Alumni Interview: Frederico Guerreiro

By Carly DeFilippo

To say ICE alum Frederico Guerreiro is unusually successful for his age is an understatement. Hailing from Portugal, he has made his way around the globe, working in Spain, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo—most notably for Chef Seiji Yamamoto at Nihonryori RyuGin, one of the "World's 50 Best Restaurants". Today, his travels have taken him full-circle, competing as a contestant on Portugal's version of the hit show Top Chef and currently working as the Chef de Cuisine at Restaurante Pedro e o Lobo in Lisbon. We caught up with Chef Guerreiro this spring to discuss his time at ICE, his journey since graduating and his plans for the future.

What were you doing before you enrolled at ICE?

Initially, I was pursuing a degree in psychology, but quickly figured out that I wanted to work with my hands as well as my intellect. Before enrolling at ICE, I worked in the restaurant industry for quite awhile. My experience was well-rounded, but primarily rooted in the front-of-house, where I worked as a server, bartender, sommelier, floor manager and host. While I loved every minute of it, I was always very curious about what went on in the kitchen, so I decided to make a move and enroll at ICE!