Puerto Rican Chef Wilo Benet is owner of three restaurants, Pikayo – his fine dining and flagship restaurant -- opened almost 20 years ago; Payá – his casual theme restaurant celebrating its 5th year and his newest venture which opened this year, Varita a wood-burning rotisserie concept, which craftily places Puerto Rican comfort food front and center. He also holds management contracts with two food establishments in Old San Juan. Benet has redefined Puerto Rican cuisine and in the process has put the Island's enchanting flavors on display for the whole world to admire.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, he worked for various famed restaurants such as Le Bernardin, The Water Club and the Maurice Restaurant, all in NY, which led him to be chosen as Chef de Cuisine for Puerto Rico’s Governors Mansion. After two years, he opened Pikayo, which has been recognized over the almost 20-year span by many culinary-oriented publications such as Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Conde Nast Traveler, Caribbean Travel & Life, Miami Herald and the NY Times, which hailed “Pikayo may be the best museum restaurant in the world”, among many other international publications. So far this year, Benet has been recognized by various key magazines, such as Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, American Express’ Destination Magazine and Food and Wine as well as being chosen as spokesperson for UNICEF’s Puerto Rico Chapter “Tap Water” Campaign. In February he was featured in the cover of Sante Magazine, a publication geared to allure food and beverage professionals, as well as Comercio y Produccion, the Puerto Rican official magazine of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce.

In 2007 he launched his cookbook, “Puerto Rico True Flavors”, featuring more than 100 recipes complemented by outstanding photography, taking readers by the hand into Puerto Rico’s culinary journey. This best-seller was followed by the Spanish translation “Puerto Rico Sabor Criollo”. Last year during Book Expo America in Los Angeles, both his books won awards as Best Cookbook in English as well as in Spanish.

In May 2009, Benet launched his first endeavor in the wine world: DOBLEÚ, elaborated by the "Bodega Ramon Bilbao" in Rioja, Spain of 100% Tempranillo Grape. Wine Spectator’s Robert Parker declared it "Best Buy" in the Wine Advocate 2009 Edition.

In June, Benet will participate in two of the highest ratings culinary shows in TV: Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”, and as a contestant in Bravo TV’s new series “Top Chef Masters”, a spinoff of the award-winning show, “Top Chef”.

Some of Benet’s hobbies include photography (which is where his first studies were formed before becoming a chef), golf and drum playing. He is presently commissioned to photograph all resident and migrating bird species for St. Regis, a huge upscale hotel chain that will open in Puerto Rico in 2010.