Their camaraderie is brilliant. Chef Harish Rao and Hussain Shahzad, Executive Chef, Hunger Inc. Hospitality, have known each other for over 10 years, since they first met at Sea Salt, a small-boat seafood restaurant in Chennai. “Whatever the fishermen brought in that morning, chef cooked. It could be three prawns, a big fish, and a handful of small ones. What struck me about Chef Harish was how he brought out the best in each ingredient. Prawns butter-fried, the big fish turned into a coastal-style curry, the collars used for another preparation, and the heads transformed into something entirely different. His food wasn’t about gimmicks or overcomplication; it was honest, versatile cooking with pure, clean flavours. That was my first impression of him, and it stayed with me,” says Hussain.

For Rao, too, who now heads Hosa, a restaurant that has been stirring things up in Siolim with its fresh take on South Indian food, minus the gimmicks, there have been many fun moments, but one that stands out is when 10 chefs cooked together for the longest table in Chennai in 2024. “We cooked his favourite ingredient — duck. It was truly memorable and so much fun,” laughs Rao. Hussain is amazed at how calm he is under pressure. “While the rest of us came with prep and teams, I was roasting and carving 25 ducks; Harish hadn’t prepped a thing. Yet, when his turn came, he pulled everything together from scratch, with absolute ease. It was effortless, almost magical, and so inspiring,” adds Hussain.