Marc Passetti, Executive Chef of The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar at The Fairmont San Francisco
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As Chef de Cuisine for The Fairmont San Francisco, Marc Passetti oversees the culinary direction of The Tonga Room.
He has created an exciting menu of Pacific Rim comfort cuisine that reflects the lively Polynesian flair of the restaurant. Fresh wild-caught, sustainable fish is flown in directly from Hawaii, providing a truly authentic dining experience. The menu, ranging from delicious pupus to classic Mongolian Beef Tenderloin to Seared Diver Scallops served with Sautéed Corn, Scallions, Bacon and Spinach with a Yuzu Beurre Blanc sauce, is meant to be enjoyed family style – uniting diners in the "spirit of aloha."
"My goal is to provide guests with a delicious escape to the islands. The Tonga Room is a truly unique dining destination. Having grown up in Northern California, I remember celebrating special occasions in The Tonga Room as a child. I want the cuisine, combined with the restaurant's warm service and inviting tropical ambiance, to turn an evening in The Tonga Room into a very special memory for our guests," explains Marc Passetti.
A graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Passetti worked at Bradley Ogden's acclaimed restaurants, Yankee Pier and Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, Calif., before joining The Fairmont San Francisco in 2004.
He was inspired to become a chef by his grandmother with whom he enjoyed cooking festive holiday meals in her bustling home in San Francisco's Italian North Beach neighborhood.
When not working, Passetti enjoys dining out and tasting all that San Francisco has to offer.