05/28/2026
Chef Rishi Kumar × Ariane
Food has a way of making strangers feel like family. It crosses borders, bridges cultures, and turns a shared meal into something that stays with you long after the plates are cleared.
Chef Rishi Kumar understands this better than most. From Singapore to southern France to the kitchens of Chicago, his career has been shaped by the belief that cooking is connection. At Mariela, you see it in everything he does: the energy in the kitchen, the laughter with his team, the precision of a final check before a plate leaves the pass.
Months before Mariela opened, Rishi selected our Athena plates for his tabletop. There was no logo yet, no finalized brand identity. Then the brand team presented Mariela’s logo, featuring the same oceanic wave pattern that adorns the rim of Athena. Call it kismet. Some partnerships are just meant to be.
Every dish at Mariela is served on Ariane’s Cruise Collection. Athena, Palma, and Amalfi, porcelain designed to honor what’s on it, at a table built to bring people together.
We’re proud to have Chef Rishi Kumar as an Ariane partner. Because the best plates don’t just hold food. They hold moments.