Beh Gaik Lean (born c. 1954) is a Malaysian chef of Peranakan cuisine. In 2023, the self-taught chef and her restaurant Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery were awarded a Michelin star when she was 69 years old. With the award, Gaik Lean became the first Malaysian woman to be awarded a Michelin star.
Beh Gaik Lean was born in Malaysia, a fourth-generation Nyonya, or Peranakan Chinese. [1] Her father was a British Army soldier, who instilled in her the importance of hard work. [2] As a child, her mother taught her to grind chilies for sambal and prepare ingredients for meals. [3] Gaik Lean began cooking for the family at age 12, as she was taught to maintain the household by her mother. [4]
Gaik Lean married at 18 and started a family. [5] Finances were tight and Gaik Lean would sell homemade kuih on the roadside to support her family. [5] When she was 21-years-old, Gaik Lean found a job cooking in the cafeteria of a Motorola factory. There, Gaik Lean continued to develop her cooking skills. [6] Gaik Lean would later go on to cook for other factory kitchens in Malaysia, including Dell and Intel. [1] While working in the factory kitchens, Gaik Lean's children would stay with her mother, where they recalled times were often difficult. [7] In her 40s, Gaik Lean moved to Kuala Lumpur to train chefs.
In 2013, Gaik Lean's eldest son Adrian Tan encouraged her to move back home to run a restaurant he had purchased and named after her, without her knowledge. [5] That year, Adrian and Gaik Lean opened Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery in Penang, specializing in Peranakan cuisine. [2] [6] The eatery soon became known for its Peranakan dishes, [8] made without pork and with halal chicken, so it is accessible to Malay Muslims. [9] Che Puan Besar Kalsom Abdullah and other members of Malaysia's royal family are known to be regular diners. [10] Everything in the restaurant is made on site. [1]
In late 2022, Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery was awarded one of four Michelin stars in Malaysia. [2] [11] [12] At the time, she was 69-years-old. [2] When she received the news she was awarded a Michelin star, Gaik Lean reportedly had "to Google" the accolade as she was unsure what it was. [6] Since the initial award, Gaik Lean and Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery have continued to maintain their Michelin status. [9]
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