Michael Jackson's Former Personal Chef Will Prepare Jackson's Favorite Dishes In Honor Of His Birthday

Michael Jackson's personal chef now has his own restaurant in Oakland, California, where he'll make some of the King of Pop's favorite dishes on August 29, the anniversary of his birthday.

Mani Niall, who opened Sweet Bar Bakery in 2012, was Jackson's personal chef for two years after he released the album Thriller.

Jackson was a Jehovah's Witness, so Niall did not celebrate Jackson's birthday during his time as the pop star's chef. To make up for lost time, he will prepare some of Jackson's favorite dishes, such as a pizza with shiitake mushrooms, Japanese eggplant, and roasted peppers; and "ookies," which are pecan cookies with maple sugar.

"His effect on my life is immeasurable and probably made me get serious about cooking," Niall told NBC Bay Area. "It was just a job until I met him. I saw how hard he worked at his craft and it was, well, inspirational. Plus he had fun with the people he met and worked with, sort of like the best part of running a food business."

The dishes will be offered for about a week. Jackson would have been 57 years old this year.