the heart and soul of ava
AVA is a culinary studio founded by chef Rike Schindler.
After more than 20 years of cooking experience gathered around the globe, she brings all her inspirations and impressions together with Studio Ava. Her passion for cooking, photography and diverse cultural influences flows into her creations.
Her journey as a chef has taken her across the Himalayas, to Australia, Hong Kong, the USA and Canada. Whether in a monastery in India or the kitchen of a distant relative’s nursing home in Vancouver, she is always searching for the "special something" in every dish. She is particularly fascinated by cultures where people, despite having few resources, place great value on the small things that shape their traditions.
Throughout her travels, she has often found that it’s not the fine dining establishments that impress her the most, but rather the homemade dishes—the tacos from a Mexican street food stand or a home-cooked meal made from a grandmother’s traditional recipe. For Rike, food is embedded in a context and is more than just a taste experience.
"When I eat a dish that comes from the heart and is cooked with dedication, I feel connected to the person who prepared it—to their roots, culture, or inspiration. That makes it part of something greater.”
Her experiences and her desire for creative freedom have shaped her professional career.
For 10 years she has run the vegan catering service No Tiers, whose dishes are characterized by an innovative and minimalist cuisine.
She is also gripped by wanderlust - the appetite for new impressions, ingredients and perspectives. The pandemic opened up a new path for Rike: a move to the film and music industry, which further ignited her passion for aesthetic staging and artistic design.
Studio Ava was born from the combination of design, culinary arts and creativity. With a clear focus on innovation, playful flavors, vibrant colors and aesthetic presentation, Rike has created a space in which food can not only be enjoyed, but experienced.
Particular attention is paid to the use of local foods, which create a direct connection to nature and emphasize the appreciation of the individual ingredients. Minimalism plays a central role here: instead of excess, the focus is on individual foods, whose taste, texture and character are emphasized. Studio Ava goes beyond traditional cuisine and creates an experience through compositions and food installations that appeal to the senses and evoke emotions.