Alexandra speaks to Asma Khan. Asma is an Indian-born chef and restaurateur who owns the amazing Darjeeling Express in Soho, one of London’s most loved restaurants. Darjeeling Express started as a dinner for 12 guests at home, serving Indian food lovingly cooked from family recipes that go back to generations. The food is a true homage to Asma’s royal Mughlai ancestry and the busy streets of Calcutta, where she grew up. What results is a lovely mélange of street food like papri chaat and royal recipes like lamb dum biryani, that take you on a journey from Calcutta in the east of India to Hyderabad in the south.

An all-women team of housewives runs the kitchen at Darjeeling Express, and have been doing so from day one. Asma was the first, and so far only British chef to appear on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, and last year was named Number 1 on Business Insider’s 100 Coolest People in Food & Drink. It is fitting that this episode follows International Women’s Day as Asma is known for not just her words but her actions on the issue of heightened masculinity within the hospitality industry. Rightly angered by the patriarchal system that is not set up to encourage women to pursue a career in catering, Asma is constantly pushing boundaries and breaking down barriers for women in professional kitchens worldwide. 

Come for Supper sees host Alexandra Dudley sit down with artists, actors, authors and chefs to discuss how they like to serve supper. In the show we learn about the guest’s culinary tips, tales and disasters whilst learning a little about their life along the way. From their dream dinner party guests, to their kitchen essentials, we dive deep into the world of food and the joy of having people come for supper.

This is a Studio71 production. 

Producer - Jack Claramunt 

Assistant Producer - Winnie Simon

Exec Producer - Tom Payne & Jody Smith

Production Support - Phie McKenzie

Created by Alexandra Dudley

Studio71 is a Red Arrow Studios Company.

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