Chef Ornato Antunes is the Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin. He joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 1999 as Chef de Partie Banquet of the Hotel Arts, Barcelona, Spain.

Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin, Chef Ornato worked at other Ritz-Carlton properties, including Hotel Penha Longa in Lisbon, Portugal and Hotel Abama in Tenerife, Spain. His 20 year career has seen him serve and lead at the Four Seasons, The Ritz London, Concorde Group, Starwood and Warwick. He was part of the pre-opening team at Chef Sergi Arola’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Madrid and held a leadership role at Chef Martin Berasategui’s Michelin-starred MB restaurant in Tenerife, Spain.

Chef Ornato keeps his hand on the pulse of the Food and Beverage industry and never passes up an opportunity to experiment or challenge himself. He is very excited about his current journey to China and is eager to explore this invaluable opportunity in the world of sweet and savory cuisine.

20 successful years of professional cooking and kitchen management experience. He realized his passion for cooking at the age of 14, during which time he was involved in his first apprenticeship in Paris.

Ornato took time out from his busy day to talk with my teaching assistant Maple, and myself, in a private banquet room in the Tian Tai Xuan restaurant. This interview ranges over how Ornato decided to take up cooking, his background and influences, and the types of foods he just can't live without - as well as his experiences in setting up the restaurants and kitchens at the Ritz-Carlton Tianjin!

It was an absolute pleasure to talk with Ornato, and to have an insight into just what makes the Ritz-Carlton in Tianjin so special!

You can find out more about Ornato, and the Ritz-Carlton Tianjin, at:

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Tianjin/Default.htm