Malcolm’s business, Rashe's Cuisine, specializes in authentic Caribbean cuisine, offers services that include catering, cooking lessons and private chef services. Malcolm, an organizer of the Culinary Kitchen of Athens, first came to Athens in 1993 and lived here on and off before moving here permanently in 2005.
How would you describe Rashe’s Cuisine for those not familiar with your business?
Rashe’s Cuisine specializes in food near and far. This means we appreciate food culture as a whole and understand how foods from around the world make up a great cultural experience. However, we put a Caribbean spin on everything we do.
People use our services because we offer high quality foods with affordable, family pricing. We understand eating should be an experience. Our experience is healthy, delicious and affordable.
How have you seen Athens change?
Whew, a lot. When I originally lived in Athens, I paid $315 for a two-bedroom apartment that had a pool.
What are some of your favorite places to take people when they visit from out of town?
This may sound funny, but the first place I take everyone is on the Loop. I’ve always found it so fascinating that Athens is pretty much one big circle. It takes about 20 minutes in each direction to get to a destination. I think that’s so symbolic of the way I see Athens — as this great circle of opportunity where anyone can be reached.
When you’re not eating Rashe’s Cuisine where do you go out to eat?
Whoa, that’s a loaded question! I have so many friends in the industry, from the mom and pops to the chain restaurants. Athens is unique where you can know the owner of a large chain restaurant and an authentic Ethiopian restaurant like Mannaweenta or, of course Jamaican, like Kelly’s.
How has the food scene changed since you’ve been in Athens?
In my opinion, the food scene has definitely become a lot more focused on fresh, sourced food. People want to know where you get your products. The community as a whole is getting back to nature. The call for more locally owned, smaller restaurants shows we’re getting back to the idea of knowing and supporting your neighbor.
This interview originally ran in our fall 2019 edition of Eat & Drink Athens, GA