Culinary rock star Gaggan hungry for success

In a Nirvana T-shirt, self-styled “culinary rock star” Gaggan Anand expresses no regrets about killing his golden goose – a two-Michelin-starred Bangkok restaurant ranked among the best in the world.

“Sudden things in life are not planned, like a hurricane, like a typhoon. It just comes, you deal with it,” the 41-year-old said in his loft-style apartment in the Thai capital, with fridges covering an entire wall, a long dining table, and a bookshelf-size pantry.

The imminent closure of “Gaggan,” where a 25-course meal in a colonial villa costs 8,000 baht (US$270), stunned the culinary scene.

Gaggan’s shock move sent foodies in a spin as reservations were canceled.

To some, it was a puzzling act of self-sabotage, but to the mercurial and blunt Gaggan, the move was hastened by creative necessity after a dispute over shares with business partners.

“I am tired. I am laughing. I am crying. I AM JUST A HUMAN,” he said last week in an emoji-laden Instagram post in which he apologized to customers and said “64 rebels” had walked out with him.

“At the age of 41 the biggest lesson I learned was never leave anyone behind!!” he wrote, admitting he gets “too emotional sometimes.”

He confirmed that his new, more intimate space will probably open in October and will host 40 diners per evening.

Ambition

Still, his ambition remains expansive.

“In ten years I will be one of the greatest chefs of the 21st century. A world star,” he said, looking through big black glasses.

“Every year, at least 20,000 tourists already make the trip to Bangkok to try my cooking.”

A disciple of the Catalan master of molecular cuisine Ferran Adria, Gaggan opened his eponymous restaurant in 2010 in Bangkok’s glitzy business district.

Five years later it catapulted into Asia’s 50 best restaurants.

In Thailand’s 2018 edition of the Michelin guide, it nabbed two stars, and this year was fourth-ranked globally in the World’s 50 Best, a list that received criticism in the past for not being more inclusive.

The hit Netflix show “Chef’s Table” followed Gaggan around the city as he shopped in local markets or prepped meals in the kitchen.

His secret for success: serving up molecular – or what he calls “progressive” – gastronomy in Asia and revolutionizing Indian cuisine by introducing Japanese and even South American influences.

Among his creations are foie gras with goat’s brains, spherical yogurt served on a spoon, and an oyster topped with horseradish cream, a dish he calls “Viagra.”

For one course customers are also encouraged to lick their plates as the “Kiss” song “Lick It Up” blares out over speakers.

He hopes to bring the same unexpected flair to his new venture this time using his full name Gaggan Anand.

A former drummer and rock lover, Gaggan likes to listen to Nirvana or Red Hot Chili Peppers in the kitchen.

“I’m a culinary rock star, an anti-conformist,” he said smiling.

Born in 1978 in an underprivileged part of Calcutta, he began cooking with his mother “who made simple but incredible dishes.”

Decision

At 18 he enrolled in a hotel school, then set up a meal delivery business.

In 2007, separated from his first wife, he decided to start afresh and came to Thailand with only “a few hundred dollars.”

After working at several restaurants, he made a snap decision to set up his own after a booze-fuelled evening with friends.

He convinced the team at the then-number one restaurant in the world, Adria’s El Bulli in Spain, to take him on as an intern.

“I discovered the emotional experience of cooking: mixes of flavors, textures and incredible techniques, I wanted to apply his revolutionary methods in Asia.”

Gaggan’s project was ascendant for almost 10 years.

But the disagreement with business partners spelled the end.

“My next venture will be driven from love and pure passion, he wrote about his new project.

AFP