Although always working in some aspect of the food industry, Zakary Pelaccio didn't initially begin his career as a chef. Pelaccio trained as a manager and purchasing agent for the Myriad Group (Nobu, Montrachet...), wrote scripts for the Food Network and started the software company wiredkitchen.com before he stepped into the kitchen for good. He finally made the transition after traveling throughout Western Europe and Southeast Asia where he worked in kitchens such as The Westin Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Seri Melayu in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Once returned, he enrolled in the French Culinary Institute where he graduated first in his class. With training under Daniel Boulud at Daniel and Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, it's no surprise to see that Pelaccio is now serving as executive chef of both 5 Ninth and the recently opened Malay-inspired Fatty Crab in New York at the young age of 32.