Beh Gaik Lean

Beh Gaik Lean (born ) is a Malaysian chef of Peranakan cuisine. In 2022, 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.

Biography Beh Gaik Lean was born in Malaysia, a fourth-generation Nyonya, or Peranakan Chinese. Her father was a British Army soldier, who instilled in her the importance of hard work. As a child, her mother taught her to grind chilies for sambal and prepare ingredients for meals. Gaik Lean began cooking for the family at age 12, as she was taught to maintain the household by her mother.

Early culinary career Gaik Lean married at 18 and started a family. Finances were tight and Gaik Lean would sell homemade kuih on the roadside to support her family. Gaik Lean would later go on to cook for other factory kitchens in Malaysia, including Dell and Intel. In her 40s, Gaik Lean moved to Kuala Lumpur to train chefs.

Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery 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. made without pork and with halal chicken, so it is accessible to Malay Muslims. Che Puan Besar Kalsom Abdullah and other members of Malaysia's royal family are known to be regular diners. Everything in the restaurant is made on site. At the time, she was 69-years-old. 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. Since the initial award, Gaik Lean and Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery have continued to maintain their Michelin status.