About Keena’s Kitchen

Chef Ikeena Hardman
Founder, Keena’s Kitchen

Formally Trained, California Culinary Academy
Raised in Oakland, CA, Chef Ikeena grew up in the Bay Area. She has a passion for the city and it’s rich cultural legacy–Art, Social Activism, and Food Justice.

“We eat, we learn, we live!”

— Chef Ikeena

Discover the Culinary World of Chef Keena: Private Chef Services, Cooking Courses, and Engaging Cooking Demos

Oakland has been home to Chef Ikeena and her family for over six generations. Although she is a first generation native of California, her grandparents were among many African Americans who traveled from the American South to California during The Great Migration (1920-1970).

Growing up with grandparents who maintained organic gardens in their homes, Chef Ikeena continues the tradition of centering fresh, organic produce from local farmers in her cuisine.

Whenever possible, she uses farm fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients in both her classic and modern Soul Food recipes. In addition to her diverse culinary offerings, Chef Keena also specializes in accommodating special dietary needs, allergies and food sensitivities without compromising the delectable and authentic nature of the meals she prepares.

Call or Email Keena’s Kitchen Personal Chef Service to schedule your free consultation today.

“If I was gonna pick one food item to tell the story of the south, I'd have to pick okra. First of all, it's from Africa. So you get this whole sense of the connection between southern American food and west African food…It's also interesting to me, that this food, from southern Africa, from west Africa has gotten to be emblematic of the south for all southern peoples. So it also tells the extent, to which even in our most segregated days, the food in the pot was always integrated.” ― Lolis Eric Elie