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Rougui Dia

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Rougui Dia
Born1976 (age 47–48)
France
EducationÉcole Hôtelière Villepinte
Occupation(s)Chef, bakery owner, author

Rougui Dia (born 1976) is a French chef, who is internationally renowned. She is the first Black woman to be the executive chef at a Michelin-star restaurant. She is known as the “New Black Pearl of Paris,” comparing her to Josephine Baker, and the “African Queen of Parisian Cuisine".[1]

Biography

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Dia was born in France to Muslim Senegalese immigrants. She and six siblings grew up in Neuilly-Plaisance. She began cooking African-inspired dishes for her family at around thirteen years old.[1]

Dia enrolled in vocational and catering classes at the École Hôtelière Villepinte. She graduated with her certificat d'aptitude professionnelle in 1996.[2] She continued studying there until 1999, when she received her practitioner's certification.[1] She was unemployed for about two years due to racism in the industry, finally getting a job at Chez Jean, where she met Sébastien Faré.[2]

A mentor recommended that Dia at the restaurant Le Louvre Chef under Faré, where she rose from clerk to sous-chef. In 2000, she began working at Le Petrossian 144 under Chef Phillipe Conticini, where she began as vegetable cook and again rose to sous-chef. In 2005, she was promoted to head-chef, to "media frenzy."[2] In this position, she was the first Black woman to lead a Michelin-starred restaurant.[3][4][5] While there, she incorporated Senegalese, Indian, and Caribbean cuisine into the menu.[1]

In 2006, Dia published an autobiography, Le Chef est une Femme (The Chef is a Woman).[1]

In 2013, Dia moved to Le Vraymonde at the Buddha-Bar Hotel Paris, a restaurant known for its Asian dishes, as their executive chef.[1] Three years later, she opened a pastry shop, Un Amour de Baba, specializing in rum babas. In 2019, Rougui moved to Denver, where her sister lives, where they opened bakery and high-end bistro Le French, where she is the executive chef.[6][7]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Fikes, Robert (2016-07-19). "Rougui Dia (1976– )". BlackPast.org. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  2. ^ a b c "Rougui Dia - Sa bio et toute son actualité - Elle". elle.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  3. ^ Antonation, Mark. "Two French-Senegalese Sisters Are Opening a Restaurant — and It's a Big Deal". Westword. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  4. ^ Rédaction, La (2022-12-20). "Rougui Dia, l'essence de la cuisine". Forbes Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  5. ^ Stapleton, Susan (2019-03-18). "Sisters Plan a French Bistro and Bakery in Belleview Station". Eater Denver. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  6. ^ Biddulph, Camila (2019-03-15). "Executive Chef From Michelin Star Restaurant Set To Open French Bistro In Denver". 303 Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  7. ^ a b "Dia Sisters Deliver on Lifelong Dream with Denver's Le French Bakery & Cafe - Cuisine Noir Magazine". 2020-03-18. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  8. ^ "The 2024 James Beard Awards Semifinalists | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  9. ^ "Rougui Dia". Le French | French Restaurant in Denver, CO. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
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