Celebrating four women chefs, their cooking styles

CHENNAI: Rupali Dean, a food enthusiast and traveller, along with her daughter Akanksha Dean, has launched a platform called Dean With Us to connect travel, culture, and food across the globe.

In collaboration with The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, they launched a unique and innovative concept called Shefs at The Leela last year to celebrate women chefs.

Rupali Dean tells us that Shefs at The Leela is a platform to promote equity in the kitchens, providing an opportunity for talented women chefs to showcase their talent through curated dinners, panel discussions, and special masterclasses to inspire young and budding women chefs.

After two successful editions of Shefs at The Leela in Bengaluru and Gurugram, the duo is hosting the third edition in collaboration with The Leela Palace Chennai on April 21.

According to Rupali, the event aims to spread the message that a chef is a chef regardless of gender and highlight the fact that women are key players in keeping gastronomic traditions alive.

“The event also celebrates Indian women chefs from across the world by encouraging and promoting talent,” says Rupali.

Tejasvi Chandela

The bespoke dining event will showcase four globally renowned chefs who will present their signature dishes with a global spin.

Adhira Swami, Tejasvi Chandela, Neha Deepak Shah, and Marina Balakrishnan, who have made their mark in the culinary world, will curate a spectacular sit-down dinner on April 21.

Neha Deepak Shah

“Based in Mumbai, Marina is a certified plant-based chef, having trained at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York. Adhira is a chef and culinary consultant based in Chennai, Tejasvi is a pastry chef and chocolate maker based in Jaipur, and Neha is a food technologist, flavourist, chef, and content creator based in Dubai. They have come up with an interesting menu with various cuisines and cooking styles,” she added.

To reserve your experience at the event, contact Sameer Bhargava at 98339 38760.