It’s his first time in the city, and in just three days, he can feel its vivacity pulse through his bones. “You can sense the power in the air, but people here are so kind,” says chef Hal Yamashita in Japanese. His translator conveys Yamashita’s response to us at the Institute of Hotel Management, Dadar, where the latter just conducted a workshop with students. “Maybe it is pleasant for you, but by Japan standards, it’s scorching,” he says of the early March weather here.

The first dish he made for us was a seared scallop with sake butter, garnished with herbs. He carefully melts the butter, pours in the sake till it rises in flames, and gently sears the scallop before transferring it to a plate. What he does next is pure sorcery. He nonchalantly picks herbs and edible flowers, and places them gently on the plate, one sprig at a time. The final dish is a painstakingly crafted piece of art—all under three minutes.