Legendary Chef Marco Pierre White, fresh from an India visit, tells us about his experience this time with World on a Plate at the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, with an exclusive pop-up – a Masterclass, followed by an exquisite dinner prepared by him. Lifestyle Insider gets the scoop.

Born in the UK, Chef Marco Pierre White became the youngest chef in the world and the first British chef to earn three Michelin stars. Responsible for training luminaries such as Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay, Chef Marco has gone on to found a slew of restaurants, steakhouses, and has starred in TV shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef Australia. We catch up with him in Mumbai, at a special dinner for World on a Plate, at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Lifestyle Insider: Welcome back to India. What do you find changes each time you visit India, in the culinary space?

Chef Marco Pierre White: Can I say is when I come to Mumbai or to India. I can't say this about any other country in the world, but I've never eaten badly in India. I've always eaten deliciously well, which tells you a lot of about India. And that's why it's my favourite countries in the world. Because when you go to a country and the food's not great, you don't want to go back there. Foods very important or should I say deliciously important.

LI: Who would you say was your greatest mentor and why?

MPW: Well my father, firstly, he was a man of few words. But he said to me, never call in sick. Always go to work. Never ask how much you are going to get paid. Never ask your position when you go for a job. Never look at your watch. If you have to work 100 hours, then work 100 hours a week. They're working class values. I still have them today. I never look at my watch. If I get the job in hand, I keep my head down and I keep on pushing.

LI: What has changed in the fine dining experience in the last four decades – since your days with Chef Raymond Blanc? What are diners looking for today?

MPW: Today, you look at a lot of restaurants. They're not two Michelin stars or maybe three. We used to do over 200 meals a day. And they have a set menu, ours was a la carte. It's kind of impossible. And then they say to you, they tell you what you're eating to tell you how to eat it. You have one little mouthful, and then say, did you enjoy it? They do that 12 or 18 times. They ask you that question. When you go to have dinner do you go to have dinner with the waiter? Or with your family or your loved ones? That's about them, isn't it? It’s about their evening not yours. You're paying them. It's about them. You going to a restaurant should be about you and them making your evening in my opinion, rather than being patronized.

LI: Seasonal ingredients and sustainable ingredients – it’s a hot topic these days - Chef Marco what’s your take on seasonality and going local? When can one break the rules?

MPW: Sustainability. That's a much larger conversation. But I think quite possible. It's as simple as that.

LI: What is your favourite Indian dish and why?

MPW: I do not have one particular meal, I have lots actually. I like Indian food. The way that the rice and the meat is cooked makes a difference. I had the most delicious meal downstairs at San:Qi. Lamb biryani. It was sensational. It was lamb cooked on the bone, and the best part was digging the marrow out at the end.