CHEF SHACHI MEHRA brings a new Indian experience to Orange County at ADYA, an authentic Indian restaurant that is a reflection of modern India. The menu revolves around fresh, sustainable ingredients and focuses on contemporary interpretations of Indian street foods, tandoori specialties and rich curries.Chef Shachi has a passion for creating innovative and thoughtful menus that tastefully balance a variety of flavors and make cuisines appealing to a range of tastes. An ardent supporter of local farmers and sustainable practices, she takes great care in sourcing her ingredients. Born in India, her early family experiences helped to develop and shape her love of food and appreciation for balance, in flavors and in life. Chef Shachi blends Western and Indian cultures to create artful dishes that successfully marry tradition with modernity.Her professional journey began after meeting Chef Bruce Johnson, hailed by the New York Times as a premier chef. He extended an invitation for her to spend a day prepping in his kitchen at Trap Rock Brewery in New Jersey. It was her first encounter with a professional kitchen and after only a few hours, she knew she had found her life’s passion. She was offered a job on the spot, and she went on to work in pastry and garde manger for the next year. She went on to meet Chef Floyd Cardoz of Manhattan’s legendary Tabla and Bread Bar, where she was given the opportunity at the restaurant’s garde manger station. Ultimately, she was appointed to Head Cook at Bread Bar, which had a popular open kitchen. Being “on stage” for clientele was a fantastic learning experience, as she had to manage the kitchen and supervise the line cooks, while simultaneously interacting with guests.Chef Shachi has become known for bringing a unique global perspective to her work, which can be attributed to eight-month culinary journey through India, Japan and Australia. Upon her return, she went on to sharpen her skills in some of the most demanding kitchens in this country. She served as Sous Chef at the award-winning Bombay Club in Washington, D.C.; opening Sous Chef at Bocanova, a successful Pan American restaurant in Jack London Square in Oakland, CA; and Executive Sous Chef at Junnoon, a modern Indian restaurant in Palo Alto, where Chef Shachi was named one of five 'Rising Stars' by Gentry Magazine. Prior to opening ADYA, Chef Shachi received great press and acclaim as the opening chef at Tamarind of London in Newport Coast.Most recently, Chef Shachi received national attention after emerging victorious on Food Network’s Chopped! On the heels of her victory, she was named 2019 “Rising Star Chef” in the Golden Foodie Awards, a people’s choice competition.