In November last year, Danny Meyer, the reputed head honcho of New York-based Union Square Hospitality Group caused a stir when he announced a no-tipping (a quintessential American practice) policy at all the 13 establishments including the fine-dine haute spot, The Modern located inside MoMA near Central Park.

A trailblazer on the NYC restaurant scene, Meyer — who had also launched Tabla, where homebred chef Floyd Cardoz rose to fame — introduced the policy to bring wage parity between servers and non-serving staff. In a New York Times interview, he stated that during his 30 years in the business, dining room pay had increased by 200 per cent while the kitchen income grew no more than 25 per cent.