Above: Pulled-beef cannelloni with a Panamanian-style mole at Madrigal in Panama City

Panama has few original dishes, so the new wave of chefs is adapting regional products to global trends. On this trip, we discovered the excellent Madrigal in the Casco Viejo. Michelin-starred chef Andrés Madrigal is at the helm, and his Spanish-Mediterranean menu is made almost entirely with local ingredients and changes daily. His talent for combining unexpected textures, aromas and flavors makes for an epicurean adventure.

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