Before bringing Shukette to life, chef/partner Ayesha Nurdjaja earned a devoted following for her vibrant Eastern Mediterranean fare at Shuka in SoHo, which she opened in 2015 after meeting Vicki Freeman and Marc Meyer. A Brooklyn native of Italian-Indonesian heritage, Ayesha's entrepreneurial spirit first led her to pursue a business degree at Pace University. Shortly after receiving her degree, Ayesha realized food was her true passion and subsequently enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education. She has worked at various NYC restaurants including Lidia Bastianich’s Felidia, Bar Aristinal, Picholine and Missy Robbins’ A Voce as well as Il Bordello and Red Gravy in Brooklyn as executive chef.