Chef Biography:

Richard Hales decided to be a chef while he was in business school and, despite what he calls a complete lack of experience, he persuaded Jean-Georges Vongerichten to give him a job at New York’s Vong. Hales stayed there two years, ending his time with Vongerichten as Vong’s sous-chef. He spent another year practicing classic technique at Le Grenouille. During his time at Vong, Hales traveled several times to Asia, at one point spending several months helping a fellow Vong alum open a restaurant in Hong Kong.

When the Mandarin Oriental opened in Miami in 2001, Hales was asked to be the Asian chef then was named assistant manager of Azul and finally, sommelier and wine director. In 2006, he was named wine director of the Mandarin Oriental in New York. He returned to Miami in 2008 and started Sakaya Kitchen at the end of 2009. “Sakaya Kitchen is a mixture of techniques I learned and the food I love to eat,” says Hales. “I never put anything down on paper, I just opened and started cooking again.” In 2010, Sakaya Kitchen took to the road with the popular Dim Ssäm à gogo, one of Miami’s most popular food trucks.

Other Festival Events:

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 Wine Walk & Shop Now a seasonal event by popular demand, Wine Walk & Shop on the Mile is returning to bring an evening of sampling fine wines, while strolling Miracle Mile's tree-lined shops and restaurants. View Event