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Chef Asma Khan had had a big year; the celebrity chef’s award-winning restaurant Darjeeling Express reopened this November in a new home in Covent Garden, she was just announced as the host of the food documentary series, The Tiffin Stories and a few weeks ago she received praises from King Charles himself. Naturally, the chef is ending the year on a high and recently took to Instagram to gush about her home, Kolkata where she spent the last few days.
“I end the year as I began it- in India with family I am using the time in Calcutta to immerse myself in food stories and revising old haunts,” Asma wrote in a note on Instagram, alongside some pictures where she is seen savouring some kochuri and alur dum. In her post, the chef also mentioned some of her favourite Kolkata haunts, some of which already have a cult following.
“The Chaat in Saturday Club, the sandwich in Tollygunge Club, the best chai at Balwant Singh Dhaba. This city is so full of memories- some more poignant than others. My favourite memories are of my brother Arif and me playing cricket on the street, long drives on Red Road listening to Bruce Springsteen on repeat- Kati Rolls and Kookie Jar’s lemon tart,” the Kolkata-born chef continued.
Interestingly, Asma has also featured a Kookie Jar cocktail on the Darjeeling Express menu, as an homage to the iconic Kolkata patisserie owned by Puja and Lovey Kapur. The cocktail features Cazcabel coffee liqueur, a monsoon Malabar Espresso shot dosed with Frangelico and a stroke of Marshmallow fluff and cookie crumble.
In her year-ender note, Asma shared that she plans to introduce more Calcutta dishes to her menu and also teased the return of kathi roll on the line-up. “In the new year I will be introducing more Calcutta dishes and maybe we will see the return of the Kati Roll! Wishing all of you love and hope 2024 is the year which ends injustice, deprecation and hunger for all those suffering in conflict zones. That we find amongst us leaders who have integrity and humanity to bring peace to broken communities. Happy new year!” said Asma.
Earlier this year, the chef shared her happiness as Kolkata was named one of the 11 best culinary destinations in the globe. Asma, who’s also an author spent her early years in Kolkata and attended the La Martiniere for Girls school and Loreto College. She abandoned a career in British constitutional law to pursue her culinary aspirations. She opened her restaurant Darjeeling Express in Soho London, in 2017 which celebrated Bengali-style home cooking as well as her family's Mughal roots.
