Local chef, crowned winner of ‘Ciao House,’ serves unique dishes as executive chef at ‘Amara at Paraiso’ - WSVN 7News

Miami-born, chef Ivan Barros, has clinched the top spot on the Food Network's hit show "Ciao House" and after weeks of intense competition, showcasing his culinary skills, the chef has brought his talents back to Miami!

Chef Ivan is the new executive chef at Amara at Paraiso. He sat down with Deco to tell us all about his experience in both kitchens!

Chef Alex Guarnaschelli: "At the end of the day there could only be one capo di casa and that chef is Ivan"

Congratulations are in order for Miami's Chef Ivan Barros.

Chef Gabe Bertaccini: "Ivan, congratulazioni.."

The Miami native was crowned winner of season two of the Food Network cooking series "Ciao House"

Ivan Barros: "And it definitely feels amazing. It's been a long journey."

Long and exciting! We caught up with the chef at his new gig as executive chef at Amara At Paraiso where he told us all about his journey.

Ivan Barros: "I was going through the interview process simultaneously. Interviewing for the executive chef job here and interviewing for Ciao House. After a ton of interviews on both ends, I realized that the possibility of both happening at the same time was about to happen."

But that didn't detour him. One day after accepting the position as head chef, Ivan jetted off to Italy to film the show.

Ivan Barros: "To compete against 11 other chefs, and to have like an iron chef taste my food and say that it's good, is definitely a seal of approval."

Now, with nothing left to prove, Ivan is spicing things up at the restaurant with some new dishes.

Ivan Barros: "We'll start with the half chicken al a brasa which is a national dish of Peru. On the bottom is an aji verde sauce, then on top it's crispy, smashed Yukon gold potatoes, then we have our marinated half chicken. On top, that has garlic, onions, soy sauce, aji amarillo."

And the guests love it already.

Guest: "The chicken. Absolutely incredible. Crispy, juicy. I think that was probably my favorite thing today."

In the mood for grilled peaches? Chef Ivan has a peach dish worth your while.

Ivan Barros: "It's probably the newest one, on the bottom, it whipped Fetta. Then we put salsa macha on top. Grilled peaches, a little bit of toasted pumpkin seeds, and a little bit of cilantro.

Being a top chef hasn't inflated the chef's ego either. He says people's love for his food keeps him going.

Ivan Barros: "They keep me working, they keep me, you know, on my toes. Making new things. Some people come back for our classics and some people come back to see what's new."

FOR MORE INFO: Amara at Paraiso 3101 NE Seventh Avenue, Miami, FL 33137