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From Istanbul to Hong Kong, Paris to Dubai, London to Bangkok, Chef Michael Lewis has spent decades gathering experience, lessons, and knowledge from the world's most exciting culinary centers. But it all started at home, in the good old United States.After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Lewis immediately began intense, on-the-ground training with David Bouley at Bouley and Bouley Bakery and Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin, where he built on the classical cooking techniques he'd developed in school. He was only 25 when he was elevated to Chef de Cuisine at Jean-Georges, one of just a few American restaurants boasting three Michelin stars at that time. "I learned the business side of running a restaurant from Jean-Georges," Lewis says, by helping the chef open several restaurants, including locations in Paris and the Bahamas.But Lewis has learned just as much from his international travels as he has from his technical education and brilliant mentors. "I have spent over 10 years trying to travel as much as possible — seeing, tasting and experiencing everything from the cheapest street food in Asia to the prix fixe menus of molecular geniuses in Europe,” explains Lewis. “I thrive off of these types of food and life experiences, and the unforgettable stories that come out of them.” As co-founder and executive chef at KYU in Miami, Lewis has given free rein not only to his creativity, but also all that he's gleaned from his years of globetrotting. Strong flavors like garlic and chile play nicely with refined French cooking techniques, while wood-fired Asian dishes get a surprising touch of elegance from delicate micro greens. His inventive, incredibly delicious dishes for Panna, from deep-fried kale leaves to red snapper basted with an indulgent miso brown butter, are unlike anything you've ever tried before—and have to be tasted to be believed.Michael's Restaurant:KYU (Miami, FL)

When Wolfgang Ban, who grew up pressing grapes on his family’s vineyard in Austria, moved to New York to cook in its sweltering kitchens, the city got a taste of some of the most authentic, uber-traditional Austrian cuisine this side of the Danube.Ban experienced his first rush from the hospitality industry in his early teens, tasked with organizing food and drinks for a music festival: “The satisfaction of when you see 5,000 people having a good time, that was ever such a joy for me. I think that's where I decided that maybe I should start working in a hotel.” After apprenticing at a hotel and rotating through all departments, Ban finally stopped at the kitchen, where the executive chef noticed his talent. Culinary school in Vienna followed shortly after. Ban was selected to represent his school in a competition of European cooking academies, where he went on to win six out of ten challenges. The only problem? Back in the '90s in Austria, "being a chef was nothing you would be very proud of, and people looked down on it," he recalls. "I think this was the main reason I was holding back.” So when the principal of his school offered him two jobs—one in London, the other in NYC—he headed straight to the Empire State. There, he served as the executive chef for the Austrian Ambassador to the United Nations and co-executive chef and operator of German House, the in-house restaurant of the German Mission to the United Nations.After all that, you might wonder whether Ban has had his fill of cooking the country’s landmark dishes: crispy wiener schnitzel, chewy-cheesy spätzle, and hearty, paprika-loaded goulash. But preserving Austria’s delicious cuisine runs deep in his veins. We know you'll enjoy the true flavors of Austria through the rich, immensely satisfying dishes he's contributed to Panna.Wolfgang's Restaurant: The Third Man (New York, NY)