Chef Danny Elmaleh, the culinary mastermind behind many of sbe’s most renowned restaurants, is best known for his award-winning concept, Cleo. He draws from diverse cultures to create richly textured shareable plates, which encourage a warm, social dining experience.

Elmaleh’s interest in cross-cultural cuisine was first inspired by his experience growing up with a Moroccan father and Japanese mother. He trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York and began his career at Jean Moulin in Japan. He went on to work in the kitchens of Ristorante Giannino in Milan and Melisse and Lemon Moon in Los Angeles. In 2006, Elmaleh opened his own restaurant, Celadon, and was dubbed a Rising Star Chef by StarChefs.com the following year. At Celadon, he met Katsuya Uechi and their relationship led him to his current role at sbe.