Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja opened Shukette, a modern Middle Eastern restaurant in the heart of Chelsea, New York City, in July 2021. It serves as a spin-off to her Shuka restaurant in SoHo. Named after an Israeli marketplace, the contemporary space is designed to evoke the bustling energy of a Middle Eastern bazaar and encourages a loud and boisterous vibe to match its big food. The elevated menu is enticing and inspired by the rich flavors of the Levant, drawing from the culinary traditions of Israel, Syria, and Lebanon.

The heart of Shukette

The bright 80-seat restaurant is an inviting and stylish space centered around a large open kitchen. A 23-seat concrete counter overlooking the kitchen allows the chefs to interact with the diners, explain the dishes, and gauge their reaction, an all-important part of the role, according to Nurdjaja. Attentive service is delivered by a warm and enthusiastic team, enhancing the overall dining experience. The restaurant's unique approach to traditional Middle Eastern cuisine and a menu designed for group sharing have quickly made it a favorite among locals and visitors.

The menu centers on bold flavors and fresh ingredients, capturing the essence of Middle Eastern cuisine with smoke, herbs, and spices. The most significant section of Shukette’s menu is an extensive list of salads and small plates, known as shuk. These might include anything from crispy squid, grilled romanesco with Fresno chili sauce, or bite-sized tuna meatballs.

A charcoal grill is used to infuse meats like chicken, lamb, and whole fish with savory, smoky tones, while a selection of all important dips offers contemporary twists on classics, delivering on heat, spice, and texture. The accompanying homemade North African and Middle Eastern breads and flatbreads are also a highlight, well deserving of their own menu section.

A Brooklyn native of Italian-Indonesian heritage, Nurdjaja's culinary identity was profoundly shaped by her father’s cooking growing up. After graduating in business, her love of food was re-awakened, and she enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education to formalize her food education. She then cut her teeth at various restaurants, including Felidia, under the tutelage of chef Lidia Bastianich, Bar Artisanal, Picholine, and the Michelin-starred A Voce under acclaimed chef Missy Robbins.

In 2017, Nurdjaja created Shuka, an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, together with restaurateurs Vicki Freeman and Marc Meyer. The later opening of Shukette allowed her to express her voice fully.

Nurdjaja's culinary talents have been recognized both nationally and internationally. She was a James Beard Foundation Best Chef: New York State semifinalist in 2023. She was also selected as one of the esteemed chef judges heading up the Local Jury for the US Regional Final of S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25.

Shukette has featured in prominent food and lifestyle publications, including a review in The New York Times, which commended its lively atmosphere and diverse menu.

The Chef

Nurdjaja graduated from culinary school in 2006. Inspired by watching chef Lidia Bastianich on television, she went to the latter’s restaurant, Felidia, and asked for a job. They hired her as a line cook, and eventually, she worked her way up to the position of Sous Chef. After that, Nurdjaja helped lead the kitchen teams at Bar Artisanal, the Michelin-starred Picholine with chef Terrance Brennan, and the Michelin-starred A Voce with chef Missy Robbins. These experiences honed her skills and deepened her passion for creating exceptional dishes.

She also worked as Executive Chef at Il Bordello, where she further refined her expertise in Italian cuisine. Most recently, she led the kitchen at Red Gravy in Brooklyn, serving modern Mediterranean Italian cuisine. Her innovative approach and dedication to quality earned her recognition and respect in the culinary community.

In 2015, Nurdjaja met Vicki Freeman and Marc Meyer, who needed a new chef for their restaurant Hundred Acres. She admired their commitment to creating a welcoming place with honest cooking, leading to a fruitful collaboration. Together, they opened Shuka in 2017. At Shuka, Ayesha showcases her culinary talents, blending Mediterranean flavors with seasonal ingredients, and creating a vibrant and inviting dining experience.

Restaurant(s)

Shuka, located in New York City's Greenwich Village, offers Mediterranean cuisine with strong North African influences. The freshness of southern Italian dishes meets the rich and aromatic herbs and spices of Morocco and Tunisian traditions in dishes like savory lamb tagine, delectable mezze platters, and expertly prepared seafood. There is an extensive wine list and cocktails for those who enjoy them. Shuka is about celebrating seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and putting local producers front and center.

A spin-off of Shuka, Shukette features an open kitchen that brings energy to the dining room. The chargrill is at the center of everything they do in the restaurant and Shukette's menu celebrates the diverse flavors of the Mediterranean, with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and bold spices and herbs. Dishes like the smoky eggplant, crispy falafel, and housemade pita bread are crowd favorites. Shukette is a more casual, energetic experience of chef Nurdjaja's cuisine bringing all the vibrancy of a Moroccan medina to New York City.

Recipes and dishes

Nurdjaja's cuisine is a vibrant and joyful expression of the Mediterranean and North African culinary traditions, with a modern treatment. Nurdjaja brings the best of these traditions to New York in a way that is as multivariate as the histories and cultures her cooking represents. At the heart of her cooking is the tradition of hospitality, with menus designed to involve diners in a way that encourages warm communication and conviviality.

Nurdjaja serves everything with a modern twist to make it appealing for all. Traditional staples like beet moutabel, labneh, hummus, medjoul dates, fried halloumi, and turmeric pickles, are served in a spread of small plates to encourage sharing and the community spirit of eating in North Africa. Kebabs and falafel, of course, make up a large part of the culinary experience.

Her dishes include whipped feta with pistachio, kefti and egg tagine with spiced lamb meatballs, tomato, and poached egg, and fattoush salad with halloumi and toasted pita chips, all of which showcase her love for updating classic recipes with bold ingredients.

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