“Extremely radical, a sitcom in a restaurant, a Bohemian Rhapsody of food,” those are just a few ways Indian topchef Gaggan Anand describes his restaurant Gaggan in Bangkok, which opened in 2019. Food Inspiration sat down with Asia’s most awarded chef for a one-on-one interview.

The concept behind restaurant Gaggan

In 2010, Anand opened his first restaurant in Bangkok. It was crowned Asia’s best restaurant multiple times before closing its doors in 2019. A few months later, he launched a new restaurant in the same city. It carried the same name - Gaggan - but came with a far more rebellious concept. Today, the restaurant ranks number nine on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and yet again…number one on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

With only 14 seats and open just four days a week, the experience is intimate and immersive. Guests are seated side-by-side in a U-shape facing the open kitchen. Over the course of two and a half hours, 22 dishes are served. The full experience, including drinks, comes in at around $470.

Anand designed all the dishes and developed the entire concept himself. “This restaurant is not about one culture or one cuisine. It’s a show full of surprises, but the biggest wow factor lies in the food,” he says. “There’s not a dull moment while eating. It’s like a rollercoaster you enjoy until the very last second.”

Thai street rat on a plate

The restaurant is more like a theatre, complete with music, light shows, and guests and chefs singing and clapping along. Humor plays a big part in the experience. At one point, Anand tells diners he’s serving Thai street rat.

“We catch them and feed them grass every six hours for 21 days. Then we bleach them and steam them. We serve the rat brain with beetroot juice – street to table,” he says. What the guests actually eat remains a mystery until the end of the night.

Anti-fine-dining

“At my restaurant, you’ll sing along to Last Christmas in the middle of summer, guests join in on cooking battles, and there’s a light show. It’s an anti-fine-dining restaurant,” says Anand. “In a traditional fine dining setting, you’re judged by what you wear, who you are, and how much you spend on wine. But in my place, it’s all about making memories. Guests forget the world’s problems while they’re here. I heal people with food.”

From drummer to topchef

Before becoming a chef, Anand was more into music than cooking. He was a drummer in a local rock band. His cooking journey began in 1997.

“For over 27 years, I’ve held a chef’s knife for the right reasons. My first 12 years in India gave me the solid foundation for who I am today.” He learned much about molecular gastronomy at Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli, a restaurant that was named best in the world multiple times. “Adrià is a big inspiration to me, but most of my ideas come from life - from traveling, meeting people, and learning about different cultures.”

Memories on a plate

At his first restaurant, Anand gained fame by reimagining traditional Indian dishes in entirely new ways, blending Indian spices and flavors with modern techniques to create surprising, unusual taste experiences.

“At the current Gaggan, guests taste my memories,” he says. Memories from India, but also from his travels around the world. From a broccoli cookie that melts in your mouth to a mid-dinner dessert containing a waffle, foie gras, and coffee.

He got the idea for a stroopwafel-based dish during a visit to Belgium for the Tomorrowland festival. “I’m lactose-intolerant, so I thought foie gras could be a great substitute for butter in this dish,” he explains.

A research-driven approach

“We have a Research & Development team that’s constantly busy,” he says. “But what I’ve learned in recent years is that less is more. I see it in the restaurants around me too. People go overboard with edible flowers and fancy presentations, but it’s the taste that should matter most. With fewer elements on the plate, guests can better judge whether it tastes good.”

Investor and culinary visionary

Besides Gaggan, Anand also owns Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh, located above the main restaurant, where Mexican and Indian flavors collide. He also co-founded a restaurant in collaboration with Louis Vuitton in Bangkok.

“We created a beautiful space where food becomes fashion. But I also love helping other chefs.” He’s invested in Gaa by Garima Arora and in Sühring, run by twin brothers Mathias and Thomas. Both Bangkok-based restaurants have been awarded two Michelin stars as of 2024.

Gaggan Anand on the future

What’s next for Anand? “Ten years ago, I never imagined I’d be doing this, so who knows where I’ll be in another ten? I still dream of opening a boutique hotel with ten rooms and a restaurant where I cook straight from nature. But I also see potential in something like a salad bar - or a curry house.”

“The most important thing is that I stay happy with what I’m doing. I see my life like a candle. I control how fast it burns.”