Miami, FL – December 18, 2013 – It was a gorgeous afternoon filled with sun, fun, and food at The Mandarin Oriental on Thursday as celebrity chef Gaston Acurio, along with his recently appointed Executive Chef, Diego Oka, hosted a meet-and-greet and spoke about the opening of the hotels newest restaurant hotspot, La Mar. Attendees also had the opportunity to try some of the delicious items that will be featured on the menu. The February 2014 opening will mark as Acurio’s 35th restaurant and La Mar’s 3rd third location in the United States. Miami foodies get ready because this new ceviche and tapas bar will feature Acurio’s acclaimed Peruvian cuisine in a sleek, modern setting with a mix of indoor and outdoor seating and dramatic water views of the beautiful Biscayne Bay and Miami skyline. La Mar will be the perfect complement to the Mandarin Oriental’s other fine dining restaurant, Azul.

Diego Oka

Gaston Acurio & Terry Zarikian

Greg Nunez, Win Person, Gaston Acurio, Terry Zarikian, & Jorge Gonzalez

Richard Bernaola, Gaston Acurio, & Diego Oka

Erika Buchholz & Gaston Acurio

Diego Oka

Gaston Acurio & Diego Oka

Diego Oka

Gaston Acurio & Jorge Gonzalez

Gaston Acurio

Diego Oka

Gaston Acurio

Pedro Maal, Gaston Acurio, & Leonardo Davalos

Pedro Maal, Jorge Gonzalez, Alexandra Wensley, & Leonardo Davalos