Rasika Venkatesa is the chef and founder of Mythily, a New York–based pop-up and residency concept that serves as her modern love letter to South Indian cuisine. Trained in some of the most demanding kitchens in the U.S. and shaped by the food of her grandmother’s home in Chennai, Venkatesa is navigating a different path to restaurant ownership. In this episode, she shares why patience matters more than speed, how pop-ups can function as real-world R&D for young chefs, and what it actually takes to build a restaurant concept from scratch without losing yourself in the process.

Takeaways

• Every pop-up is a test, not just a performance
• Restaurants are built through repetition
• Cultural cuisine works best when it’s personal but universally welcoming
• Fine dining technique should serve flavor and story
• Pop-ups help chefs validate concepts before committing to brick and mortar
• Patience is a required skill
• Systems and structure create freedom during chaos
• Consistency matters more than novelty
• Pop-up success doesn’t equal sustainability behind the scenes
• Asking for help is essential when resources are limited
• Social media is work, but ignoring it is not an option
• Small restaurants can be healthier than large ones
• Sustainability must include staff pay, pricing, and owner well-being
• The next generation must rethink traditional restaurant models

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