Fatima Khan '27 Dishes on Le Bernardin Internship

Fatima Khan ’27 knew she wanted to attend a school close to her North Carolina home, and Johnson & Wales University’s culinary reputation attracted her. “It is one of the better schools in the U.S. for baking and pastry,” says the Baking & Pastry Arts associate degree and Applied Food Science bachelor’s degree candidate, who commutes to her classes and labs on JWU’s Charlotte Campus.

Part of preparing future culinary leaders is providing opportunities to get hands-on in kitchens, and this summer, Khan took on an internship at New York City’s Michelin-starred French restaurant, Le Bernardin, for just that type of real-world experience.

Taking Initiative: How Khan Secured Her Internship

Whereas most students learn of opportunities through the Handshake app and through their JWU instructors, Khan found this internship through networking, knowing she wanted to pursue a chance to work with the best.

“I learned about my internship from one of my managers at work when I asked him for Michelin-star places that take interns,” she reveals. “Le Bernardin was one of the ones that I emailed and was able to set up a stage with.”

(For those less familiar with culinary industry terminology, a “stage” refers to the test of working in a chef’s kitchen to learn new techniques and be exposed to new practices and cuisines.)

Tying a Summer Experience to a Future Career

“My internship is definitely a step toward my future career goals, as it gave me a lot of experience and skills in the kitchen that I feel are difficult to gain otherwise,” Khan shares. “I want to become a pastry chef, and so learning from the best has definitely aided me toward that goal.”

Le Bernardin’s kitchen is managed by co-owner Eric Ripert, a renowned chef, author and television personality, and the French restaurant’s multiple awards have broken records, including receiving more James Beard Awards than any other restaurant in New York City and being the only New York four-star restaurant that has maintained its status of excellence for more than three decades. Khan chose well in spending her summer contributing to unforgettable dining experiences.

Applying JWU Skills at a Michelin-Starred Restaurant

“Some of the skills that I have learned from my classes that have been particularly helpful are time management and working in a limited space,” Khan explains of applying her JWU studies to a fast-paced kitchen. “Since I tend to be doing multiple things at once while I am working, it is important to have both of these skills while I work.”

When she shares what a Le Bernardin pastry internship looks like, time management skills do seem to come in handy.

“Depending on the day and the par stock, I am responsible for aiding in filling up the stock for the day,” Khan explains. “The main part that I am responsible for is the tuile, so I tend to make a lot of tuile in a day.”

Tuile can be both testy and decorative, ranging from lacy cookie wafers to delicate webs or intricate leaves of chocolate. With seating for 200 guests at a time between its main dining room, private dining area and bar, Le Bernardin’s culinary staff must prepare enough handmade pastry components to meet diner demand.

Beyond desserts, Khan did have an overall plan to amass as many well-rounded skills as she could during the summer. “My end goal was to be proficient in all the stations,” she states. “I unfortunately wasn’t able to work all the stations, but the ones that I have worked, I have definitely done very well in.”

She has also appreciated working with not only extremely professional but generous colleagues: “Everyone was very helpful and were very open to answering the numerous questions I had.”

What’s Next for Kahn after JWU

“After I graduate, I want to keep applying for different types of work experiences such as working in hotels, country clubs and other Michelin places in different cities so that I can really broaden my knowledge,” shares Khan.

“I plan on teaching after a couple of years, so I really want to have enough [industry knowledge] to give to the students I want to teach and be a resource for them.”

Advice for Others Considering Internships

Khan’s future as that supportive teacher is evident in how she asked to devote some of this spotlight article on advice for others considering internships at elite institutions such as Le Bernardin.

“I want to encourage other students to go out of their comfort zone and try to apply to places they may feel is out of their reach,” she says. “The best thing you can do for yourself is try.”

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