Seattle Reign FC Legend: Aisha Ibrahim – Executive Chef at Canlis

The Legends Campaign, a partnership between Seattle Reign FC and Starbucks, honors women for their extraordinary contributions to our community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Prior to Seattle Reign FC’s match on May 19 against the Orlando Pride, the club recognized Executive Head Chef at Canlis, Aisha Ibrahim. 

Ibrahim wasn’t always a cook but stumbled into cooking when she was sidelined from her Division I basketball career with a knee injury. She quickly found her passion as a chef, invigorated by the art of cooking. Rather than continue on the route she was on pre-injury, she opted to attend culinary school and entered the world of fine dining service, which she found held many similarities to a basketball game. 

Her resume includes a role as sous chef at California’s three-Michelin-star restaurant Manresa, as well as experience internationally, cooking for chef Eneko Atxa at Azurmendi in Spain and sister restaurant Aziamendi in Thailand before accepting her role as executive chef at Canlis. 

Ibrahim is the seventh chef in the 70-year history of Canlis, and the restaurant’s first female executive chef. At Canlis, she is driven by a people-first mentality, working to combat toxic culture in the restaurant workplace, and welcomes everyone to feel comfortable in a fine dining setting.  

In addition to being honored as a Legend at Reign FC’s match on May 19, she also played an instrumental role in the celebration of Megan Rapinoe’s jersey retirement, as Canlis hosted an intimate celebration dinner for Rapinoe’s closest friends and family.