Nokee Bucayu

Years of Participation

2020, 2025

Nokee Bucayu’s (she/her) passion for cooking started at a very early age, helping her Lola (grandma) make traditional foods like ube halaya and rice cakes in the Philippines. She moved to Kentucky when she was 10 and turned to Filipino food to remedy her homesickness. As she learned more about Kentucky cuisine and produce, she fell in love with merging the two in her own unique way. A chef based in Louisville, Ky., Nokee and her childhood friend and fellow Filipina Aileen Brua host the ongoing Kanin Pop-Up dinner series. She is currently the Chef on Exchange Pub and Kitchen in New Albany, Indiana. In 2022, Nokee competed in the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship Gingerbread Showdown, winning the dessert baking challenge component with her bourbon pecan pie. She was named Best Pastry Chef by the ACF Kentucky Chapter in 2019.