Today we’d like to introduce you to Chanika Symister.
Hi Chanika, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am originally from the beautiful twin island state of Antigua and Barbuda located in the Caribbean. My love for cooking and food in general, stemmed from always wanting to be in the kitchen with my parents as a child. I grew up watching the Food Network religiously. Shows like Chopped and Iron Chef America piqued my interest in the different techniques, ingredients, and the potential to fuse foods from different cultural backgrounds. I have always experimented with dishes and posted my personal content online. With the support and encouragement of my friends and family, I decided to take it to another level and make a social media page. I channeled my 7 years of experience posting food and cocktails to launch neek×kitchen in June 2022.
Since moving to Houston in 2019 to complete my clinical rotations, I fell in love with the rich culture and diversity that Houston has to offer. While the pandemic was an unprecedented time for us all, I used the time at home to express my love and creativity through food. I was able to build even more confidence in the kitchen and provide my viewers with insight into what I made and how to make it. My page not only showcases meals that I whip up in the kitchen sometimes alongside my friends and family, but I also love to highlight the abundance of unique bars, restaurants and lounges found in Houston. I’m always on the hunt for finding the best happy hour spots around town! Who doesn’t want to enjoy themselves while saving a little coin?!
Houston has something for every palate, and I am super honored to be a part of the foodie community here!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Houston is a cornucopia of content creators, bloggers and social media influencers. It does become difficult when you want to stand out or be recognised by businesses for the work that you do. Social media platforms also do not lend politely to up and coming accounts. The infamous “IG algorithm” has made posting a bit challenging to push your content out that sometimes takes days to produce. Nonetheless, I am passionate and honest about the information I share with my viewers. I want people to use my page as a guide for not only fun things they can do with their family and friends at home, but also when they experience all of Htown!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am most proud of recently graduating with my Medical Degree. With 16 years of partnerships, internships, and working on diverse teams in the medical and STEM research fields, I am passionate about family medicine with a interest in HIV/AIDS, women’s health, and pediatrics. As an avenue for relaxation, I have always been extremely enthusiastic about food and cocktails. Whether it’s a meal I’ve had since childhood or something exquisite and unpopular, I am always willing to try new cuisines and learn about people through their foods. It’s always a good conversation starter and an opportunity for me to expand my knowledge base. I use my social media platform as my own personal diary where I hope to be relatable to other people who are interested in learning about these cuisines too!
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Being in the medical field, I saw firsthand how the pandemic affected our society and the world. The uncertainty of knowing if we would see our loved ones again was an emotional rollercoaster. The one thing that brought quite a few of us together was the opportunity to build stronger bonds with one another by having to quarantine under one roof for extended periods of time. Quite a few of us took it back to when we would sit and fellowship with one another at the dinner table. This just showed the power of food and how it ended up being the highlight of our day. I am grateful for life and the opportunity to be here to share my experiences with you all.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neekxkitchen/
