Interview: Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar

He said: "I've often looked at Canary Wharf and I came close to agreeing to develop something there last year for the Pavilion. As it was the financials unfortunately didn't work out so I pulled out, but who knows, I might do something there in future."

Canary Wharf's loss was Hampshire's gain as the award-winning chef opened a restaurant there instead, but Atul is heading this way next month when he takes part in the Taste of Christmas event at Excel, where he will be dishing up ideas for alternative seasonal cuisine.

The Indian-born chef is famed for his use of spices and he'll be showing off his talents to full effect at the show.

He said: "I'll be doing some cookery demonstrations with fish. I love doing fish because it's easier to cook it in the time slot you get.

"There will be two recipes - grilled jumbo prawns marinaded in cumin, coriander, lime and red chili, served with a papya salad, and tilapia marinaded in tamarind and roasted with toasted cumin, coriander and ginger, served with a salsa of pineapple and red chili.

"They might not seem like everyone's idea of Christmas food but usually people are sick of things like turkey by the end of December - these dishes are designed to get people thinking of spring."

Having lived in the UK for over 16 years Atul, 39, has firmly established himself as one of the leading lights of innovative Indian cuisine. The recipe for success is very simple, he says.

"It's all about adapting the food of the country and giving it an Indian twist," he said. "Boundaries are there to be pushed and that's what I try to do. I like to adopt and adapt.

"British Indian food is very different to the traditional food in India. I like to go to India and find new things that I can adapt for the UK, to give them a twist. It's a different style here and it's been accepted and been very successful.

"But I'm thinking about opening a restaurant or two in India and taking some of the ideas from here over there to try and push some of their limitations. There are a lot of possibilities with food."

The Taste of Christmas is at Excel from December 4-6. For details visit tasteofchristmas.com.