Chef Rasika Venkatesa is opening Mythily, named after her grandmother
A Top Chef alum is turning her Tamil and South Indian pop-up into a standalone location this fall: Rasika Venkatesa is opening Mythily on Wednesday, September 30, in Williamsburg at 129 Havemeyer Street, between South First and Grand Streets. Her menu explores the Tamil Nadu state in the restaurant named after her grandmother. She’s opening the 1,000-square-foot, nearly 40-seat space with her business partners, Varun Kandadi and Nicolas Chavotier.
Growing up in her Tamil Brahmin household in Chennai, Venkatesa said her grandmother was “a huge inspiration in my cooking career.” After launching the pop-up in 2024, six months later, Venkatesa landed a four-month residency at the now-closed pop-up space Fulgrances in Greenpoint. She built momentum when she was named one of Time Out New York’s Best Young Chefs of 2025…