Chef Aisha Ibrahim
Filipina Chef, Cultural Preservationist

Filipina chef Aisha Ibrahim blends Mindanao traditions, Kaiseki technique & sustainability. TIME 100 NEXT, Food & Wine Best New Chef, James Beard semifinalist.

Aisha Ibrahim is a trailblazing Filipina chef, cultural preservationist, and innovator whose cooking is rooted in the foodways of Mindanao, refined through Kaiseki technique, and guided by a deep commitment to sustainability and ancestral knowledge.

Born on the southernmost island of the Philippines and immigrating to the U.S. at age six, she stayed closely connected to her heritage through her parents’ and grandparents’ cooking—a foundation that now powers her mission to honor forgotten tribes and tell stories through fine dining.

Across her career, Aisha has cooked in some of the world’s most exacting kitchens, including Manresa, Azurmendi, Kagurazaka Ishikawa, 'effervescence, and Nihonryori Ryugin—experiences that cemented her technical rigor and global ingredient fluency. In April 2021, she became Executive Chef at Canlis—one of America’s most storied restaurants—marking a historic moment as the restaurant’s first female executive chef, and she departed in 2025 after reshaping its culinary vision.

Her leadership and perspective have been broadly recognized.

Aisha was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef (2023), featured in TIME Magazine’s 100 NEXT (2024), highlighted by Robb Report as one of Ten Rising Power Players in American Fine Dining (2024), and honored as a James Beard Award Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific Semifinalist (2025). TIME noted that her “technical brilliance” and her drive to challenge kitchen culture are what set her apart—a recognition of both her craft and her values.

As both chef and cultural preservationist, Aisha Ibrahim uses cuisine as a living archive — elevating ingredients, techniques and historical legacy from Mindanao and the broader Filipino cuisine. Her menus often trace migration, identity, and resilience, integrating biodiversity, regenerative sourcing, and deep seasonality.

Influenced by Kaiseki’s discipline and narrative flow, she builds tasting menus that move like poetry—quietly political, meticulously precise, emotionally resonant.

https://www.chefaisha.com/

  • Aisha Ibrahim is a Filipina chef, and cultural preservationist known for blending Mindanao traditions, Kaiseki technique, and sustainability in fine dining. She was the first female executive chef at Canlis (2021–2025) and a Food & Wine Best New Chef (2023).

  • She has worked in world-class kitchens including Manresa, Azurmendi, Kagurazaka Ishikawa, 'effervescence, and Nihonryori Ryugin.

  • Ibrahim treats food as a vehicle for storytelling and cultural preservation, honoring Filipino tribes, biodiversity, and regenerative practices while applying the precision of Kaiseki.

  • Her 2025 schedule includes collaborations and talks at République, Commis, Nisei, MAD Symposium, SPORA Forum, and more, plus an appearance at the World’s 50 Best Awards.