Training/History:
Current:
· Executive Chef - Bob’s Steak & Chop House, Omni Tucson National Resort
· Banquet Chef - Omni Tucson National
· Sous Chef – Lowes Ventana Canyon Resort
· Sous Chef – A.M. Gold Room Sous Chef
Career Training/Highlights:
· 18+ years of culinary experience
· Extensive Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond restaurant experience, including The Tack Room and Stone Ashley
· Trained under a variety of accomplished and award-winning chefs
Specialties:
As a chef, I have an innate passion for a myriad of cuisines, foods and flavors from around the world. I’ve travelled extensively from coast to coast researching various cultures, authentic cooking methods and techniques. If I had to choose one of my specialties, it would have to be Pacific Rim, due mostly in part to my training under Chef Robin Moe – a direct descendant of Roy Yamaguchi. Chef Moe inspired me with his authenticity of culture and love of food. He encouraged me to experiment and try things I never would have considered. Pacific Rim’s exciting mix of spices, exotic tastes and California freshness, combined with Asian cooking techniques, is an art that enhances a great diversity of foods. Diversity, artistry, passion and creativity are all important ingredients that I practice and utilize when I’m in the kitchen, simply because cooking is a form of expression – a science, and if I’m not constantly creating and experimenting or learning something new on a daily basis, then I’m not doing my job as a chef.
Why You Became a Chef:
I was exposed to cooking at a very young age because my mother worked long hours to support us. Therefore, I had to learn to cook for myself more so than not. There I’d be standing in a kitchen with limited supplies, but definitely no lack of imagination. Ever since then, I developed a love and respect for food. I would take next to nothing from the pantry or refrigerator, and create something beautiful out of it simply because of my sincere desire to do so. In high school, I was very involved in acting, art, writing, etc. Being an expressionist was my passion, which seamlessly blended into the kitchen.
Ultimately, becoming a chef was an outlet for my artistry, my vision and creative style, of which is clearly evident in my food presentations and menus. Just as Pacific Rim is a fusion of East-West North & South, my passion and artistry was the “fusion” per se, to lay the groundwork and foundation for me to become a successful chef.