CHEF RASIKA VENKATESA
Rasika'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. Rasika graduated from Manipal University in India with a Bachelors' degree in Hotel Management and immediately began working in kitchens worldwide. Following her culinary dreams, Rasika moved to the United States and started as a Commis at The French Laundry (3 Michelin Stars), where she soon got promoted to Chef de Partie. She then took her culinary chops to San Francisco, where she joined the New Moroccan restaurant Mourad (1 Michelin Star) to grow from a cook to a chef.
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 various culinary events. She has also participated in the current season of Top Chef USA set in Wisconsin. She has moved from the Bay Area to plant roots in New York to work on her own concept and vision!
