full.
• Ayllu Restaurant (St. Petersburg, Florida, 2017): His first own restaurant, specializing in Peruvian fine dining. One of the diners was so impressed that he became his investment partner for a bigger project.
• Private chef for the NBA (2020): During the pandemic, the NBA banned travel abroad. The Toronto Raptors settled in Tampa, Florida, and hired him as private chef for Norman Powell and later for Pascal Siakam, with whom he developed a solid friendship.
• Artesano (Tribeca, New York, 2021): His definitive leap. A Peruvian fine dining restaurant in one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods of Manhattan. Recognized by The New York Times and a reference point for Latin American gastronomy in the US.
• Sustainable Cocina: His own company of gourmet condiments and sauces distributed by e-commerce across the United States, including his famous vegan, gluten-free “Churri” sauce.
• Marca Perú licensee: Official recognition from the Peruvian State for his work as an ambassador of national gastronomy around the world.
• Book “Mi historia en 100 recetas” (Grijalbo/Penguin Random House, 2025): His first recipe book, with 262 pages divided into six chapters that tell his life through cooking. Available in Peru's main bookshops.
• Fernandini Restaurante (Barranco, Lima, 2026): His first restaurant in Peru, opened on March 28, 2026 in an old house on the Boulevard de Barranco. A signature cooking project he himself defines as “my legacy”.

Rodrigo Fernandini's standout shows and work

Rodrigo Fernandini has taken part in multiple projects throughout his career, in television as well as in the digital and business worlds:

• 📺 Esto es Guerra (2013): Appearance as a reality TV star, a show that gave him national visibility.
• 📺 Very Verano: Peruvian television show where he was part of the cast.
• 🏆 Mister Perú 2012 / Mister World (4th place, London): He represented Peru at the international male beauty pageant.
• 🍽️ Private chef for NBA stars: Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors / LA Clippers), during the pandemic bubble.
• 🎵 TikTok @chefrodrigofernandini: Food content creator with more than 2.6 million followers and multiple viral videos of Peruvian recipes.
• 📸 Instagram @chefrodrigofernandini: More than 2.2 million followers with content about cooking, travel and family.
• 📚 “Mi historia en 100 recetas” (2025): Published by Grijalbo (Penguin Random House), 262 pages, 6 chapters, available at Crisol, SBS, El Virrey and Communitas.
• 🎪 Buenazo Fest: His own food festival; the second edition will take place on May 23 and 24, 2026 on the Costa Verde, Lima.
• 🌐 Rodrigofernandini.com: Membership platform with hundreds of recipes, exclusive masterclasses and restaurant discounts.

If you are interested in other Peruvians who are also succeeding in entertainment, do not miss the biography of Patricio Parodi, another man from Chiclayo who leapt to fame through reality shows and is today one of the best-known entrepreneurs in Peruvian showbiz.

Rodrigo Fernandini's personal life

Rodrigo Fernandini met his wife, Abigail Ferro, in California, while he was preparing one of his ceviche pop-ups. “I had already seen her on Instagram, I was dropping her hints, but she paid no attention to me”, he says with a laugh. Abi is American, works in marketing and is today co-founder of the Fernandini restaurant in Lima. According to the chef himself, his wife “is the reason my career has gone so well”: she was the one who, discreetly, created an online profile for him that ended up being the bridge for the Toronto Raptors to contact him.

Together they have two children: Luca, born on April 27, 2023 —the same day as Rodrigo's birthday, something he described as “the best birthday present”— and Alessio, who arrived in the world on March 29, 2025. The family splits its time between Lima and the United States, although since the opening of the Fernandini restaurant in Barranco, Lima has become their main base.

As for his previous relationships, Rodrigo had a two-year romance with actress Nataniel Sánchez, known for Al Fondo Hay Sitio. He was also linked to models Macarena Gastaldo and Stephanie Valenzuela, before formalizing his relationship with Abigail.

At home, Rodrigo is strict about one single rule: the first two hours of every morning are for the family. No phone, no social media. Just breakfasts cooked together, feeding the hens they keep at home and playing with their dogs. “There is no bigger project than my family”, he says.

In my experience following figures of digital gastronomy, it is rare to find an influencer with more than 5 million followers who talks so naturally about his early failures —such as sleeping in his car or only two people turning up to his first pop-up. That authenticity is, without doubt, part of his formula for connecting with the public.

Rodrigo Fernandini trivia

• 🇵🇪 His mother's surname is Chinese: Fernandini Chu. As he himself says, he is “super-mestizo Peruvian”, with Italian, African, German and Chinese influences. All the diversity of Peru in a single chef.
• 🏀 He cooked for NBA stars: During the COVID-19 bubble, he was private chef to Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam. Powell even asked him to follow him to Los Angeles to be his chef at the Clippers.
• 🚗 He slept in his car for a month: On arriving in California with no resources, he lived in his car for a whole month before finding work. Today he tells it with pride as part of his story.
• 🌶️ He has his own viral sauce: He created “Churri”, a vegan, gluten-free sauce made with coriander, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and Himalayan salt. It is sold exclusively by e-commerce in the US.
• 📰 The New York Times covered him: His restaurant Artesano was mentioned by the most influential outlet in the world, something his wife celebrated publicly: “A proud moment for the Fernandini family, you did it!”
• 📖 He was a bad student at school: “Very scattered, I spent more time in the principal's office than in class.” Cooking was the only thing that managed to focus his energy: “The chaos, the mess and the pressure of the kitchen appealed to me from day one.”
• 🥘 His most representative dish is not yet in his book: The “ceviche Fernandini” —diced sole, infused leche de tigre and corn fritters in the style of fried squid— is the dish that best defines him and is only available at his restaurant in Barranco.

Rodrigo Fernandini today (2026)

2026 is, without doubt, Rodrigo Fernandini's biggest year. On March 28 he opened Fernandini Restaurante, his first venue in Peru, located in a historic house on the Boulevard de Barranco (Sánchez Carrión 112). The space offers a 10-course tasting menu called “Latidos”, at a price of 520 soles per person, which travels through Peru's three regions: from siquisapa ants from Moyobamba to trout from Titicaca, by way of Amazonian paiche and northern duck. The proposal brings together contemporary technique with local seasonal ingredients, the product of two years of travelling around the country.

In parallel, he keeps Artesano in Tribeca as one of the most recognized Peruvian fine dining restaurants in New York. His book Mi historia en 100 recetas (Grijalbo, 2025) is still available in Peruvian bookshops and digital platforms. And the Buenazo Fest 2026 —his personal food festival— already has two confirmed dates for May on Lima's Costa Verde, with tickets almost sold out in presale.

On social media, Rodrigo keeps generating viral content. His Peruvian recipes —from ceviches and lomos saltados to alfajores and rice dishes— keep winning over new audiences in Latin America, Spain and the United States. With more than 5 million followers consolidated, he is one of the most influential Spanish-language food content creators in the world.

Like other content creators who have turned their talent into a global brand —as is the case of TheGrefg in the gaming world—, Rodrigo Fernandini has known how to combine authenticity, consistency and business vision to build an empire from scratch.

Sources consulted

• El Comercio: Rodrigo Fernandini, from sleeping in a car to founding a prestigious restaurant in New York.
• Infobae: Rodrigo Fernandini, the former ‘EEG’ reality TV star who gave up everything to fulfil his dream of being a chef.
• Gestión: Chef Rodrigo Fernandini and the plan to expand Artesano into five US cities.

Conclusion

Rodrigo Fernandini's story is exactly the kind of story the world needs to hear more of: that of someone who took time to find his path, who was afraid, who slept in a car and who, even so, carried on with absolute clarity about what he wanted to achieve. Today, with restaurants in New York and Lima, a published book, his own sauce on the American market and millions of followers who learn Peruvian cooking thanks to his videos, Rodrigo Fernandini represents the best of the new generation of Peruvian cooks: authentic, global and deeply proud of their roots.

His “¡Buenazo!” is not just a catchphrase. It is a philosophy. And that is why it resonates all over the world.