Paulina Ornelas
Paulina Ornelas Esquitin is the Chef de Cuisine at Pao at Faena Hotel Miami Beach. With over 8 years of experience, Chef Esquitin brings a dynamic and globally inspired approach, overseeing the team at the beloved restaurant.
Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, Chef Esquitin’s passion for cooking began a young age, when she would cook at home with her family. She started her culinary career in Mexico, where she worked in a series of restaurants before relocating to Key Largo, Florida to work at X, as a private chef for residents. In 2018, Chef Esquitin joined the team at Pao by Paul Qui. In her role as Chef de Cuisine, she collaborates with Chef Paul Qui to provide an excellent dining experience for guests and locals alike.
Pao is an ocean view restaurant by James Beard Award-winning chef, Paul Qui. Drawing from a range of international styles including Filipino, Spanish, Japanese, and French, Pao boldly presents a new brand of modern Asian cuisine. Located in the stunningly designed Dome space of the hotel, Pao features indoor and outdoor spaces with ocean views. The interior of the restaurant features gold leaf walls and the focus point is Damien Hirst’s Golden Myth, a painted bronze and gold-leaf unicorn sculpture located at the center of the restaurant.
ABOUT FAENA
Founded by Alan Faena and Len Blavatnik in 2000, Faena is global leader in the luxury lifestyle industry. A pioneer in its field, Faena has made innovation the heart of all its endeavors, emerging as the global model for high-quality, purpose-built lifestyle living. Specializing in the creation of one-of-a-kind holistic environments anchored in cultural experiences, which integrate residences, hotels, art and cultural spaces. The multi-award-winning Faena Districts are internationally renowned for shifting the gravitational center of cities, expanding their social footprint and becoming new cultural epicenters. Its projects are platforms for personal expression, cultural interaction and original thinking—destination landmarks encompassing new buildings, revitalized historic properties, and transformational experiences, which Faena develops collaboratively with teams of leading architects, designers and artists.
For media inquiries please contact:
Meg Connolly Communications, [email protected] or 212-505-8200
