Kiki Aranita

Title: Contributing Writer

Location: New York, New York

Education: M.A. in Classical Languages (Greek and Latin), Bryn Mawr College
- M.A. in Comparative Literature, CUNY Graduate Center
- B.A. in Comparative Literature, New York University

Expertise: Hawaiian food, pantry, recipe development, fast casual restaurants, consumer packaged goods (CPG), Asian and Pacific Islander cultures and issues
- Nominated for James Beard Media Award in 2022
- Former chef/owner of Poi Dog

Experience

Kiki Aranita was the co-chef and owner of Poi Dog, a restaurant and catering company that served Hawaii's local food, for seven years. She closed its Center City Philadelphia location in July 2020, but has kept the brand alive in the form of large-scale pop-ups and a line of retail sauces that is available nationwide.

For years, her goals involved celebrating the underrepresented cuisines of multicultural origins and collaborating with other chefs. She has continued to cook through chef residencies at Jose Garces' Volvér, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Bok Bar and more.

Kiki is a columnist for San Pellegrino's Fine Dining Lovers (she writes the monthly column "The Next Course") and a frequent contributor to Food & Wine, for which she was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Media Award in 2022. She has written many food features and personal and travel narratives for USA Today, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Roads & Kingdoms and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, as well as recipes for many other publications and platforms. She has created content, recipes and recipe-driven videos for companies such as Vulcan Equipment, La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Savencia Cheese, Vitamix, Sakara Life and the Norwegian Seafood Council.

Kiki holds two master's degrees in Classical Languages and in Comparative Literature and received her bachelor's degree from New York University.