BiBi The Cookbook is Chet Sharma's ethos in a nutshell

One of the most striking qualities of Chet Sharma’s BiBi: The Cookbook is the warmth that runs through every page. The title itself, named after Sharma’s celebrated London restaurant ‘BiBi’, meaning grandmother, sets the tone: this is a book steeped in reverence, affection and memory. This isn’t just a chef showing off his repertoire; it’s a grandchild honouring the women, families and friendship that have shaped his understanding of food.

Sharma’s restaurant has received a flurry of praise and awards since it opened in 2021 – including the Menu of the Year Catey in 2022. As well as recipes, this book contains stories and reflections from Sharma and his esteemed guests, including Aziz Ansari, Hanz Zimmer and Tom Kerridge. It shows how cooking is not simply about technique, but also about understanding why we cook.

Each section of the book opens with a personal reflection that immediately draw you in. The chapters give the book a natural rhythm, taking the reader through landscapes of flavour and memory – such as with ’the streets’, ’the garden’ and ’the sea’.

A stand-out chapter is ’the pasture’ – Sharma confesses he’s "not the good Brahmin boy" his family thought they were raising, and does in fact eat meat. "Let’s face it: meat is delicious," he says, by way of explanation. But he’s come up with a set of criteria that his meat has to meet in order for him to serve or consume. It’s a call to cook with consciousness and compassion, and to understand where our meat comes from. One such recipe is the ’ex-dairy goat galouti kebab’ – an ever-present dish on the BiBi menu that gives guests a true hit of Indian flavour. Sharma says the team have been buying whole goats for this dish lately, using every part – even the hides which go into the restaurant’s leather products.

Other recipes from the book include truffle and moli dhokla, assamese mushroom chai, tuna belly pineapple saaru, lamb Barra kebab and the indulgent pineapple tipsy cake – all with the overarching aim to tell the story of the restaurant.

What’s also delightful are the glimpses into Sharma’s collaborations such as the Mason & Co Bibi chocolate, made from Indian single-origin cacao.  

Ultimately, BiBi is a deeply personal statement about heritage, sustainability and kindness. It celebrates the people and principles that feed us, both literally and emotionally. Sharma may be an exceptionally accomplished chef, but from this book what you sense most is his humanity.

BiBi: The Cookbook: Stories from My Bibi by Chet Sharma (Phaidon, £44.95)

Cook the Sharmaji’s Lahori chicken from the book