After cooking for family and friends for a few years, I knew food was my passion, purpose and pursuit. So I wanted to make it a career. I decided in 2016 to leave my full-time job and start what we all have come to know and love: Elegant Cuizines Restaurant, then Elegant Cuizines Catering.

I wanted to create a food concept I had not seen, especially in the fine dining space. Something that was clean, but still so good for you. Something that will excite your taste buds and get them questioning what was happening. I also wanted to make sure the dishes were heavily influenced by my Liberian roots.

As a first-generation immigrant, restaurant owner, and business owner, I knew that this vision was bigger than me so I had a responsibility to see it through. Our restaurant is a dairy-free restaurant so no dairy is ever used in the facility. As someone who doesn’t eat meat myself, I hated going out and fining my only options was a salad. I wanted to make sure that my vegan and gluten free community could have a fine dining experience to be proud of and look forward to. Every recipe is created with my clients in mind, and my focus is to take Richmond on a quick trip to Liberian with just a single bite.

I wanted a space that was intimate but told a story of who we are. The restaurant is run by my husband and I, and we both come from close-knit families so we wanted each of our community members who walked into Elegant Cuizines to have that same comforting experience. We don’t take reservation because we believe that each guest is a VIP member of our community. Our very uniquely sized menu is created with quality and not quantity. Everything in Elegant Cuizines is made from scratch,from our sugar-free signature drinks, to our gluten-free mac and cheese bites. We want you to experience freshness.

I love that I am using my God-given talents to create from my spirit. At Elegant Cuizines Restaurant, we remember your face, and if you share your name with us, we remember it. We remember your favorite order or how you might enjoy one of our signature drinks with no ice. Our plated dishes are beautiful with lots of natural vibrant colors, like a carrot puree or our beet puree.

At Elegant Cuizines we believe in family and community so it is important to us to take Sunday as a day of rest. You can see one of our friendly smiles every other day of the week, Monday through Saturday.

Thanks for choosing Elegant Cuizines Restaurant, we look forward to taking you on a quick trip to Liberia, right here downtown Richmond!