Ilan has been cooking professionally for only three years, but he says three years of experience in New York is like 20 years anywhere else. He is incredibly talkative and gets yelled at by his current chef because he never shuts up in the kitchen. His expertise is Spanish cuisine and he feels that this will give him a competitive edge because it's one of the more difficult fares to master.

Ilan is also an expert debater, and if he feels that he is right about something, he will prove his point until the opposition backs down. His obstinate nature and lack of accord will be sure to get him in trouble with the other chefs in the kitchen. As one of the youngest contestants, Ilan has a youthful spirit and enjoys having fun. One of the things he enjoys the most is imitating people around him.