ABOUT THE OWNER / CHEF

Amir Hajimaleki, Executive Chef and Owner of District Kitchen & Cocktails and Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar, comes from a strong line of cooks. His Middle Eastern heritage and diverse experience have helped him as both a chef and a restaurateur. Chef Amir’s passion for cooking started early on, beginning when he started cooking in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother at the age of five in Iran. While growing up in Austin, Texas, his passion for cooking grew stronger. When he graduated high school at the age of seventeen, he knew that he wanted to pursue a career in the restaurant industry as a chef.

Chef Amir attended Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, Texas, while working at Freda’s Seafood Grille. Because of his hard work and dedication to his craft, Chef Amir quickly earned a promotion to Sous Chef. Hungry for new challenges, he later moved to Kona Grill in San Antonio, Texas. There, he expanded his culinary knowledge by adding sushi and other Asian cuisine to his skill set. At Kona Grill, Chef Amir worked under Chef Rene Melendez, a phenomenal operator and Chef Amir’s long-time mentor. With Chef Rene’s guidance, Chef Amir further fine tuned his culinary skills. He also quickly realized the importance of developing comprehension for the business and financial side of the restaurant industry. Chef Amir understood that to become a successful chef and restaurateur, he needed to become proficient in all facets of the restaurant from front to back. Additionally, he learned the importance of leadership and the fundamentals of day to day execution.
Chef Amir was quickly promoted to Executive Chef for Kona Grill at the age of twenty-one. He was relocated to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was learned about the culinary culture of Louisiana. Chef Amir was then promoted to run the flagship restaurant for Kona Grill in Dallas, Texas, where he was involved with research and development, menu testing, training, chef development and kitchen consultation for the company.

After eight years with Kona Grill, Chef Amir and his brother Ali Hajimaleki began their journey they’d been dreaming about to become of become Chef/Restaurateurs. In October 2013, they successfully opened District Kitchen & Cocktails in Southwest Austin’s Circle C neighborhood. Chef Amir brought his diverse culinary background consisting of Middle Eastern, French, Cajun and Asian cuisine to Austin though seasonal rotating menus, craft cocktails, and weekend brunches. District is where Chef Amir truly honed his culinary craft and philosophy: emphasize relationships with local farms and purveyors to craft food that highlights sustainability, freshness, and flavor..

After rave reviews and being voted Top 100 Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America by Open Table Inc., Chef Amir and brother Ali set their sights on their next journey. The duo opened Oasthouse Gastropub, their second concept, November of 2015 in Northwest Austin’s Four Points neighborhood. At Oasthouse, Chef Amir and Ali focus on European elevated pub cuisine with a Texas spin combined with a large variety of craft beers and cocktails while maintaining the philosophy of supporting local farms and businesses. Oasthouse enriches an area which isn’t currently home to many restaurants of this style.
In May 2019, a second District opened in North Austin’s North Shoal Creek area, providing Chef Amir another outlet to carry out his passion of creating food and cocktails for the Austin community.