"Imagine you’re a soft-shell crab. How would you want to be cooked?"Photo: Melissa Hom

Age: 33

Restaurant: DB Bistro Moderne

Background: A local product (he grew up in Scarsdale), Leiken worked with Mike Anthony at March, and later opened Tabla’s Bread Bar as head cook. Another spell at March under Wayne Nish led to three years at Daniel, where he worked every station in what amounted to a fine-dining graduate program. He's currently executive sous chef (the equivalent to chef de cuisine) at DB Bistro Moderne.