Bio

Courtesy of mi & mo photography

Chef Sally Camacho is considered to be an up and coming leader in modern day confectionery arts.  According to Sally, she grew up at the kitchen table. "My first memory is standing on an apple box waiting for my mom to start to cook".  She was raised in Culver City, California where her family held strong to their Asian and Pan-Pacific heritage. At the Camacho house, barbequing, frying whole fish with spices, and secret Filipino family recipes, were the norm.  She remembers fondly the first time she helped roast a whole pig amidst family laughter   Yearly visits to the Philippines, ingrained her love of intensity for flavor.

Chef Sally Camacho received her Associates Degree in Culinary Arts at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Her love of travel took her to the Caneel Bay Resort, a Rosewood Hotel property, in the Virgin Islands where she learned to spear fish, and scuba dive.

Sally's search for knowledge returned her to her home to Los Angeles, to work with, Donald Wressell, Executive Pastry Chef at The Four Seasons Beverly Hills. A turning point in her career, and the core basis of her training, she learned all aspects of the hotel industry from plated desserts, chocolate work, and catering such events as the Grammy's and Academy Awards.

Chef Sally was selected by former Alain Ducasse, Executive Pastry Chef, Frederic Robert to be his Assistant Pastry Chef for the opening team of Five Star Five Diamond Casino/Resort - The Wynn, Las Vegas. She prepared daily buffets for 7,000 guests, while overseeing the Chocolat Patisserie.

Sally joined Bradley Ogden, commanding the sweet kitchens at the James Beard Award winning restaurant, Bradley Ogden in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, as Executive Pastry Chef.  She created menus daily inspired by freshly picked Farmer's Market produce.

In 2007, she was on the first All Female Pastry Team to compete for the "National Pastry Team Championship", receiving the Silver Metal and the award for Best Sportsmanship. 

Rising, to yet another challenge Sally took on the newly renovated Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort, Aventura, Florida, as the Executive Pastry Chef.  There she created pastries for three fine dining restaurants, room service, and banquets.  While at the Turnberry, she taught classes on Wedding Cakes, Petit Fours, and Bon Bons and Pralines at Ewald Notter's School of Confectionary Arts.

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As Pastry Chef for WP 24 at the Ritz Carlton, Los Angeles, Sally comes full circle.  She creates desserts with Asian influences such as, Marjolasian, Calamansi Vacherin, Almond and Jasmine "Kumo" Cloud, and the Flavors of Thai Ovaltine.  Her imaginative creations are no doubt the perfect ending to the WP24 experience. 


Premiering August 24, 2011, Chef Sally will be one of the contestants on Bravo TV's Top Chef Just Desserts Season 2. Tune in to see her compete in quickfires and challenges with the top pastry chefs in the nation.

Courtesy of mi & mo photography