Rhode Island is one big food adventure. From restaurants and flavors known the world over, many people wonder, where is the next-generation Emeril Lagasse to carry the torch of culinary talent from The Ocean State? Look no further than the East Bay region.

Michael Diogo is a living food prodigy. At only 30 years old, Michael, born and raised in Bristol, a graduate of Mt. Hope High School, is a living example of making a trade your passion and living the dream by doing what you love: cooking.

But how did Diogo, who started working at 16 years old as a dishwasher at Quito’s restaurant in Bristol, become top chef at Morgan’s Mango, a gourmet Caribbean seafood restaurant that is considered the number-one restaurant on Saint John in the Virgin Islands?

“I worked for Quito’s for 10 years, from dishwasher to kitchen manager, then one year at 15 Point Road restaurant, and for the past two years at Revival in Warren for Chef Keegan,” Mr. Diogo said. “I lived in Miami during winters while I was chef at Quito’s, because we closed for the season, so I would travel, and I fell in love with the food and beaches.”

Mr. Diogo said this sense of wanderlust and love of travel inspired him to take his passion to a more tropical climate. “I came to Saint John to learn a different cuisine and travel, which is what brought me to Morgan’s Mango, where I have been working the last three months.”

At home in St. John’s

But Morgan’s Mango is a far cry from seafood in the Ocean State, as it specializes in Caribbean-style seafood, with a flavor pallet that is West Indies. “Our specialty is Paella and soul food, and Caribbean lobsters,” Mr. Diogo said. “I do a lot of fresh from the boat seafood, as we get 120-pound tunas, local mahi mahi, and wahoo,” he said.

But being top-chef of a tropical destination restaurant doesn’t mean you can’t take the flavors of home with you.

“Being Portuguese, I cook really good octopus, and it is a daily appetizer special with two different types,” he said. “The greatest thing about my job is that my boss lets me create any dishes I want, so I have integrated a lot of Portuguese American recipes here with a Caribbean twist, which have been amazing.”

Mr. Diogo, who grew up on St. Elizabeth Street in Bristol, cites his heritage as a big factor in taking up a passion for cooking. “As a child, my Avo (grandmother) used to make the best Portuguese shrimp Mozambique and soups that I always wanted to learn going to her house as a kid.”

In addition, growing up in teamwork-friendly atmospheres helped instill important characteristics needed for a top chef. “Playing soccer in high school, and then after working in restaurants, I fell in love with teamwork, communication, and just overall being able to put out massive amounts of dishes at once. It’s a rewarding experience,” Mr. Diogo said. “So I love being part of a team, but being able to lead this team is a wonderful experience.”

A local education

Beyond his childhood, Mr. Diogo says working in East Bay restaurants almost half his life gave him the training he needed to get where he is today. “I am a chef by trade, since I have been working in restaurants since age 16 and have worked for some amazing chefs,” he said.

“I would say I learned most by practicing myself, but I have to give a big thanks and shout-out to Keegan from Revival,” Mr. Diogo said, referring to the Warren, R.I. restaurant. “He is the most amazing chef I have worked for, as I learned and grew a lot from him, like cooking different vegetables and different cooking techniques, styles, and plating.”

At the same time, Mr. Diogo emphasizes that his many years at Quito’s also taught him aspects of the food business. “On the business side, I learned the most from Albert Quito,” owner of Quito’s in Bristol.

A tropical lifestyle

Since working on the island of St. John, Mr. Diogo has expanded his talents by embracing the tropical culture. “I run every morning and run to the beach … I fell in love with paddle boarding — something I have never done, until living here.

“The culture is amazing … the language barrier and the accents are different, but everyone is very nice and helpful to make the transition easy,” said Mr. Diogo, who lives overlooking the Westin. “The main language is English, but everyone speaks Spanish, which I know also.”

“Everyone is really nice, but living on an island you don’t have all the necessities you need that you can just drive and get back home, so you have to make a lot of sacrifices here,” he said. “We have a lot of the same species here, because we get a lot of the same stuff shipped from Boston, Miami, and Puerto Rico.”

Although living in a tropical paradise, there is a lot of work to do. “We are in season now, and tourism is high now, so we work seven days a week and do about 220 to 250 covers a night,” Mr. Diogo said, mentioning he did a Caribbean style lobster roll yesterday, as well as a baby octopus dish, and lobster ceviche.

Thinking of home

But does a young man who grew up in the Ocean State miss it back home? “I miss my family and close friends, but this was my dream to travel and be a chef and make amazing food from around the world,” he said. “I am enjoying every minute and gaining knowledge I would have never learned if I didn’t make the decision to come here.”

At the same time, a piece of home always follows him. “I try to put a New England twist on some dishes, and people seem to like it because a lot of tourists are from the north, which is cool,” he said. “I had a couple two weeks ago that came in and remember me from when I worked at Revival.”

As the top chef for Morgan’s Melons, Mr. Diogo coordinates two soup specials, an appetizer special and two entrée specials (which they normally sell out every night), as well as tropical deserts like key lime pie and tropical crème brulee, and rum-based cocktails such as ‘The Bushwacker.’ Mr. Diogo said a number of famous names have made it their destination restaurant.

“I cooked for Kenny Chesney two weeks ago,” Ms. Diogo said. The country music star is a regular customer and even donated a lot of money to St. John after a recent hurricane. “I have also cooked for the Princess of Abu Dhabi and members of the Dallas Cowboys,” he said.

Going forward, Mr. Diogo said he isn’t done with his business and culinary dreams just yet. “My goal is to open my own spot someday known for great local seafood dishes, a restaurant that sources all local ingredients with all fresh seafood and a flare of flavor from around the world,” Mr. Diogo said.

“Just overall, it’s been an amazing experience, and to be 30 years old and be in this position, it’s been an experience of a lifetime.”