The hiring process was unconventional. The result seems like a fantastic fit.
By
Allecia Vermillion
5/3/2021 at 6:15pm
Chef Aisha Ibrahim moved from Thailand to take over the Canlis kitchen.
After sifting through scores of candidates, Canlis has hired its new executive chef, the first woman but only the seventh person to head up the kitchen in the restaurantâs 70-year history. Chef Aisha Ibrahim reported for her first day of work Friday, after a journey that included an international move, multiple zooms, a faux journalism assignment, and one intentionally embarrassing TikTok-style dance video.
Ibrahim arrives as Canlis debuts its short-term canteen concept, meaning sheâll technically oversee the alfresco yurt menu and the contents of a newly installed smoker as she works with third-generation owners Mark and Brian Canlis to determine what this landmark restaurant will actually look like when it returns (hopefully in July) after 16 months of empty chairs and endless p