Wearing a maroon jacket over a silk kurta, formidable chef Imtiaz Qureshi greets us with a radiant smile, reflecting the one in a photograph of him holding a hookah, adorning one of the walls of his plush Bandra home. Even before we can congratulate him on winning the Padma Shri — he's the first Indian professional chef to be honoured in the Culinary subcategory (till date, only Tarla Dalal has won the award in 'others' category) — the octogenarian offers us a cold drink and slice cake.

At home in Bandra. Pics/Sameer Markande