மைதிலி/mythily
est. 2023
Rasika Mythily Venkatesa
Rasika Venkatesa's fondest memories are growing up in Chennai, India and cooking with her biggest inspiration, her grandmother Mythily Ramachandran. At a young age she learned the power of food and how something as simple as her grandmother's cooking could bring her family together in joy, unity, and tradition.
After deciding to pursue a career in hospitality, Rasika graduated from Manipal University with a Bachelors in Hotel Management and immediately began working in kitchens around the world. Following her culinary dreams, Rasika moved to the United States and accepted a Commis Chef position at Thomas Keller’s Michelin 3 Star restaurant, ‘The French Laundry’. Her persistence, talent, and dedication led her to become Chef de Partie and gave her a deep understanding, appreciation, and love for fine dining.
Under world renowned Chef Mourad Lahlou's guidance, Rasika became the Chef de Cuisine of Mourad in 2022, one of the youngest CDCs in the industry. In the same year, she won the Star Chefs - Rising Star Award in the San Francisco/Oakland area and has collaborated with chefs around the country in a variety of culinary events. She has also participated in the upcoming season of Top Chef USA set in Wisconsin.
Chef Rasika is now focused on her own concept, “Mythily”, that is focused on re-inventing Tamil cuisine. She is currently traveling across Tamil Nadu to learn from the local communities to grow and evolve as a chef in the next chapter of her culinary journey.
The Journey So Far
16 hour shortrib . peach . nadan curry
Chef Rasika's cuisine is a blend of heritage South Indian flavors from Tamil Nadu with contemporary skills and techniques that she has learnt over time at different restaurants she has worked in. She likes a playful blend of flavors but also stays true to what Tamil cuisine means to her. Local farmers, vendors and seasonality also play a big role in Rasika's culmination of dishes and she is a big promoter of sustainable culinary practices.
Team Leading and Team Building
Belief and motivation go a long way in a team - it inspires them, it drives them and it also increases productivity levels. I'm a true believer in “mentorship”, take your time to teach someone the right way to do things and always invest in people you believe in, it makes all the difference.
Collaborative Dinners
Make Projects Dinner at Animae, San Diego 2023
black cod . black trumpet . fava . gassi
The Iconoclast Dinner Experience 2023
what is மைதிலி/mythily?
Mythily is a tribute to my grandmother, my family and our ancestors. It is also an ode to my heritage and background, one that is rich in culture and history and deserves to be one of the leading cuisines in the world. In the west, most of India's regional cuisines are grouped into one broad umbrella and that has to change. Taking a stance to step out of “popular” Indian cuisine is something I am hungry to do because I truly believe the world has to experience the beauty that is South India.
Mythily will also be a space to reinvent, create and innovate. My motive is not only to highlight the flavors of Tamil Nadu and South India but also showcase them in a whole new light where the cooking of the west meets the soul of South India in an elevated setting. It gives the guest a whole new experience of what tradition can mean and the ways in which it can be interpreted - the goal is to always pique interest through flavor.
From the paddy fields of Ambasamudram, my family's native village through the thoughtfully crafted Chettinadu houses in Karaikudi to the streets of Madurai and coasts of Kanyakumari ~ Mythily is an amalgamation of the diversity of one state with endless possibilities.
Media, Awards & Accolades
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நன்றி/thank you
Phone
US +16692045331
India +918825620830
E-mail