In Chinese entertainment, many stars live like royalty, spending fortunes to satisfy personal standards. But none seem as demanding as Brigitte Lin, whose culinary standards once drove a top chef to resign despite earning a staggering annual salary of 5 million RMB.
According to Chinese outlet 163, Chef Simon, formerly of the luxury restaurant Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, took on the job after seeing the lucrative offer. After half a year of rigorous trials, he learned his employer would be none other than Brigitte Lin, who resided in a lavish mansion atop Victoria Peak.
Yet Simon admitted she was the most difficult client he had ever served. The actress was famously particular about ingredients, eating only the “purest” parts of food. For instance, she demanded only the tender center shoots of vegetables, meaning nearly ten kilograms of produce had to be trimmed down to make a single small plate. For meat, she would eat only around 200 grams of the finest cut, refusing to touch the rest.
Her rules extended further: every ingredient had to be freshly harvested and cooked within 12 hours, with no frozen or refrigerated items allowed. Any unused food had to be discarded daily, and if quality fell short, not only the chef but also the entire household staff faced penalties.
Adding to the challenge, Brigitte Lin required at least eight unique dishes per meal, with no repetition. On average, Simon had to prepare 168 completely different dishes every week—delicious, nutritious, and calorie-controlled to maintain her figure. After four grueling years, his hair turned gray, and he ultimately resigned, even rejecting her offer to double his salary.
While her extravagant lifestyle and wasteful habits have drawn criticism, Brigitte Lin remains a beloved icon thanks to her extraordinary acting career and artistic dedication, continuing to enjoy a massive fanbase across generations.
Sources: K14
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