As a 20-something in New York, Sameer Seth, now the co-founder and CEO of Hunger Inc, remembers how nervous he was while appearing for an interview with celebrated chef Floyd Cardoz nearly a decade ago. "I had heard so much about him and was in awe of him. But by the end of it, I was disarmed by him. He probably meant it as a joke then, but he said, 'If you decide to open a restaurant in India, tell me. I would like to join you'," he shares. Little did Seth realise at the time that in a few years, he, along with Cardoz, and friend Yash Bhanage, would go on to whip up not one, but three brands — The Bombay Canteen (TBC), O Pedro and Bombay Sweet Shop — to celebrate the multiplicity of Indian food, and cement a bond that goes beyond the kitchen.

Nearly six months since the Bandra-bred Goan master chef, who put Indian cuisine on the world map, passed away, the team is doling out a delicious tribute, including a delivery menu and a scholarship, to celebrate Cardoz's birthday today.