Bio
Michael Psilakis is an American chef, restaurateur and television personality best known for starring on the adventure reality cooking competition No Kitchen Required, since 2012.
In addition to owning acclaimed restaurants Kefi and Fish Tag in New York City, Psilakis has appeared on Food Network's Iron Chef and Ultimate Recipe Showdown.
His accolades include Esquire Magazine's Chef of the Year, Food & Wine's Best New Chef and Bon Appetit's Chef of the Year distinctions. In 2008 he was awarded a coveted Michelin Star, making him one of only two Greek chefs in the world to hold that honour.
Inspired by his traditional Greek family, Psilakis learned the techniques of classic Greek cooking at a young age. His father taught him to roast whole lambs on a spit and his mother, who remains his greatest influence in the kitchen, taught him everything about the flavours he often uses in his dishes.
In addition to a notable career in the New York restaurant industry, Psilakis has also published his first cookbook How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking. The book is a culinary tribute to Psilakis' Greek heritage and has gone on to win countless awards including the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Foreign Cuisine.
Psilakis currently resides in Long Island, New York where he opened his newest restaurant MP Taverna.