asma khan knows value

Asma Khan is a powerhouse, and a joy to listen to.

Khan sat down with Trevor and Eugene for a rich conversation on what now? podcast about her upbringing, her restaurant, her success, and everything in between. She reflects on moving to England and how feeling homesick became the inspiration behind her culinary genius.

She talks openly about turning pain and rejection into her superpower.

There is plenty of hardship in Khan’s story, but there is just as much joy. I love the lightness Khan approaches the hardest parts of life with. She laughs, turns difficult experiences into stories, and keeps moving forward.

She keeps building.

When the conversation turns to Michelin, Khan shares her thoughts about what that distinction means; and what it doesn’t mean. For Khan, Michelin represents one version of what excellence in fine dining could look like, but she wasn’t interested in building within the bounds of someone else’s definition.

Khan has long questioned why Indian cuisine is treated as casual despite its complexities and centuries of tradition. She’d heard the argument firsthand: customers won’t pay a premium for biryani because Indian food isn’t valuable enough.

Khan disagreed.

Rather than argue the point, she tested it. Her biryani sold out within minutes.

It didn’t need to become more familiar to traditional ideals of fine dining. She didn’t need legitimacy from an institution before commanded a higher pricing tier.

It was valuable on its own terms. Inherently.

The thing about building something of your own is that you have to learn to hear past the noise and trust what you know to be true, no matter what. Khan believes that having a strong inner conviction, plus the support of one person, is the recipe for success.

Building anything requires some combination of confidence, conviction, and delusion. Having someone in your corner who can see what you are becoming before you can fully see it yourself can mean everything.

But eventually, you have to believe it, too. That part is yours.

Like Asma Aunty, go build your own category, bb.

And, If you’re lucky enough to be the person someone trusts with their loftiest dreams, believe in them loudly. You never know how much it could change their world. ✨

Cheering you on, loudly, always. 💗