# Mika Leon 

**Categories:** Society, Arts

Mika Leon is a Cuban-American chef, restaurateur and television personality based in Miami. She grew up in a Cuban family that, after a period in Valencia, Spain, settled in South Florida and ran a backyard cantina at home.

She started with Mikabites, a wholesale dessert company, then opened a Cuban-taco food truck and later Caja Caliente in Coral Gables. She has competed on Food Network shows including Tournament of Champions, Beat Bobby Flay and Chopped, and has appeared with Gordon Ramsay, Padma Lakshmi and Andrew Zimmern.

In October 2026 she publishes her first cookbook, Cuban Soul: 100 Vibrant Recipes from Mi Cocina, with Union Square & Co.