Ili Sulaiman is a popular chef known for her cooking shows on the Asian Food Network and as the entrepreneur behind both the tiffin-delivery service DISH by ili, and the steamboat-and-grill delivery service Ili Pot.

Developing an interest in cooking at the age of seven, Ili—who was born to a Chinese-English mother and a Malay-Sri Lankan father—grew up learning to cook in her paternal and maternal grandmothers’ kitchens. Although cooking came naturally to her, she didn’t consider a career in F&B until she worked at Mosimann’s, the London private dining club run by acclaimed chef and restaurateur Anton Mosimann.

After eight years in the English capital and graduating with a business degree, Ili returned to Malaysia and subsequently established DISH by Ili, providing freshly cooked meals to homes and offices. In 2015, she hosted her first television show, Diari Mangkuk Tingkat Bersama Ili, on Astro Ria.

That same year, Ili took part in and won the Asian Food Network’s Food Hero Challenge, which led to more television shows like Home Cooked: Malaysia, Family Feast with Ili and By the Sea with Ili. She has also guest-featured in Inspired with Anna Olson on Food Network, and on Canadian chef Christine Cushing’s show Confucius Was a Foodie.

During the pandemic, the bubbly chef launched a new business, Ili Pot, inspired by Malaysians’ love for steamboat. In the light of the “new normal”, the company set out to deliver everything you need to have a hot pot or grill set-up at home, including the pot, burner, grill skillet, noodles, a variety of soups, sauces, vegetables, seafood and meats.

In true Malaysian multi-cultural fashion, in 2019, Ili married Avinesh Kutty in a Malay, Indian and Chinese wedding.