Chefs to Watch 2015: Preeti Mistry, Juhu Beach Club, Oakland, Calif.

Preeti Mistry approaches cooking from a deeply personal perspective. “I grew up eating [traditionally cooked Indian food], then I learned to cook in a European model,” she says. “So I’ll read five different recipes, ask my mom and then make my version of it.” At JBC, she cooks new Indian fare that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is constantly evolving.

That wasn’t always the...