Chef Aisha Ibrahim

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Chef Aisha Ibrahim is a trailblazing Filipino-American chef known for being the first female executive chef at Seattle’s iconic fine-dining restaurant, Canlis.

Born in Iligan City, Philippines, and raised in West Virginia, Ibrahim’s culinary journey began after a knee injury ended her college basketball career.

She trained at the California Culinary Academy and worked in acclaimed kitchens including Commis and Manresa in California, and internationally at Azurmendi in Spain, Aziamendi in Thailand, and prestigious restaurants in Japan and Singapore.

Ibrahim joined Canlis in 2021, where she reimagined its tasting menu by blending her Filipino heritage with global influences, emphasizing sustainability and seasonality. Her innovative dishes—such as a Japanese-inflected tortang talong and aged sea bream in dashi—earned her accolades like Food & Wine’s Best New Chef (2023) and a spot on TIME’s 2024 TIME100 NEXT list.

Known for her inclusive leadership and progressive practices like a four-day workweek, Ibrahim left Canlis in early 2025 after a transformative tenure.