Chef Aarthi Sampath with Chef Vikas Khanna
She has been a huge inspiration to me,” says Chef Aarthi Sampath, Head Chef and Founder of Dravida. For Chef Aarthi Sampath, the journey from Mumbai to New York has been anything but ordinary. She has worked at some of the city’s most respected restaurants, appeared on American food television, judged MasterChef Tamil and, most recently, opened her own restaurant, Drāvida, in New York’s East Village. But perhaps one of the most surreal moments came when someone she had admired for years walked through the doors of her restaurant — Padma Lakshmi . “Padma Lakshmi is an icon and has always been such an important voice for Indian food and the South Asian diaspora. She has devoted so much of her life to showcasing our food and culture. I remember watching her on television when I was a little girl and, later, watching Taste the Nation. So what was it like to have her idol actually sit across from her and experience her food? “Seeing her come into Dravida and experience the restaurant was surreal, inspiring, and honestly, just very cool. I’m incredibly grateful that she came. I also had the opportunity to connect with her, talk about food, and receive her advice on a few things. It is rare for someone you have idolised for so many years to sit across from you, speak to you directly, and share their thoughts about your food. Being able to feed someone like Padma, who has experienced food and cultures from all over the world, was truly special.”
It still feels surreal,” she says. Having been the first judge on MasterChef Tamil, Aarthi says she would happily return to the small screen. Her rise in the New York food scene has also come with its share of hard work. From Junoon to The Breslin, Rainbow Room and Chinese Tuxedo, Aarthi spent years navigating some of the city’s most competitive kitchens before eventually creating a space of her own. “I never imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that I would one day open a full-service restaurant in New York City’s East Village. That experience has also shaped her confidence as an Indian chef working in America. But Aarthi is quick to point out that she doesn’t want gender to define her journey. “I don’t think gender should define the work. You simply need to be great at your craft, and you need to spend years perfecting it. You need to travel, experience the world, remain curious, and put in the work — and that is what I have done. Her connection with Indian television could also deepen. “I absolutely would love to. I loved seeing the creativity of India’s young, emerging culinary talent. I would be thrilled to have another opportunity to work on a food-based reality show in India. It would allow me to spend time in my home country, connect with talented young chefs, and, of course, be closer to my loved ones. So, MasterChef India, you better call me!”