India, March 19 -- Unless you are really interested in chefs and restaurants, you may have missed the storm over a residency by Noma, one of the world's most influential and important restaurants, in Los Angeles.

What happened was this: When Noma announced its residency, some ex-employees drew attention to the bullying of the staff at the restaurant's main operation in Copenhagen. The allegations dated back several years and the uproar drew the attention of The New York Times, which researched them and published a devastating article about Noma's treatment of its junior employees. Consequently, Noma's Los Angeles residency has gone on as planned, but without Rene Redzepi, Noma's charismatic founder, who has stepped away from the restaura...