Born and raised in the Philippines, Chef de Cuisine Ryan Garalde and his family moved to Portland in 2018. In the short time since then, he has served as the Executive Sous Chef at The Hoxton Hotel and the Chef de Cuisine at Bamboo Sushi, a member of the Sustainable Restaurant Group.
“I am delighted to welcome Ryan to the pacificwild team at the Oregon Convention Center as our new Chef de Cuisine,” says Executive Chef Allan Wambaa. “He will work with our talented staff to create wonderful, tasty dishes for our customers to enjoy!”
Ryan started his culinary journey as a line cook at a nursing home in California. He quickly realized his passion for cooking and set to rising through the ranks. He was the Sous Chef at Amaya, Fairmont Grand De Mar, a Forbes Five Star Restaurant, in San Diego. He then moved on to consulting and menu planning for The Lodge at Torrey Pines, a AAA Five Diamond rated restaurant.
Ryan is particularly interested in experimenting with different cuisines. As the Executive Sous Chef at The Red O Restaurant by Rick Bayless, he specialized in Mexican cuisine; as the Sous Chef at THE LOT in La Jolla, he experimented with Contemporary American Cuisine; and as the Sous Chef at Avant in San Diego he focused on Farm-to-Table dining in wine country.
Prior to his career in the restaurant industry, Ryan served as a Hospital Corpsman in both the U.S Navy and the Marines. When he’s not working, Ryan loves exploring the Oregon Coast, spending time with this son, and of course, "experiencing all of Portland’s great dining options!"
“It is very exciting to have Ryan contributing some new ideas,” says Dave Woodman, pacificwild Catering's General Manager. “He certainly shares our passion for producing top dishes, created using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.”
Learn more about Oregon Convention Center's catering partners pacificwild and their deliciously fresh take on Pacific Northwest flavor.
About the Oregon Convention Center
The Oregon Convention Center is owned by Metro and managed by the Metro Exposition and Recreation Commission. OCC is a sustainably operated LEED® Platinum facility that hosts groups from around the world and brings millions of dollars into the Portland and Oregon economy.