Chef Oringer holds a degree from Bryant College in Rhode Island and he also graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, where he was voted "Most Likely to Succeed". Upon graduation, he worked under Chef David Burke at New York's River Café. He went on to Providence, Rhode Island, where he was named Pastry Chef at Al Forno.

Chef Oringer's next stop was Boston, where he was Chef de Partie at Le Marquis de Lafayette under Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten. He was soon promoted to sous chef. Chef Oringer went on to open Terra, a trattoria that received three stars from The New York Times. Soon afterward, Oringer's career dramatically heated up.

Looking to expand his culinary skills and to learn more about American wines, chef Oringer moved west. At Silks in San Francisco's Mandarin Oriental Hotel, he served as Chef de Cuisine. There, Oringer's style, flair and finesse with food began to attract attention. Gourmet Magazine raved about his "sure and steady" hand; Conde Nast Traveler named Silks among the 'Top 20 Restaurants in America'; The San Francisco Chronicle awarded Silks 3 ˝ stars and named Chef Oringer 'Best New Chef'; and Zagat gave Silks a 27 (out of 30) rating for food. Chef Oringer's love of experimentation and the challenge of gastronomic creation etched his mark on the culinary map.

Oringer moved back to Massachusetts and became chef and partner at Tosca in Hingham. Soon afterward, Chef Oringer was profiled as a rising star chef by Restaurant Hospitality, winning raves for consistency in creativity and presentation.

In 1997, Chef Oringer opened Clio, which quickly received international recognition. Clio was named 'Best Newcomer' of the year by Gourmet Magazine and made John Mariani's list of 'America's Best New Restaurants' in Esquire Magazine. In 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, Oringer was nominated for 'Best Chef in the Northeast at the James Beard Awards. In 2000 Oringer was among the world's greatest chefs asked to cook at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore, one of the premier culinary events in the world. At the summit, he worked alongside Charlie Trotter,

Pierre Herme, Santi Santa Maria and Tetsuya Wakadad. Also in 2000, Oringer was named 'Best Chef in Boston' by Boston Magazine. In addition, Clio was named 'Best Restaurant in Boston' by Food and Wine Magazine in 2000 and the restaurant has also received a four star rating from the Boston Herald as well as accolades from Town and Country, Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Elle, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and National Geographic Traveler. Clio has also won the 2001 Gourmet Magazine award for one of the "Top 50 Best Restaurants in America". Clio continued to win numerous awards from Boston Magazine including the 2001 award for 'Best Restaurant in Boston', the 2002 award for 'Best Chef, Overall Excellence'.

In 2002, Oringer added his now acclaimed sashimi bar, Uni, in the restaurant's lounge, giving himself a new stage - and a devoted audience to go with it - for his love of Asian flavors. Here, guests can experience the freshest seafood from Boston and beyond, as well as a wide range of sake cocktails. The Boston Herald's restaurant critic Mat Schaffer awarded Uni four-stars saying at Uni "Oringer displays the same imaginative flair, commitment, quality and attention to detail that has made Clio one of America's best restaurants." In 2005, both Clio and Uni were included in Boston Magazine's listing of the Top 25 restaurants in the city.

Oringer's travels to international spots have allowed him to draw inspiration from various cultures and culinary pioneers. In 2004, he collaborated and worked with several star chefs at The World Gourmet Summit in Thailand. That same year, he participated in Alimentaria, a celebration of food and wine in Barcelona dedicated to culinary professionals from around the globe.

In November, 2005, Oringer opened his much anticipated Toro, a Barcelona inspired tapas restaurant in Boston's South End neighborhood. The space was being designed by the acclaimed Peter Niemitz, who also was the architect for Clio. For this 55 seat restaurant, Ken drew inspiration from his travels though Spain and the time he spent in the markets and various restaurants.

In January 2006, Oringer traveled to Spain for MadridFusion IV, the International Summit of Gastronomy. Here, he joined renowned chefs Charlie Trotter, Thomas Keller, Heston Blumenthal and Ferron Adriŕ, among others, at this annual gathering of some of the world's brightest culinary minds.

In 2007, Oringer continues his trend of bringing new restaurant concepts to Boston. This spring, he will open La Verdad, an authentic Mexican concept, behind historic Fenway Park. Within the acclaimed Nine Zero hotel, Oringer will introduce a modern steakhouse called KO Prime, also slated to open in spring, 2007.