THE CHEF

Chef Miya McKenzie was born and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Chef McKenzie has always had a love for the culinary arts, a gift she inherited from her grandparents who owned an Asian Bistro and her mother who worked as a Caterer throughout her childhood. 
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Chef McKenzie opened her first business when she was 15, a Holistic Dog Treat Bakery. Throughout high school, she would show interest in baking. At 17 she took the GED exam after completing high school in 3 years. She packed her air fryer and went off to an HBCU in Huntsville, Alabama. This is where her love for cooking, specifically Southern Cooking, really blossomed. Despite not having a kitchen, she would make meals in her dorm room and sell plates to classmates. This is also where she started to experiment with vegan/vegetarian options, as well as infusions.  Chef McKenzie initially went to college for business, she quickly decided that she had to pursue what she was naturally gifted at.​

After moving back to the DMV area, she started a food blog called "Cooking With McKenzie". After some time this blog formed a small catering company named "McKenzie's Kitchen". A little less than 3 years after the initial start of "Cooking With McKenzie", Chef McKenzie has now opened a private dining concept, Ikigai Dining. Chef McKenzie contributes her biracial background for giving her the inspiration for many of the dishes highlighted at Ikigai Dining.