Orlando Pagan, Executive Chef
Orlando Pagan has worked in renowned San Francisco restaurants for the past five years, including Restaurant Gary Danko, Ducca Restaurant, and most recently, as executive chef at Silks Restaurant. Pagan, a native of Puerto Rico, began his career at the Westin Rio Mar in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and worked as a chef and chef instructor in Puerto Rico and Miami – including a two-year stint at the acclaimed Bizcaya Grill at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove – before moving west in 2005.

"Chef Pagan will be a huge asset to Ame's culinary team. He has been working behind the scenes with Hiro since late 2009, becoming immersed in the vision behind Ame and in our approach to food," said Ame co-owner Lissa Doumani. "Chef Pagan brings a great deal of enthusiasm and passion to Ame, as well as extremely valuable bi-coastal experience at restaurants with an international flair."

"I am thrilled to join the esteemed Ame culinary team," said Pagan. "Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani are culinary visionaries and pioneers of seasonal New American cuisine. I am learning from the best and look forward to being a part of the restaurant's continued success."