Afro Pana Lab — Kitchen Studio

Where Food, Culture and Community Meet.

Afro Pana Lab is a culinary studio and cultural space dedicated to exploring, preserving and sharing the diverse roots that shape Panamanian cuisine.

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Who We Are

More Than a Kitchen

Afro Pana Lab was born from Chef Isaac Villaverde's lifelong curiosity about the stories, people, ingredients, migrations and traditions that have shaped Panamanian cuisine.

 

For years, his work has focused on exploring the connections between Africa, the Caribbean, Indigenous traditions, Latin America and the many cultural influences that converge in Panama.

 

Afro Pana Lab exists to preserve knowledge, inspire curiosity, foster connection and create meaningful experiences through food.

Here, cooking becomes storytelling.

Meals become conversations.

Research becomes education.

Culture becomes something that can be experienced and shared.

Who We Are

meet the chefs that curate every experience 

Chef Isaac Villaverde

Founder of La Tapa del Coco and one of the leading voices in Afro-Panamanian gastronomy.

His work has helped preserve, document and elevate the stories, ingredients and traditions that form an essential part of Panama's cultural identity.

Chef Armando Bramwell

Executive Chef of La Tapa del Coco.

Recognized by Food & Wine as Best New Chef California 2025.

Armando leads culinary development, educational programming and immersive guest experiences at Afro Pana Lab.

What We Offer

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In Action

featured experiences

A gallery of real moments — dinners, collaborations, events and workshops at Afro Pana Lab.

Private Dinners

Chef Collaborations

Private Events

Workshops

The Space

inside the lab

Let photography sell the experience.

What We Offer

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Cooking Classes

Hands-on culinary sessions led by our chefs, exploring the techniques and flavors of Panamanian cuisine.

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Private Dining

Intimate, curated dining experiences designed around storytelling, culture and Panamanian heritage.

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Event Space

A versatile studio space for private events, celebrations, and corporate gatherings.

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Content Studio

A production-ready space for brands, media and creators to film and create culinary content.

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In Action

featured experiences

A gallery of real moments — dinners, collaborations, events and workshops at Afro Pana Lab.

Private Dinners

Chef Collaborations

Private Events

Workshops

The Space

inside the lab

Let photography sell the experience.

In Their Words

testimonials

"From day one, we had the opportunity to support Afro Pana Lab in the design and outfitting of its studio kitchen. Seeing that vision come to life as such a unique space—where gastronomy, learning, and community come together—has been incredibly rewarding for all of us at Cocinas Industriales. 

 

What we value most about this project is its purpose. This is not simply a space with a well-equipped professional kitchen; it is a place where new ideas will be explored and where Panamanian cuisine will continue to grow and evolve. At COINSA, we are truly proud to have been part of this initiative and to know that our equipment contributes to a project with such meaningful impact for the country."

Francisco Lasa,

General Manager, COINSA

 It is rare that you can step into a space and “feel” a powerful dream fully actualized. We are blessed and honored to be a part of Issac’s dream; to be the first chefs to grace the space with intention and share our love of plants and of one Caribbean. As Afro Caribbean people, we carry both shared experience and shared cuisines; to be invited in, to Afro Pana Lab, cements the possibilities ahead for curation and collaborations that fill both the belly and the soul. Cheers Issac! It is all you have dreamed and more!

Lissa Binns y Christopher Binns,

Stush in the Bush , Jamaica 

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