A young boy, on a visit to his mother’s ancestral home in Meerut (North Western India), is left fascinated by a bright yellow find. So contrastingly different from the usual fiery reds and deep greens, this prized yellow chili happened to fall in the hands of a boy destined to be arguably India’s most celebrated chefs, Sanjeev Kapoor himself.

So cherished was this find that many decades later, Sanjeev Kapoor opened up a whole chain of restaurants called Yellow Chili. Where Signature and Options are the chef’s ode to Indian fine-dining, Yellow Chili aims to be your cushy neighbourhood retreat for some seriously good, home-style Indian dishes.

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Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor needs no introduction. A food icon whose popularity and repute can be compared to the very launching pad that introduced him to the world, I have fond childhood memories of my mother tuning into his ‘Khana Khazana’ cookery show on the Zee TV Network. His ‘Shyam Savera’ recipe has become a party staple from my mother’s kitchen, and it is heartening to see he has branched out as a restauranteur in the foodie scene of Dubai.

I have dined at ‘Options by Sanjeev Kapoor’, and recently got invited to the fine-dining equivalent by the lovely Deepti Chandak from the Jive With Deepti blog. ‘Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor’ is located in Melia hotel, Bur Dubai and we were here for a sneak peek of the restaurant’s Iftar offerings.