Kenyan and Nigerian heritage, reimagined through local California produce
Operating under the philosophy that "African food is everyday food," Kuku delivers flavor-forward, casual, large-format catering rooted in Chef Kiano Moju's heritage.
Meet Chef Kiano Moju
"Quote from Kiano about Kuku here. Something like, Los Angeles has never seen chicken like this until now!"
Kiano Moju is the Executive Chef and Founder of Jikoni and Kuku by Jikoni, cookbook author of the New York Times, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine Best Cookbook of 2024, AfriCali: Recipes From My Jikoni, and a food writer whose work has appeared in New York Times Cooking, Vogue, Food Network, Serious Eats, and BuzzFeed.
Shaped by her Kenyan and Nigerian heritage and California upbringing, AfriCali is a style of cooking that bridges the foods she grew up loving with the flavors that connect her to home. Through Jikoni and Kuku by Jikoni, Kiano curates culinary experiences and educational media inspired by this unique culinary identity.
About Kuku by Jikoni
Named after the Swahili word for chicken, Kuku was born from Jikoni's pop-up series, where our poussin quickly became one of the dishes guests returned for again and again. Marinated overnight, slow-roasted, crisped to order, and finished with our Kenyan chili lemon butter sauce, it remains at the heart of everything we do.
Alongside it, you'll find Nigerian jollof rice, small chops inspired by the street food culture of Nairobi and Lagos, house-made sauces and spice blends, and a few other Jikoni favorites.
At Kuku, we're obsessed with flavor. We make our sauces and spice blends from scratch, cook with real ingredients, and reject the idea that choosing real food means sacrificing flavor.