'I call Hemant Oberoi Goldfinger'

The recent wedding reception of Taj executive chef Hemant Oberoi's son Sidharta with Farhanaz saw two of Hemant's closest friends in attendance - fellow chefs Nelson Wang and Jafferbhai Mansuri, who were thrilled to be there that night to participate in his joy and admit they would never have missed it for anything.

"I had to be there that night," says Wang. "Hemant is my buddy. He is one of the most down-to-earth people and we go back a long way, more than 20 years actually. At that time, he had come to Mumbai after different postings across India and I was a small cook. I always spoke to him on his ideas on food and that has continued. We exchange ideas till today."

No one knows that Wang has a pet name for his friend. "I call Hemant Goldfinger," he laughs. "That's because he has that certain touch; no one can replicate the taste he can evoke in food. I always go to the Zodiac Grill at the Taj for his Lobster Thermidor and I make sure that only Hemant makes it for me!"

Jafferbhai also shares a 20-year-old camaraderie with Oberoi. "When I first got to know him, I had three restaurants back then," he says. "He's watched me grow. Hemant would often tell me that I was a one-man show."

Jafferbhai recalls how Hemant "must have" the dabba gosht, white chicken, and biryani he makes. "He calls me guru," smiles Mumbai's 'biryani king'. He also admits that he has been part of all Hemant's family functions over the years. "I can never miss his birthday," he says, and explains how all the functions are always elegant, just like the reception. "Aadmi ki kamyaabi vahin se pata chalti hain," he says with a smile.