How Gaggan Anand rose from a ‘poor child of India’ to become a world-famous chef
Progressive chef has infused his Indian dishes with Japanese elements and
taken new menus to the peak of international cuisine
Gaggan Anand is known for his international cuisine, and also for being down to earth. But then the Kolkata-born 39-year-old is justifiably proud of the “Poor child of India” roots that drove him to become the top chef in Asia.
Singaporean diners warmed to Anand’s informality in March 2015, when the experimental “progressive” chef arrived in a T-shirt and a pair of shorts to the keenly awaited Tiger’s Milk Gang ceviche event at Ola Cocina Del Mar, an equally unpretentious Spanish eatery in Marina Bay Financial Centre.
Hosted by the restaurant’s Peruvian owner Daniel Chavez, the event featured four of Peru’s international top chefs, Virgilio Martinez, Gastón Acurio, Rafael Piqueras and Mitsuharu Tsumura. Since that day, Anand has felt confident and comfortable in his own skin and has risen to the peak of international cuisine. He is acutely aware of what he wants.
A day after that memorable event, Anand’s namesake restaurant in Bangkok, Gaggan, was named Number 1 at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. It continued to hold the top spot on the Asian food list in 2016 and 2017.
“I feel emphatically emotional and excited,” says Anand, who grew up in a humble family of great cooks in his birthplace. “Despite poverty and other struggles in life, I’m lucky I am still cooking now.”
Anand might owe his Bangkok success to luck, but his restaurant’s consistently high ratings are a remarkable achievement for an Indian chef in the capital of Thai cuisine. Anand’s dishes aren’t exactly Indian, either, as they often feature Japanese inspirations, served carte blanche via a tasting menu. He first visited Japan in 2013 and soon became drawn to its culinary influences.
“After the third visit, I started weaving Japanese influences into my cuisine,” says Anand, who has now flown to Japan 71 times. “I admire the Japanese Zen art of cooking and how the cuisine is so simple and minimalist yet delicious.”