Prejudice, discrimination, low pay: that's what a woman in the kitchen of a restaurant has to endure. The former Michelin-starred chef, born in Texas and raised in Bangkok, retires from haute cuisine, closing her restaurant in Berlin. She leaves the scene with regret, tired of having to fight to succeed.
Cover photo: Robert Rieger -Courtesy of Freunde von Freunden
Portrait in the article: Robert Rieger
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“I am tired of constantly having to justify my success and fighting battles already lost in the first place,” these are the exact words of Dalad Kambhu reported by Rolling Pin. The 38-year-old woman, a victim of the patriarchal system that has also crept into the restaurant world, decided today to end her career for good. Could the loss of the Michelin star have caused the instinctive reaction? Or was it stress and constant psychological pressures? To think that in 2023 Dalad, and her restaurant Kin Dee, held 70th place in the Rolling Pin 100 Best Chefs Germany.
The restaurant, designed exclusively for “eating well” (meaning Kin Dee in Thai), first opened in 2017 in Berlin. It honors the culinary traditions of the young chef's ancestors, and in 2019 it strengthened its success by obtaining a Michelin star (lost last year), after only three years of business. What was the chef's dream? That of bringing authentic Thai cuisine on par with Western cuisine, which currently still holds up to French standards, a quality benchmark for many connoisseurs. Despite the efforts, the wonderful time spent in New York, the use of the highest quality 0-mile raw materials, and the carefully crafted dishes, some of the dynamics were exhausting and difficult to sustain, especially emotionally and mentally.
Indeed, the chef cites several personal reasons for the closure, saying that the stress of recent years had severely affected her health. It should also be mentioned that, after the pandemic, tourists did not seem particularly interested in Kin Dee's offering, which had a negative impact on profits. “How many restaurants in the world have the opportunity to serve Thai food as we did, with a kitchen that has no more than three or four people working (including me), without abusing staff time? We were able to serve 4 menus of 10 dishes (or more) using the best produce, supporting small farmers, and setting prices by adjusting to the local area.
I worked tirelessly to improve, train new talents and offer women a great opportunity. I have had to remain firmly grounded, refusing to bow to Western style, all with an entrepreneurial spirit that sets me apart." Words that reflect the personality of a warrior, now exhausted from unholstering her weapons, tough and outspoken, published in a post of thanks and farewell to her clientele, dated Feb. 27, 2024, on Kambhu's official Instagram page. “I hope my efforts can inspire many young Thai and other minority chefs, even if it will not be the easiest or most profitable path.”
First comes health, that is indisputable. However, it is indeed a pity that such an extraordinary prodigy chose to close down and go back to work as a model. Berlin has definitely lost one of its brightest stars.
