CHEF RASIKA VENKATESA
Chef Rasika’s fondest memories are rooted in her childhood in Chennai, India, where she learned to cook alongside her greatest inspiration—her grandmother, Mythily Ramachandran. From an early age, she discovered the power of food and how something as simple as her grandmother’s cooking could bring family together through joy, unity, and tradition.
Chef Rasika graduated from Manipal University in India with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management and immediately began working in kitchens around the world. Pursuing her culinary dreams, she moved to the United States and joined The French Laundry (three Michelin stars) as a Commis, where she was quickly promoted to Chef de Partie. She later relocated to San Francisco to continue honing her craft at the New Moroccan restaurant Mourad (one Michelin star), growing from cook to chef.
Under the mentorship of world-renowned Chef Mourad Lahlou, Chef Rasika became Chef de Cuisine at Mourad in 2022, making her one of the youngest chefs de cuisine in the industry. That same year, she was awarded the StarChefs Rising Star Award for the San Francisco/Oakland area and has since collaborated with chefs across the country at numerous culinary events. She also appeared on Top Chef Season 21, where she quickly became a fan favorite.
Now based in New York City, Rasika is developing her own culinary vision and runs a pop-up concept called Mythily, named in honor of her grandmother and the foundation of her culinary journey.
