New Delhi, 16 Feb

Renowned chef Imtiaz Qureshi, who was credited with the culinary excellence of ITC Hotels, passed away at the age of 93. The news of his demise was shared by chef Kunal Kapoor on Friday.

Taking to X, Kunal Kapoor posted, "With great sadness and a heavy heart, I regret to inform you of the heartbreaking news of the passing of Padma Shri Chef Mr Imtiaz Qureshi, who departed from this world earlier this morning (Friday)." "His culinary legacy and contributions will forever be remembered and cherished. May his soul find eternal peace and may his memory continue to inspire us all," Kapoor added.

Chef Ranveer Brar also paid his condolences. "Lucknow has lost its biggest ambassador. As a Lucknow boy with dreams of becoming a chef, the folklore of Imtiaz Qureshi is something I grew up with. It was around 1999 when I was working as a trainee chef at the Taj in Delhi. I remember once taking the Rs. 612/- I had earned to ITC Maurya next door and trying out the Galouti Kebab . It's an extremely sad moment for me, for everybody in Lucknow..am currently in a state of shock," Brar wrote on Instagram.

Brar also recalled his meetings with the maestro. "Every interaction of mine with the maestro, was about Lucknow, his growing up years in Lucknow, his time at the Raj Bhavan, his time when he opened the beautiful Clarks restaurant.. And so much more. Sometimes you just can't accept that someone's no more. This is one of those moments...The fact that I was eating Imtiaz Qureshi's food in an ITC hotel was life changing for me. Not only had he pulled the dum pukht technique out of Lucknow, he had given it a personality, an unmistakable refinement.RIP chef, your legacy lives on forever," he wrote.

Singer Adnan Sami also mourned Chef Qureshi's death, posting from his X handle, "Sad to learn that PadmaShri Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi has passed away. He was a culinary genius and a man full of zeal for life!! He was also the modern day father of Awadhi Cuisine & his Biryani was legendary amongst everything else he fed the world."

Born into a family of chefs in Lucknow in 1931, Imtiaz Qureshi started his journey at a young age and went on to create world-renowned brands such as Delhi's Bukhara and Dum Pukht. In 2016, the Union government awarded him the fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, for his contribution to culinary art.