She is known as the “New Black Pearl of Paris,” comparing her to Josephine Baker, and the “African Queen of Parisian Cuisine".
[1] She was unemployed for about two years due to racism in the industry, finally getting a job at Chez Jean, where she met Sébastien Faré.
[2] A mentor recommended that Dia at the restaurant Le Louvre Chef under Faré, where she rose from clerk to sous-chef.
[1] In 2013, Dia moved to Le Vraymonde at the Buddha-Bar Hotel Paris, a restaurant known for its Asian dishes, as their executive chef.
In 2019, Rougui moved to Denver, where her sister lives, where they opened bakery and high-end bistro Le French, where she is the executive chef.