James Katurakes
Executive Chef
Levy Restaurants at the Orange County Convention Center
Chef James Katurakes, affectionately known as "Chef K," brings more than 25 years of culinary experience to the table as the Executive Chef at Levy Restaurants at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).
Chef K brought his experience and passion to Levy Restaurants in 1998 and he enthusiastically operates a $4.2-million kitchen and a production crew of 75!
A Certified Executive Chef by the American Culinary Institute, Chef K has won numerous awards on both the national and international levels. His many accomplishments include winning the National U.S. Skill Olympic Gold Medal in the Vocation Industrial Club of America and attending the Culinary Institute of America.
Prior to coming to the convention center and then joining the Levy family, Chef K refined his skills as Executive Chef with Fine Host Corporation (also at the OCCC), Executive Chef at Carnival’s Crystal Palace Resort and Casino, Executive Chef at the Trump Taj Mahal – where he coordinated the production of 32,000 meals-a-day, Assistant Executive Chef at Resorts International Casino Hotel, Specialty Chef Haute Cuisine at Claridge Hotel Casino to name a few.
Chef K has opened 46 different restaurants with cuisine ranging from "highroller" suite restaurants to Japanese, Cantonese, Russian, Italian, Asian Fusion and Pacific Rim. He has had the opportunity to work with several world-renowned master chefs such as Chef Gustof Muller, Chef Jean Henri Mergon, Chef Keith Keogh (International Olympic Gold Winner) and Chef Paul Bocuse. Chef K became a Certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation and he is involved in many professional memberships including the Bahamas Culinary Association and the Association Internationale Maitress Des Conseils en Gastronomie Francaise.
Chef K brings a wealth of personality and culinary expertise to the OCCC. He takes great joy in engaging guests, creating innovative cuisine, ensuring flawless production and offering superb service. A celebrity in his own right, Chef K’s passion and love for food is clear to everyone who meets him. His passion carries on to his love for sharing his wealth of experience and expertise with aspiring student chefs, acting as an advisor to several chef training programs including the Bahamas Hotel Training Program, the Valencia College’s Culinary Program, the P.I.C. Orlando Program and the Mid-Florida Tech Apprenticeship Program.
Chef K is always willing to donate his time and skills to a kitchen in need. He is also very involved in the community as an active volunteer with the Autism Society.
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