Terranea Resort, the luxury Pacific oceanfront resort on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, has appointed Jason Benavente as chef de cuisine of bashi, its acclaimed Asian-inspired restaurant.
In his new role, Benavente will lead the culinary operations at bashi, an upscale eatery known for its stunning seaside views and contemporary approach to melding Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian classics with local flavors. He will focus on elevating and refining bashi’s eclectic culinary offerings and further its collaborative team culture.
Benavente – who honed his culinary prowess at Nobu, the globally-recognized pioneer of Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine – was most recently executive chef with Bottega Louie, a restaurant, gourmet market and patisserie in West Hollywood. Prior to that he was executive chef at Nobu Los Angeles, where he mastered a deep expertise in blending bold flavors with technical precision.
“We are thrilled to have Jason on our team as we continue our commitment to excellence at bashi,” said Nicholas Untermann, general manager for the 102-acre property. “His extraordinary culinary background and deep understanding of Asian-inspired cuisine align perfectly with our vision. He joins a world-class culinary program at Terranea, led by Executive Chef Andrew Vaughan. We are beyond excited to experience his considerable talents and innovative approach to bashi.”
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific in Oahu, Hawaii, Benavente began his professional journey more than 18 years ago as part of Nobu Restaurant’s opening team in Oahu. He relocated to the company’s iconic West Hollywood location as junior sous chef climbing the ranks to executive chef, a position he held for 17 years.
