\u201cWe\u2019re dipping into new territory with Caribbean food,\u201d she said, explaining the concept of Markette.<\/p>\n When customers walk through Markette\u2019s large glass doors that let natural sunlight in, they are met with deep green, orange and gold decor. A long bar traces the right wall, while a spread of cozy tables and booths sit on the left. It feels like stepping into a retro lounge during the springtime. A staircase at the back leads downstairs to the speakeasy-like Argyle bar.<\/p>\n The decor sets the scene, but Doris\u2019 cooking is the main event.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cI love her talent and how she layers flavor, spice and color in her food,\u201d said Markette co-owner Alex Pfaffenbach.\n<\/p>\n The influence of family and food<\/p>\n Doris grew up in London with cross-cultural culinary influences from her Jamaican grandmother and Guyanese grandfather. \u200a<\/p>\n \u201dBut we always ate Jamaican food just because she\u2019s the queen of the house,\u201d said Doris, laughing. She reminisced about her favorite meals as a child. \u201cOn every Saturday, we would always have ackee, saltfish, and fried dumplings.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Seeing her grandmother in the kitchen, Doris couldn\u2019t wait to learn how to cook. Now, she runs a kitchen of her own, thousands of miles away in New York City.<\/p>\n She says that there are some similarities in \u201cflavor profile\u201d between Markette\u2019s menu and the food she grew up eating in London\u2014like the salt cod fritters with scotch bonnet aioli.<\/p>\n However, she set out to make this menu truly her own.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aI don\u2019t want to just like replicate the things that my gran showed me,\u201d said Doris. She used Markette\u2019s braised oxtail dish as an example. \u200a\u201dIt\u2019s cooked pretty much the same way my grandma would cook it, but we present it differently. We serve it in a little dish that\u2019s broken down [and] picked with the gravy in it. And then we pipe this really creamy polenta that we blend until it\u2019s super smooth, so it\u2019s almost like a b\u00e9chamel.\u201d<\/p>\n The menu incorporates parts of her \u201cCaribbean palette\u201d like this, and also includes dishes like rock shrimp linguine, peri-peri chicken and grilled lamb.\n<\/p>\n A history of working in global kitchens<\/p>\n Doris\u2019 grasp of global cuisine is a product of her experience. She has worked in major cities in countries across the world, like France and Spain, and in MICHELIN-starred NYC restaurants like SAGA<\/a> and Crown Shy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aI\u2019ve seen a lot of different food,\u201d said Doris.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n From working in these kitchens, she picked up different skills and techniques that now come naturally. For her, the key to succeeding in any role\u2014inside and outside of the kitchen\u2014is adaptability. She says there were often cultural and language differences among staff in the kitchens she worked in.\u00a0<\/p>\n Functioning seamlessly in these environments is something she learned then, and she has carried it into her present role as head chef at Markette.<\/p>\n \u201cOpening a business, you need those same skills,\u201c said Doris, explaining how she and her business partner built Markette from the ground up. \u201cYou need to be able to figure out all these different things that you haven\u2019t done before.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That prior experience, along with her skills in management and leadership, came in handy when opening Markette.\n<\/p>\n \u201cHer team is devoted to her, she\u2019s an incredible leader,\u201d said Pfaffenbach. \u201cOur communication is fantastic. We really understand each other well, and it works effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n Non-traditional Caribbean cuisine\u00a0<\/p>\n Markette is still relatively new to the NYC food landscape. The restaurant opened in the summer of 2025, with The Argyle opening shortly thereafter in the fall.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like we\u2019re getting a lot of great feedback,\u201d said Doris. \u201cGuests love it. They leave having a really good time.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The most validating feeling for Doris, though, is seeing fellow Caribbean people\u2014a demographic that represents a significant portion of foreign-born immigrants living in NYC<\/a>, according to the Office of the New York City Comptroller\u2014enjoy the food.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aI\u2019m getting great response from the Caribbean community, which is really important for me,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n![\"Chef](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/nia-watson.kitchen-at-Markette.jpeg\" "\\"Chef")
<\/a>Chef India Doris in the Markette kitchen with her staff.<\/p>\n![\"Chef](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/nia-watson.india-doris-in-the-kitchen-with-her-team.jpeg\" "\\"Chef")
<\/a>Chef India Doris in the Markette kitchen with her staff.Photo by Nia Watson<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/nia-watson.inside-Markette.jpeg\" "\\"Chef")
<\/a>The interior of MarkettePhoto by Nia Watson<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Doris3.jpg\" "\\"Chef")
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