Marina Balakrishnan

Marina Balakrishnan is a certified plant-based chef, having trained from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York. Marina’s gourmet sensibilities are rooted in her childhood in the Malabar, perfected by her technical training. After her training in New York, she decided to return to her roots by spending time in her home state Kerala where she deepened her knowledge of Ayurveda. She also worked at Gaa, an Indian-inspired Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok, which helped her hone her culinary techniques. She now specialises in Keralite cuisine and seeks to popularise many of its indigenous dishes and approaches. Her influence and inspiration have been Thalaserry, her hometown in the Malabar, where she grew up in a large household. She uses her family recipes and is passionately in love with this food.