U.S.-trained Guyanese chef talks about her love for cooking

Formally trained in the culinary arts in the U.S. and having to put aside her passion for cooking for a while because of family responsibilities, Guyanese culinary expert Nisa Walker has returned to a burning stove to create delectable dishes and bring contented smiles to those who indulge regularly at her café called Oasis Cafe, nestled along Carmichael Street in the city.

Nisa left Guyana when she was 19 for Europe where she spent about five years. She then migrated to the U.S. and resided there for about nine years, where she married her British husband.
“I went to culinary school in the U.S. about 22 years ago but didn’t work because I spent the first few years taking care of my family,” the mother of two disclosed. “But when the children got older I got restless. My passion is cooking and creating dishes that will make people happy. I had my own catering business in New York. It wasn’t very advertised, only through word of mouth would people find out about it. At events that I catered for I would put out my cards and that’s how people came to know about my company,” she recalled.
Nisa’s love for cooking was instilled by her mother who taught her how to cook. This passion helped Nisa to excel at Home Economics in school and so her journey with the culinary arts began.
The chef knew that she would one day return to her homeland. When her husband, William Walker, visited Guyana for the first time, Nisa said he immediately fell in love with the country. He approached her about living in Guyana but Nisa was slightly hesitant at first. After a few visits and seeing how her children love being here, Nisa decided it was time to return.
Upon returning, they spotted the cafe’s Carmichael Street location, once an Internet café, and decided to open a place where persons can relax and read a book while enjoying a high-quality cup of coffee.
“When we returned to Guyana we couldn’t find a good cup of coffee. We’re big fans of coffee, and that’s when we decided we’ll open Oasis Café and offer something new and fresh to the Guyanese public. It was difficult at first when we came back here to start the café. Sourcing certain ingredients and trying to find out what people wanted were a bit challenging. From day one I plunged right into the kitchen. My days initially started at 4 in the morning at the café. I would then leave the café and rush to the market. I would come back and start cooking again. Sometime I would even help out at the register. We started off small but it became bigger than what we anticipated. It showed us how people craved for something new and fresh and we were happy to have offered that service,” she noted.
Although faced with certain challenges, Nisa’s love for cooking motivated her to keep succeeding. Recalling the challenge at first to source certain ingredients here, she remembered when she tried to make her croissants – after 13 attempts she was finally able to perfect them.
In developing her expertise, Nisa reads a lot on the internet and researches successful restaurants around the world. She also spends much of her time experimenting with recipes at home and at work. Nisa enjoys creating different things and coming up with her own concoctions.

Humanitarian efforts
Another highlight of Nisa’s life was returning to buy the home she grew up in at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara. It was a great feeling, she noted, to live at that home once again. But among the happiness came sadness when she saw the plight of some women living in her area. Nisa stated that she saw the depression some women were experiencing because of domestic abuse. Most of them were young mothers who looked very aged because, she believes, they were living in abusive relationships. This prompted Nisa to start a women’s group called ‘WINNERS’ (Women in Neighbourhoods Needing Every Reasonable Support).
She welcomed the women at her home and taught them how to bake, cook, and make craft. She worked with some 22 women, training them for free and even invited motivational speakers, gynaecologists, and nutritionists to speak to them regularly.
“It was all funded by my husband and I. Unfortunately it’s not active now because it was an impossible task to juggle the group and café. Also, I didn’t get anyone who wanted to head the group so it just fell through. However I’m hoping that I can start back this group because I’m very passionate about it. Although I don’t head any group now I’m still involved in the charitable work of the United Women for Special Children,” explained Nisa.
Through Oasis, Nisa has also been promoting the local arts. She has welcomed artists to display their artwork on the café’s walls and has also invited local bands to play on various nights. She and her husband also sponsor various sports events.
“We like to encourage young ones to pursue their dreams and help in whatever way we can. So we’re hoping to expand our efforts in this area. Also, I’m planning to offer cooking classes – but this is in its planning stage. I have been approached about doing a cooking show so I’m also thinking about that,” the culinary expert outlined.
At present, the culinary pro is working on restructuring some of her recipes, making them healthier. She observed that Guyanese are becoming health conscious and she would like to contribute to their healthy lifestyle.
“Seeing how happy I make people with my cooking really motivates me. Also, the positive feedback we get from persons who come from overseas to enjoy our products is also very motivating. It doesn’t feel like work because I love doing it. I also have a very supportive staff that share a similar passion for cooking and are very coordinated, which makes my work somewhat less stressful. On Fridays I work like 18 hours because I’m in the kitchen cooking everything from scratch for our Oasis Paradiso nights which was started a year ago. It’s an elegant evening of dining and has been a hit so far. Although it’s a lot of work, I’m not deterred but rather determined because I love making people happy,” she declared.
Nisa urges women to pursue something they are passionate about. She pointed out that if they love what they are doing, they will want to continue to better themselves, and this will ultimately lead to successful careers.