Mumbai's male chefs reveal the first meal they cooked for their beloved

James BiakaExecutive chef Kofuku What He Cooked Prawn tempuraIn 2000 when chef James Biaka met wife Elizabeth in Mizoram for the first time they were as good as strangers We met through an arranged marriage set up and got married four months later Talking about the growth of the relationship he says In every relationship there comes a time when you want to do something special for your partner Since we were still getting to know each other I cooked a special meal after we were married he says Biaka chose the crispy prawn tempura his wifes favourite dish where the prawns are marinated in mirin rice wine before being dipped in cornflour batter and friedWhile he had prepared the dish on innumerable occasions in the past cooking for Elizabeth made him feel like a rookie There were butterflies in my tummy because cooking for her was a whole new experience Every bit of it was filled with love he says blushing 18 years after For Biaka and Elizabeth breaking bread together has been their way of building a stronger relationship These days erratic work schedules and constant travel make it difficult for the couple to spend time together But we ensure that we have at least one meal together when we are in the same cityYugo TokuchiFounder Yugo SushiWhat He Cooked Sukiyaki or hot potIn 2009 when chef Yugo Tokuchi was working as a videogame programmer at Tokyos Bandai Namco Entertainment he fell in love with his thencolleague and now wife Martha What had started as a professional relationship and then turned into a friendship eventually blossomed into romantic love Their first date came a few months after theyd first met I invited her over for dinner because we had built a good rapport by then By now I also knew that she loved meat and given my interest in food I decided to rustle up a sukiyaki or hot pot for her says Tokuchi who moved to Mumbai and became a chef in 2016Hot pots are essentially onepot meals where the ingredients are poached in a broth Made on special occasions the hot pot is served with sliced beef vegetables noodles wontons lotus root fish balls greens and tofu in a sweet sauce based on soy sauce You can say its our Diwali special jokes Tokuchi I wanted to make the first meal I cooked for her special he says While a hotpot would traditionally be a mere twohour preparation the 32yearold decided to make it a day prior so that the meat soaked in the flavours well In Japanese culture hot pots are considered a communal dish that symbolise togetherness I felt there couldnt be a better dish to convey my feelings he gushes The couple went on to date for five years and got married in 2015 They now live in Santacruz and Tokuchi continues to surprise her with his culinary creations occasionallyJehangir JamulaExecutive chef TamashaWhat He CookedJD whiskey roasted chicken with mushroom jus and quinoa saladIt is common for Mumbai chef Jehangir Jamula and his girlfriend Mahtab Nalladaroo to exchange food notes on Skype and WhatsApp Nalladaroo works as a flight attendant and is based out of Abu Dhabi Since she lives alone she often seeks my advice on how to make a certain dish he says But six months ago when Jamula paid her a visit he decided to put his advice to action Being a chef the expression of love cannot be any better than with food I decided to make JD whiskey roasted chicken with mushroom jus served with quinoa salad because she likes eating healthy he saysJamula was aware that his girl preferred European cuisine Since Mahtab was at work Jamula had to figure his way around the kitchen on his own I had to figure out what was stored where and it wasnt easy I also called up her friend who lives a few blocks away for help he says In three hours the table was set and the candle was lit I remember her expression when she saw a candlelit dinner laid out after coming home from a long flight Sometimes food speaks louder than words he smilesSandeep RanePastry chef HenpeckedWhat He Cooked Red velour cakeIn 2012 when chef Sandeep Rane was catering for a friends birthday bash he didnt know that five years later he would end up marrying one of the guests My love story began with food I was introduced to Xitij at the end of the party and she told me she had loved the spread I had cooked for her before I even knew it he laughs The two kept in touch and would meet often Interestingly their food preferences were poles apart Xitij born in a Gujarati family from Pune is vegetarian and Rane a Maharashtrian from Indore cant do without meat While she likes her food to be mildly flavoured he digs spice Whats common though is their love for dessertTherefore when he decided to surprise her on her birthday a cake seemed the best choice He baked a red velour cake a combination of cake mousse cream and spray painted chocolate which took him a good four hours to make He chose the cake because of its elegance and the fact that she enjoys strawberrys and cream cheese She was silent for two whole minutes after taking the first bite And then she said Promise that you will bake a cake for me every birthdayJasveer SinghCorporate chef Mad Over DonutsWhat He Cooked Chicken tikkaIt was 15 years ago on the morning after their wedding that chef Jasveer Singh of Mad Over Donuts decided to impress his wife Baljeet with his culinary skills Because I hadnt cooked for her during our courtship which lasted a year I think she never really believed that I was a chef he laughs Within two hours Singh had a plate of spicy succulent chicken tikka ready for his meatloving wifeIt was also the first time that he had cooked in his own kitchen after staying away for months while working on a cruise When Id return home my mother would insist on cooking for me so I never got the chance he saysacircu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Singh says Baljeet always wanted a husband who could cook The fact that we met for the first time inside a gurudwara is testament to the fact that her prayers were answered he says The duo often cooks together on weekends It is always exciting to whip up a simple dish or sometimes even a foreign delicacy For me food is the best bonding agentChef Gurmeet KochharFounder and chef Oye KiddanWhat He Cooked Sarson da saag and makke di rotiGurmeet Kochhar founder and chef at Andheris threeyearold Punjabi restaurant remembers the three hours it took him to prepare the extensive Valentines Day meal for Rohini Rego his classmate at a CAT coaching class The couple had been dating for a few months and instead of a regular visit to a restaurant Kochhar then 22 decided to whip up a meal for her I was so ambitious in my attempt to woo her that I created an extensive menu Shes Catholic and had never tasted sarson ka saag so I included that along with makke di roti butter chicken paratha and Nutella paratha he recallsKochhar was on the phone with his mother for guidance It was a nerve wracking time but the effort was worth it She hugged me and said I love you he smiles The duo married a year ago Their gastronomical escapades from college continue We are both foodies and whenever we travel we make it a point to pick eateries that are popular with the locals In fact in Mumbai every week we try and go to a new restaurant or street food joint Thats how last week we tried Naga food in KalinaCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go