I'm Mariko, former 'Pink Hair Chef' from Los Angeles. My recipes were everywhere from PerezHilton.com to Forbes, and my celebrity clientele included Jared Leto, Kristen Dunst, Diddy and David Lynch to name a few. My culinary experiences were sought after from corporate clients such as Airbnb, HBO and Beats by Dre.
In a moment of insanity, I decided it was time for something completely new! I updated my resume and LinkedIn to reflect everything except my culinary life: a Phd in corporate finance in progress, MBA in marketing and experience in advertising / media / PR.
A week later I relocated to Vietnam and began working with tech startups throughout China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand, specializing on the marketing front of fintech and travel tech. I had a blast in Asia then met a handsome speaker from a travel conference and relocated to India!
With my move from Hollywood to Bollywood, I began connecting the two worlds: brands from the US looking to enter South Asia - and vice versa. I 'accidentally' began teaching Ayurvedic culinary courses; entering the food world again with recipes in Elle, Economic Times, Femina, Men's Health and Times of India. I was still covering the international business world on BBC, Business News Daily and Business Insider.
Ready for the next adventure, I spent 2022 working corporate (one of those global unicorns with tons of funding, amazing parties and subsequent mass layoffs) while traveling the world and working remotely . It was exhausting. However, in the end it brought me to my new, official home country, Czech Republic.
Life in Prague is incredible; everything about food and wellness and culture and nature and entertainment and freedom and tech and startups you could dream of.
Currently I'm loving every moment from both my worlds: hosting VIP culinary experiences from my kitchen overlooking the Vltava river and consulting with global brands on corporate team building and global strategy.
Meet Mariko
Behind the Scenes on Instagram
Fun facts about Mariko
Favorite Food
“Anything my Grandma cooks. She’s your typical 94 year old Italian grandma and everything she makes tastes better. The Italian recipes I’ve learned from her are the ones you would never have in a restaurant and they are always the best.”
Hobbies
“When I’m not cooking or traveling, I love being active. Tennis is my favorite thing in the world. I also love rollerblading, it’s the California girl in me. You’ll also find me dancing to Bollywood beats, doing pilates or yoga. I could also take 5 baths a day”
Favorite Ingredient
“The one ingredient I put in everything is chili. If it’s Italian food, then red pepper flakes. If it’s SE Asian food, then sriracha or sambal. If it’s Mexican, then my private stash of Tapatio hot sauce I brought from the US. And if it’s Indian, then chopped green chili.