Station 4

Chef Orlando Amaro was born in Barquisimeto Venezuela. He found his passion for the world of gastronomy growing up in a diverse culinary environment. With an Italian grandmother who was a pastry chef, Amaro had the constant influence of delicious dishes. A at young age, Amaro would cook for his friends and was always intrigued with different combinations of unique flavors. At 20, chef Orlando followed his passion to Mexico where he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of Mexico. Soon after, he took an executive chef position at Hilton Hotel in Barquisimeto, and received a 5 star recognition as the youngest Chef at the Hilton Caracas Venezuela. In Caracas, he received a Diploma of Completion in Creative Cooking and Japanese Cooking from Takihro Hatanaka. Amaro was also the winner of El tenedor de Oro (Golden Fork 2000) from the Venezuelan Academy of Gastronomy. Still eager to grow, he began at Restaurant Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain. Working with Chef Juan Mari Arzak, Amaro learned to mix Spanish tradition with modern kitchen technology to provide new experiences at the table. Soon after he came to the United States in 2002, he opened Biscayne Bay in Miami Beach. Amaro was given the opportunity to utilize his skills from Europe, when he became the Executive Chef at Blue Moon Restaurant and Lounge. He identified South Florida natural resources as a fountainhead for unique culinary combination and invented and explored the possibilities of juxtaposing fresh local fish an