When push comes to stove

AS a strapping young chef in 1994, Christophe Megel felt like he was on top of the world. Fresh from seven years of work experience with the illustrious French chef Alain Ducasse, the then 25-year-old had just landed his first chef de cuisine gig as a private chef to the chairman of South Korean conglomerate Samsung, one of the richest men in the world.

Revelling in the prospect of getting a chef's embroidered jacket with his name on it (the typical outfit to denote a chef de cuisine, or head chef), chef Megel rushed to the laundrette after dotting the I's and crossing the T's with human resources.

"When I went to the laundry to pick up my uniform, you know what it said? 'Foreign chef.' I was like, can't you tell from my appearance?…