Maya Okada Erickson was born and raised in San Francisco where she developed a passion for cooking at a very young age. She began her professional culinary career whilst still in high school, under the mentorship of Elizabeth Falkner at both her restaurants, Citizen Cake and Orson. After leaving Orson she became the pastry chef of AQ, earning a Zagat “30 under 30” award during her tenure. From AQ she went on to helm the pastry program at two Michelin starred restaurant, Lazy Bear where she received a spot on the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Rising Star Chef” class of 2015 and Starchef’s “Rising Star Chef” class of 2016.

When she decided to leave her hometown for a change of pace, she found herself in Portland, as the executive pastry chef for Langbaan, Paadee, Hat Yai and Phuket Cafe. Her main focus, Langbaan, is one of Portland’s most beloved and coveted restaurants. They have found a spot on The World’s 50 Best List “Top 50 Discovery Restaurants”, Opinionated About Dining’s “Top 50 Restaurants in North America”, and most recently were awarded “Outstanding Restaurant” by The James Beard Foundation for 2024. Maya has been a writer in residence for Taste magazine and has been featured on Netflix, Vice Munchies and the Food Network.