Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef Shani.
Chef Shani, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m the owner of Shani’s Kitchen. I started my cooking journey about two years ago after I suffered from a neck & back injury. I had just started working for a company where I was injured and because of the injury they ended up firing me. I was in a lot of pain, back & forth to the emergency room, & now without a job.
I had to file for disability so I can still have income and pay my bills. I was also put on bed rest for an entire year. I was rarely allowed to go outside unless it was for a doctor’s appointment. Being that I sued the company, I was being followed to make sure I was telling the truth about my injury. I couldn’t be caught picking up anything heavy or it would hurt my case. All of that combined put me in a really depressive state of mind. I had a neck brace on, I was constantly in pain, I wasn’t able to go outside, I had very little income & I had a very small support system.
Fast forward 10/11 months in, my disability was running out. I was running low on money, I needed to get my haircut for my deposition that was coming up so I could look presentable. I didn’t have enough money to pay for a haircut so I offered my barber at the time to cut my hair & I would make some meal preps for him. The feedback I received from him & the people in the shop saying my food smelled good gave me a great deal of confidence! So I did the same act with my marijuana shop. Weed was the only thing that made my pain go away & being that I didn’t have enough money, I offered to make food in exchange for the weed. That same week I started selling plates out my house. I went from having $0 to my name to about $300 in my first week.
Fast forward to now, I have accomplished so much! I still have a long way to go but I’ve also come so far. I have cooked for a numerous amount of known celebrities, colleges, & the presidential debate. I cater birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, etc. I also offer a private chef experience & house calls. I travel, of course for an extra fee, but you get the point. Chef Shani is on the rise & she’s not stopping!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The obstacles that I had to overcome is making a name for myself building a name and a brand that represents me. The challenges that I had was facing an industry and a young and upcoming chef that has to earn her stripes which I feel I still have to learn about. I’ve definitely learned a lot and earned a couple of stripes in the chef field within two years with hard work and dedication.
Shani’s Kitchen – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m the Executive chef of Shani’s Kitchen, I specialize in all cuisine. I’m proud of reaching the goals that I set for myself. Cooking for thousands of people based of me being self-taught. I’ve cooked numerous celebrities, democratic debates, & countless party’s that’s I’ve cooked for within two years. My creativity space for food is art anything you put in front of me. I can take over anyone’s taste buds & I can bet that you’ll call me back.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was cooking for the democratic debate, I’m the youngest & only chef to do a debate from Inglewood CA.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Chefshaniskitchen
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
