So You Want to Run a Restaurant? · 2026-04-21 · 39 min
What happens when you walk away from a path to becoming a doctor, and end up becoming a Shachi Mehra - a Food Network Chopped champion, restaurant owner, and founder of a sauce brand? In this episode, we sit down with Chef Shachi Mehra to talk about her unconventional journey into the culinary world, the moment that changed everything, and how she’s building a business rooted in making Indian flavors more accessible to everyone. Shachi shares the exact experience that made her realize medicine wasn’t her path, and how one day working in a professional kitchen completely shifted her future. From there, she trained under renowned chefs, built her career in fine dining, and eventually opened Adya, a modern Indian fast-casual restaurant designed to introduce more people to the depth and diversity of Indian cuisine. We go deep into what actually makes Indian food so unique - from layered spices and regional diversity to the sensory experience of dishes like street food staples - and why it’s often misunderstood in the United States.
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