Gaggan Anand, No Filters | From The Archives
Gaggan Anand, a name that reverberates through the culinary world with the force of a perfectly executed flavour bomb, has done it again. The master of the unexpected weilds his kitchen like a stage for culinary theater. His eponymous Bangkok restaurant, Gaggan, ascended to the zenith of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025. This victory isn't merely another accolade; it's a testament to Anand's relentless pursuit of reinvention, a defiant nod to the status quo. He's the man who dared to dismantle the rigid structures of fine dining, replacing starched linens with playful emojis, and traditional Indian flavours with a global, avant-garde twist. But the man has always been one to break boundaries and weave together magic.
Outlook Traveller delves into its archives from 2019 to dig up a rapid fire with the chef.
Settle the eternal debate—Delhi, Kolkata or Mumbai for its street food?
Kolkata. I was born there.
A Japanese dish you won't get enough of when in Japan?
Soba noodles. They are so different in every part of Japan!
One favourite Indian, Thai, and Japanese ingredient each...
Chilli and mango. Japan has Miyazaki mangoes, the most expensive in the world. Thailand has nam dok mai, and India has alphonso. The three countries have three different chillies, too! So I'm from a mango-chilli land, living in a mango-chilli land, and moving to a mango-chilli land!
A song you enjoy cooking to...
The live version of "Everlong" from the album "Skin and Bones" by Foo Fighters
Punjabi food or Bengali food?
I like puchka the Bengali way, and dahi papdi chaat the Punjabi way.
The wackiest food idea you've ever had?
"Lick it up," a dish where you lick the plate. We don't just encourage it; we force you for that! You can't eat in our restaurant without licking the plate otherwise you go home. We call an Uber for you. There's no pretense in my restaurant. Maybe I won't get another Michelin Star for it, f*** it. I'm happy with my Pirelli tyres.
Describe your cooking in three words.
Sex, lies, and videotapes.
What are you up to when not in the kitchen?
Playing drums or with my daughter, or travelling.
An advice that helped your cooking?
Ferran Adrià [of El Bulli fame] told me to use his technology and create my own cuisine. I'm not a copy or a mimic—and if he was Moses, I'm just carrying the commandments. He made the tools and the art, I'm just using his art to make my tools.
Cooking as an art or cooking as a science?
Both. It's a mix.
When the time comes, which country will you retire to?
I die when I stop cooking! You need seasons. You need winter to show off your jackets, and summer to show off your body.
Best country for a foodie to visit?
Every country. Then the foodies become more knowledgeable. If you think your country makes the best food, you're the biggest idiot. Every country has its own culture and its own food—except Dubai.
A learning from your travels that has helped with your cooking?
Touch raw food and make it rawer. In India, there's no raw dish. Sushi is the biggest disaster of this country.
In food, modern reinterpretation or traditional fare?
Both. Nostalgia, memory, fantasy. Jimi Hendrix, then Eric Clapton, then Guns N' Roses, and hopefully not Justin Bieber.
The next "big thing" in the culinary world
I can't say that. I don't think one thing can become the next big thing, and if we stupidly give the fame to that one big thing, we're idiots.
