Each year, editors from Food & Wine magazine taste their way across the country in search of the women and men cooking the most delicious, creative food. (Tough job, we know.)
The results are in, and this year’s picks—nominated by restaurant critics, food writers and other experts, then selected by editors—come from restaurants in nine cities. They’re chosen for their creativity, talent and relative rookie status: none have been in charge of a kitchen for more than five years.
Listed in alphabetical order, here are 11 of the best new chefs cooking today, as named by Food & Wine, which, like TIME, is owned by Time Inc.
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Kris Yenbamroong
Restaurant: Night + Market, Los Angeles
Age: 33
Favorite food: Fried chicken. “My favorite spot is a family-run stall in one of the wet markets in Chiang Rai. I’ve spent a good amount of time hounding them for the recipe, and I think that after a few years of tinkering, I’ve finally figured it out. I call them out by name on our menu too, since we do it in tribute to them: It’s crunchy, salty, fatty, and pretty much the best drinking food.”