Chef Rhoda Asiyo: Beyond the Kitchen, Into the Soul of a Chef
- Wanjiku Gitonga
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
There is a quiet myth in hospitality, that chefs are defined by their plates. That their stories begin and end with recipes, menus, and perfectly plated dishes.
Chef Rhoda Asiyo is here to disrupt that narrative.
She is not just a chef. She is a thinker, a writer, a creative, and a spiritual devotee walking the line between relentless rigor and ritual rest. She is building a life and body of work that blends culinary excellence, ancestral wisdom, and multidimensional creativity.
At M-Pishi Africa, we spotlight chefs in their most authentic form, not just as professionals, but as humans shaping kitchens, culture, and community. Chef Rhoda embodies that mission in every sense.
This is an introduction to her world. And it is only the beginning.
Who Is Chef Rhoda Asiyo?
Chef Rhoda is an experienced chef and food consultant with a strong background in culinary management, operations, menu development, and hospitality leadership. She trained in Culinary Arts and has worked across some of Kenya’s most reputable kitchens, rising through the ranks with discipline and quiet excellence.
But beyond titles, she describes herself as a chef, creative, and spiritual devotee, someone obsessed with excellence, grounded in ritual, and deeply aware of the inner life of a kitchen.
Her writing invites readers into a space where food meets identity, memory, and meaning.
“This isn’t just a newsletter. This is an offering. A conversation between souls who are tired of choosing either fire or softness. We get to have both.”
A Culinary Journey Through Kenya’s Top Kitchens
From Commis to Sous Chef in Global Hospitality Brands
Chef Rhoda’s journey has been forged through some of the most demanding kitchens in Kenya’s hospitality industry.
She began her professional training in hotels such as DusitD2 and Kempinski Hotels, later working at Nyama Mama and Four Points by Sheraton. Her career progressed into leadership roles at Zucchini Green Grocers and Nairobi Street Kitchen, where she developed menus, led teams, and managed kitchen operations.
Her trajectory continued through prestigious establishments like JW Marriott Nairobi and Hyatt Place & Hyatt House Nairobi Westlands, where she served as a Sous Chef, overseeing culinary management, budgeting, team leadership, and food and beverage operations.
Her academic foundation, a Higher National Diploma in Culinary Arts, opened doors. But she is candid about the realities of culinary education.
“In my first internship, I felt like I only knew 5%. The real learning happens in the kitchen.”
Technique Over Recipes: The Evolution of a Chef’s Voice
Chef Rhoda believes that true mastery in cooking is not about recipes, it is about technique.
In her writing , she reflects on how a chef’s voice evolves over time, shaped by failure, curiosity, mentors, and ancestral legacies.
“Your prime isn’t one dish on one night, it’s a career-long arc of reinvention.”
She challenges the obsession with “signature dishes,” arguing that a chef’s true signature is a style, a philosophy, and an evolving craft that grows across decades.
For her, every kitchen leaves a mark. Every mentor, grandmother, and culinary lineage becomes part of the chef’s language.
Women in Kitchens: Advocacy, Bias, and Mentorship
Chef Rhoda is unapologetically vocal about gender dynamics in hospitality.
She speaks openly about bias in lodges, discrimination, unsafe environments, and the realities many female chefs face, often in silence.
“Working in a lodge is not the same for men and women. Many women quit because the environment is not favorable.”
Her advocacy is rooted in lived experience. She believes mentorship, financial literacy, and mental health education are essential for chefs, especially women navigating male-dominated spaces.
Beyond the Plate: Food as Ritual, Identity, and Legacy
Chef Rhoda’s philosophy stretches far beyond the kitchen pass.
She writes about food as spiritual practice, ancestral memory, and a form of ritual. For her, structure is not confinement, it is a spell book for freedom. Kitchens are sacred spaces. Technique is devotion. Rest is ritual.
Her work speaks to the sensitive, ambitious, multidimensional individuals who refuse to choose between discipline and softness.
The Multidimensional Life of Chef Rhoda: Beyond the Kitchen Pass
Chef Rhoda’s story does not end when service does.
In 2023, Nairobi Street Kitchen described her as their culinary virtuoso, a chef whose life is layered with curiosity and creativity. When she is not leading kitchens, she is tending to her garden, immersed in books, flowing through Pilates, listening to jazz, or shaping clay through pottery.
These practices are not hobbies; they are extensions of her culinary philosophy. Gardening teaches patience. Jazz teaches listening. Pottery teaches touch. Pilates teaches breath. Kitchens teach everything else.
This multidimensionality is what defines her. She is not only a chef, she is a thinker, an artist, and a cultural custodian in motion.
The Untold Truth About Being a Chef in Kenya
Chef Rhoda does not romanticize the culinary industry.
She speaks about financial illiteracy among young chefs, burnout, the illusion of luxury in lodges, and the lack of mentorship structures.
“Chefs lose years they could have used to build something for themselves.”
She believes aspiring chefs deserve the truth before they step into culinary school, before they romanticize the profession, and before they sacrifice years without strategy.
Her honesty is mentorship in itself.
Why Chef Rhoda’s Story Matters to M-Pishi Africa
M-Pishi Africa exists to spotlight chefs beyond the plate, chefs with voice, philosophy, and humanity.
Chef Rhoda represents the future of African culinary storytelling: reflective, multidimensional, disciplined, spiritual, and deeply human.
She is not just shaping menus. She is shaping narratives.
What’s Next for Chef Rhoda on M-Pishi Africa?
This is not the last time you will hear from Chef Rhoda on M-Pishi Africa.
There is more to her journey, more stories from the kitchen, more reflections on craft and culture, and more conversations about what it truly means to be a chef in Africa today.
We will be returning to her table. And next time, you will not just meet the chef. You will meet the strategist, the ritualist, the mentor, the storyteller, and the future she is quietly, relentlessly building.
Stay tuned.
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