Chef Jay Jadeja, West East All Natural Bistro & WIne Bar

Jay Jadeja, 47, is chef co-owner of West East All Natural Bistro & Wine Bar in Hicksville, where he also lives.

What's the most surprising thing a customer has ever asked for in your restaurant?

A guest once assumed that because I was born in India, I would always have some goat curry and naan in the back. I don't.

What would people be surprised to hear you like to eat?

My wife's over-easy eggs on gluten-free buttered toast, and her chicken soup with homemade gluten-free matzo balls, made with almond meal.

If you could, which food would you ban from all restaurant menus?

Saturated fats, genetically modified products, hormone and antibiotic induced meats, pink slime ... a long list.

SEE PHOTOSWest East All Natural Bistro & Bar

Which Long Island restaurant would you take a chef friend to?

Snaps American Bistro in Wantagh. I love what Scott [Bradley] does; he's innovative and his food has a sense of humor about it, a twist.

What's on your kitchen playlist?

Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and The Blues Brothers.

What's the new kale?

Grass-fed beef and truly pasture-raised and free-range happy hen eggs.

What's the last great meal you had?

Mario Batali's Babbo tasting menu.

Electronic devices at the table: Love them, ban them, don't care?

It's anti-social, unless it's an emergency.

How do you dream up a dish?

More often than not, it's an inspiration from dishes I have eaten. I dined at Babbo, saw a nice panna cotta, tried to create a saffron panna cotta with an Asian touch -- but it didn't work out. Of every 10 dishes I create, eight do not see the light of day because they suck.

How do you handle staff romances?

I married Raquel -- whom I first interviewed, rejected, then reluctantly hired while working at Singh Hospitality. Kidding aside, as long as it does not interfere with work, I am more than fine.

What's your worst kitchen nightmare?

I have lived several. Losing control of the timing on the line on a busy night. My sous chef throwing a tantrum on a Saturday night.

What did your mother say about your becoming a chef?

My mother, oh my mother. I can't write in print what she would have to say about my profession.

Who's your culinary hero?

Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, Floyd Cardoz, Scott Bradley and Tom Schaudel. The first three are national celebrities, the last two I have actually had the privilege to have worked with.

What's your go-to pizza place?

Fanatico in Jericho or Nick's in Rockville Centre.

What makes a great customer?

We call them guests. My ideal guest is a gourmand, a wine enthusiast, has a great sense of humor, can laugh at him or herself and have a great deal of patience. He or she eats and drinks with reckless abandon.

What seasonal ingredients get you going?

Root veggies and game meats in the fall, mushrooms and asparagus in the spring; local seafood like clams, steamers, flounder and striped bass.