"Why do you keep calling Mumbai, Bombay?" Marco Pierre White, wonders out loud in the middle of an interview. White, 58, is one of the best known chefs in the world. Possibly, even, the first celebrity chef the world has known. In Mumbai — his first trip to India — White is addressing a press conference for the fourth season of World On A Plate (WOAP), a food event of pop-ups, masterclasses and dinners at The St Regis Mumbai and High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel.

Now Bombay, we know, is an emotion, and Mumbai is the city. To give him a taste of it, we present him a serving of sev puri and bhel. He looks at it with a hawk's eye, asking if it has been brought in from a street cart. To ensure we don't upset his stomach, we've got the hotel to rustle up the dishes. He takes a bite, and goes silent for a couple of long seconds, his poker face not giving away a verdict. "I like the way it makes the juices run in your mouth," he says, adding, "How much does it cost?"