Guess where Kolkata-born British chef, restaurateur and author Asma Said Khan was recently? At Buckingham Palace — to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla! Asma was invited to attend a reception for Britain’s humanitarian workers thrown by the Royal family on November 8. The king and queen hosted the reception to ‘recognise and reflect on the UK’s contribution to humanitarian efforts across the world,’ says the official release from Buckingham Palace. Asma shared glimpses from the royal evening on her social media platforms.
“My first visit to #BuckinghamPalace was a beautiful evening recognising individuals and agencies of compassion and courage for their remarkable contributions to humanitarian work” she wrote, posting photos with King Charles and Queen Camilla. The King has also expressed interest in visiting her restaurant Darjeeling Express in Kingly Court in London and also admired the zardosi embroidery on Asma’s outfit, designed by Sarah Karim. From shaking hands with the King to engaging in a deep conversation with the Queen, the camaraderie between the royalty and the Kolkata-born is unmissable.
On the way back from the Palace, Asma, who studied in La Martiniere and Loreto College in Kolkata, was accompanied by another London-based restaurateur – Imad Alarnad – the owner of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, about whom she wrote, “a Syrian who owned several restaurants in Damascus before the war. When the war broke out he had to flee and spent months in France sleeping rough on the steps of a church”.
Asma looked radiant dressed in a navy blue outfit with golden embroidery, with her curly mane, statement earrings and deep kohled eyes, teamed with nude lips.
From Bridgerton actress Simone Ashley to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire star Paul Rudd, Asma Khan and Darjeeling Express are a favourite of many popular celebrities. A visit to Buckingham Palace is a new feather on the hat of the 54-year-old doctorate degree holder in British Constitutional Law from King’s College, London and author of Ammu: Indian Homecooking to Nourish Your Soul.
