A Michelin star is often considered one of the biggest achievements a chef can earn. For many, it is a career goal worth years of hard work. But Asma Khan, the Indian-born British chef behind London’s Darjeeling Express, never wanted one. She has her reasons, and she isn’t shy about explaining them.
On a recent episode of comedian Trevor Noah’s podcast, What Now? With Trevor Noah, Khan spoke about dealing with difficult customers and why she has never aspired to earn a Michelin star.
The Customer Who Wanted His Dal Removed From The Bill
Chef Khan began by talking about difficult customers from her own South Asian community, particularly men. She recalled an incident in which a customer asked for the price of his dal to be removed from the bill.
Her manager came to her and said they were taking the dal off because the customer had not liked it. Khan, however, had noticed something important. The customer had eaten the dish.
She decided to speak to him herself.
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“Did you not like the dal? Because you ate it and you want to take it off,” she asked him. His explanation was that the dal did not taste like the one his mother made.
She immediately added, “Yeah, but your mother’s not working in my kitchen.” The exchange was brief, but it made her point. She was not prepared to remove the charge simply because her cooking did not match the customer’s personal expectations.
Why Asma Khan Never Wanted A Michelin Star
Chef Asma Khan believes the Michelin system is built around standards heavily influenced by French cuisine, Western ideas of fine dining and alcohol pairings. She described it as “so French, which is so white, which is so much about alcohol pairing.”
“I never aspired for a Michelin star, because Michelin, the whole basis, is excluding people like me,” she said.
Her objection was not simply that she dislikes Michelin-starred restaurants. It was that she questioned a system in which one particular style of cooking and dining could become the benchmark for excellence. She has never seen a Michelin star as something she needs to prove herself.
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Khan also took aim at the presentation associated with fine dining, describing a tiny portion served on a much larger plate. “If I was given a one-inch food on a ten-inch plate, this is Michelin standard,” she said. She added, “If I need to eat so much edible grass and edible flowers, I’d go graze in a field.”
She was equally unimpressed by the idea of spending two hours eating one tiny course after another. “I don’t want it on my plate, and I don’t want to sit for two hours getting one inch food at a time,” she said. After three such courses, she added, “I wouldn’t even know what I’m eating.”
Chef Khan was making it clear that this style of dining does not appeal to her. She does not want to spend hours eating small portions simply because that is what a certain fine-dining experience demands.
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