Anastasia Stepped It Up As A Chef On 'Below Deck Med'

When things didn't work out with original chef Mila on Season 4 of Below Deck Mediterranean, stew Anastasia stepped up to get to whisking in the kitchen. Her culinary creations were a success, but did that spontaneous triumph inspire a more lasting career change? Is Anastasia still a chef after Below Deck Med?

Though Anastasia came through in a pinch, it seems like her career as the Sirocco chef is already a little rocky. Bravo posted a few clips from Episode 10 on their website, and one shows Anastasia making enough mistakes during breakfast service that Captain Sandy has to come have a talk with her. But some growing pains are to be expected when taking on a new responsibility. Anastasia might end up figuring it out after all, especially because she has prior experience in the field. This isn't her first time wielding a spatula.

Anastasia has worked as a chef before; according to People, she did so before joining the Sirocco and was actually glad to have a break from it. However, the kitchen wasn't quite done with her. It looks like Anastasia is interested in this type of work, just not always on a yacht. Cooking professionally is something Anastasia is pursuing, though the location of her next endeavor is a little bit different.

Anastasia told People that she was "definitely open to" returning for another season of Below Deck Med, which could very well contain some cooking. But she's also busy opening up an eco-café and yoga studio in Sri Lanka. In an interview with Decider, Anastasia revealed that the café is called Ajna, which refers to the third eye chakra, and that she's the executive chef and creative director. Since she and her business partner were in the process of building the café and studio in June 2019, there was still work to be done. And some of that work was definitely food-related.

While the yoga studio was open for two months, the café had only been open for "about 20 days" to gauge the reaction to it. "We got great reviews, people loved it, and I'm going back in September to finish building everything and then train my staff on the rest of my menu and staff it with yoga teachers and rock it," Anastasia said.

It was Anastasia's previous experience (her mom is a pastry chef, so it's clearly in the DNA) that made Captain Sandy take a risk with her. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Cap'n Sandy explained that it was difficult to find a new chef in the middle of the season, which was why she turned to Anastasia when things didn't work out with Mila. "When I heard [Anastasia] actually was a chef on other boats, smaller boats, it's like, Hey, you cook for four or you cook for 12, what's the difference?' she said.

It looks like Anastasia is still a chef after Below Deck Med, though it's just one facet of her professional life.