Asma Khan’s Darjeeling Express will not be reopening 4 July

I want to use the new space as an incubator to mentor and train future female restaurant owners, general managers and CEOs of food businesses.

Acclaimed Indian restaurant Darjeeling Express in Soho will not be reopening come 4 July, its owner Asma Khan said yesterday.

The highly acclaimed restaurateur, who made history last year by becoming the first British chef to appear on the award-winning Netflix series, Chef’s Table, made the announcement on her Instagram account.

While citing the size of the restaurant’s kitchen as the main reason behind her decision, Asma did reassure her followers: “We plan to reopen soon in a new site inshallah.”

Speaking to Instagram’s Eater London, she said: “It was getting too difficult, doing 200 covers in 55 seat restaurants. When I designed the restaurant, I never visualised we’d do these numbers. We found a way to do it through sheer grit and working so hard.”

She added: “It was a ridiculous situation — there’s only so much you can do with enthusiasm and passion and as much as I loved it, I had to leave.”

Renowned for running an all-female kitchen, Asma said that once a new location with a bigger kitchen is found, she will continue “to mentor and train future female restaurant owners, general managers and CEOs of food businesses”.

Located on the top floor of Kingly Court in Carnaby, Darjeeling Express opened back in 2017 and quickly made a reputation for itself while winning a good number of awards along the way.