His creativity and talent does not need to be proven. It was evident in ample measure as The Chambers in the two Taj Mahal flagship hotels in Delhi and Mumbai presented a rendezvous with Michelin-starred Chef Yves Mattagne. It was Yves Mattagne’s first visit to India and perhaps the first visit to India by a Michelin Star Chef after the pandemic. The turnout was selective and those who came were, needless to say, impressed. Chef Mattagne loves to serve global cuisine deeply influenced by his trips abroad, apart from the classical French-Belgium cooking. Following a stint with the Belgian navy, Chef Mattagne got his first Michelin star in 1991, which was followed by a second star in 1997. In 2010, Yves became the owner of Sea Grill, which retained its two Michelin stars till its closure for renovation in 2019. He relocated to La Villa Lorraine in Uccle, Belgium in 2020, providing customers a fine casual and low dining experience with plenty of music Paired with a handpicked selection of beverages, Chef Mattagne delighted diners in Delhi and Mumbai with a seven-course meal, including exquisite seafood dishes like lobster flamed with single malt whisky, scallops and smoked eel. For vegetarians, there were plenty of options like burned avocado, white asparagus and kimchi coal with hardy pear. The sand carrots, white eggplant and hirame with oyster maki deserve special mention. “We present for our guests a special rendezvous where Chef unravels the secrets of the culinary world as he recreates the spirit of La Villa Lorraine,” said Satyajeet Krishnan, area director, New Delhi, and general manager, Taj Mahal, Delhi, while welcoming Chef Mattagne. Chef Mattagne was happy to have this collaboration and invited Indian guests to his restaurants in Belgium. In fact, the continental menus of Jet Airways during its halcyon days were created by Chef Mattagne for international flights more than a decade ago. His travels in Asia have also impacted his classical French cooking. “My team and I feel welcome and look forward to future culinary collaborations showcasing our signature flavours from La Villa Lorraine,” said Chef Mattagne at the conclusion of his two-city trip. While Chef Mattagne was having gourmands eat out of his hands, Chef Massimo Bottura, who runs Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, with three Michelin Stars, and has a waiting list running into several months, was in Mumbai. He had a couple of dinners in collaboration with Culinary Culture recently, where reservations vanished in 10 minutes with nearly a hundred on the wait list. His restaurants top best-selling charts where diners throng to try his contemporary version of Italian favourites. Chef Bottura draws references from art and artists and feels that chefs have to cook food like engineers build fast cars. “Food is similar to art and chefs are artisans obsessed about good food based on quality”, emphasised Bottura.