Meet the Cast of 'Top Chef' Season 5 Leah Cohen is one of the contestants of the fifth season of the Bravo reality show Top Chef. Born in Scarsdale, New York, the 27-year-old has a diverse heritage, with Filipino, Russian and Romanian roots. After studying at the Culinary Institute of America, she worked for a Michelin-starred restaurant in Italy for over a year, where she developed further her interest in Italian, Thai and Filipino cuisine. She currently works as a sous chef at New York’s Centro Vinoteca.