There are collaborations, and then, there are synergies. Seated at a table inside the vividly done-up O Pedro in BKC — where a 19-day-long Asian themed festival will kick off this weekend — the chinwag between Hussain Shahzad, the restaurant's chef, and Bawmra Jap, chef-owner of Goa's popular celeb spot, Bomras', resembles the kind between a mentor and mentee.

Before them, there is an array of beautifully plated dishes, like the smoked corn gnocchi (Rs 425). It's a visually stimulating platter of corn tidbits sitting on a bed of richly dark banana flower ragu and a black sesame puree. Jap takes a bite, drifting away in contemplation and says, "It needs to be more firm."