Fast forward to the present and Mythrayie has been working in the hospitality industry for nearly seven years and recently, added a feather to her cap by becoming a San Pellegrino Young Chef Regional Finalist of South Asia, Middle East and Africa.
The two-day international competition, held in Cape Town, saw 225 chefs battling it out across 15 different places. Mythrayie went ahead with the idea of ‘barter’ that harks back to before the 15th century, a time when Indian cooking depended on indigenous ingredients before the Portuguese came to India. Her two-course creation drew attention to flavours, past and present.
The first dish she presented at the competition was Ridge Gourd with Drumsticks paired with a fresh fenugreek sauce. Along with it, she served horse gram millet and yam dumplings. For the second dish, she chose Lobster with Tomato Leather served with chilli oil, guava and corn to showcase new-age Indian cuisine.
Opening on her experience at the competition, Mythrayie added, “San Pellegrino, being one of the leading competitions, the tension and anxiety was extreme. And also representing India is a big thing. But the good part was that it was focused around meeting and connecting with a lot of people and expanding your circle. We got to understand what people from across the globe do, and how they took upon themselves to show their food.”
Mythrayie describes her cooking philosophy as focused on her roots as it comes naturally to people to connect with the flavours that one grows up eating. “I think it is time to understand that with food, it is an ever-evolving journey. You need to see what is around you so that you can make it special,” she says.
Currently, the 29-year-old chef is looking forward to the next stage of the competition in Milan alongside working at the restaurant Farmlore in Bengaluru for the last two years.