Ayesha Nurdjaja

Owner, Shuka/Shukette

A Brooklyn native of Italian - Indonesian heritage, Ayesha Nurdjaja worked her way up the ranks at various New York City restaurants including Lidia Bastianich’s Felidia , Picholine and Missy Robbins’ A Voce before joining The Bowery Group in 2015. Two years later, Ayesha opened Shuka in SoHo with the restaurant group, earning a devoted following for her vibrant Eastern Mediterranean fare. After stepping into the Culinary Director role for the restaurant group, Ayesha opened Shukette in 2021 as Chef/Partner, to rave reviews from the New York Times and the New Yorker, among others. In 2023 Shukette was recognized by the New York Times food critic Pete Wells as one of the top 20 restaurants in New York.