Zélikha Dinga
We are so excited to welcome Zélikha Dinga to Hai Society. Zélikha is a chef, a food artist, and the founder of Caro Diaro where she plots her magical culinary creations. In her journal she tells us about the women who inspire her, her childhood cooking habits, and her favourite restaurant.
Did you have a creative childhood?
I wouldn’t say that it was creative in terms of arts and crafts… Neither of my parents were very hands-on, but I had a very stimulating childhood.
I used to go to the Conservatoire four times a week for piano, dance, and music theory lessons, so I’ve always had this sense of being constantly
busy. My mother had a bookshop where I would spend hours lost in books: reading novels and comics, looking at images and drooling over recipe books.
It was a dream. Finally, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, I was a very motivated little cook. I was always ready to set the kitchen on fire while trying to make an overly complicated cake all by myself.
When did you realise you wanted to be a food designer/artist?
I was working as a chef and the visual aspect of what I wanted to create was always at the forefront for me. It all happened quite naturally; some friends started commissioning me for small events and within a few months I found myself working exclusively on creative projects for brands.
Tell us about your creative process.
It’s very messy, but also always kind of the same. When I’m first commissioned things usually remain blurry for a while until a clear direction emerges. Sometimes that moment comes pretty last
minute, but when it clicks it really clicks. I work with a team of chefs and culinary designers at Caro Diario. First, we gather ideas and brainstorm together, and then I step in to make decisions: what’s working, what isn’t, are we heading in the right direction, does it have meaning, can we push it further?
Who do you look to in terms of style?
Solange Knowles. Icon. Period.
But I’m also incredibly lucky to have very stylish friends and I look up to them all the time.
What’s the best part of working on a project?
I’m lucky to have a wide range of clients from Loewe to Glossier to Bottega, and I also work with designer friends. Every day is exciting and new. The best part is the moment when everything starts coming together. When, as a team, we see something we are proud of taking shape, and we know it’s going to work. It's exhilarating!
What’s the worst part of working on a project?
When it’s not working. These days I try to be very careful about not taking on projects that seem overly complicated from the start. Honestly, I’m always up for a challenge – you have to be when you run your own company, but when the ratio between the client’s expectations, the budget, the team’s capabilities, and the timeline isn’t aligned, then I know it’s going to be hell. You have to learn to say no.
For you, what is the best restaurant in the world?
My friends opened a restaurant called Dandelion in Paris last spring. It’s my absolute favourite place at the moment. The food is so good, the service is very nice, and the restaurant is beautiful – it is set on the most charming place in the 20th Arrondissement.
Did you have a creative childhood?
I wouldn’t say that it was creative in terms of arts and crafts… Neither of my parents were very hands-on, but I had a very stimulating childhood.
I used to go to the Conservatoire four times a week for piano, dance, and music theory lessons, so I’ve always had this sense of being constantly
busy. My mother had a bookshop where I would spend hours lost in books: reading novels and comics, looking at images and drooling over recipe books.
It was a dream. Finally, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, I was a very motivated little cook. I was always ready to set the kitchen on fire while trying to make an overly complicated cake all by myself.
When did you realise you wanted to be a food designer/artist?
I was working as a chef and the visual aspect of what I wanted to create was always at the forefront for me. It all happened quite naturally; some friends started commissioning me for small events and within a few months I found myself working exclusively on creative projects for brands.
Tell us about your creative process.
It’s very messy, but also always kind of the same. When I’m first commissioned things usually remain blurry for a while until a clear direction emerges. Sometimes that moment comes pretty last
minute, but when it clicks it really clicks. I work with a team of chefs and culinary designers at Caro Diario. First, we gather ideas and brainstorm together, and then I step in to make decisions: what’s working, what isn’t, are we heading in the right direction, does it have meaning, can we push it further?
Who do you look to in terms of style?
Solange Knowles. Icon. Period.
But I’m also incredibly lucky to have very stylish friends and I look up to them all the time.
What’s the best part of working on a project?
I’m lucky to have a wide range of clients from Loewe to Glossier to Bottega, and I also work with designer friends. Every day is exciting and new. The best part is the moment when everything starts coming together. When, as a team, we see something we are proud of taking shape, and we know it’s going to work. It's exhilarating!
What’s the worst part of working on a project?
When it’s not working. These days I try to be very careful about not taking on projects that seem overly complicated from the start. Honestly, I’m always up for a challenge – you have to be when you run your own company, but when the ratio between the client’s expectations, the budget, the team’s capabilities, and the timeline isn’t aligned, then I know it’s going to be hell. You have to learn to say no.
For you, what is the best restaurant in the world?
My friends opened a restaurant called Dandelion in Paris last spring. It’s my absolute favourite place at the moment. The food is so good, the service is very nice, and the restaurant is beautiful – it is set on the most charming place in the 20th Arrondissement.