A truly mind-blowing sensory experience with music pairing in The World’s 50 Best No. 17: Restaurant Gaggan Anand (6. January 2024)

Visiting Gaggan Anand has been on my to do list since December 2018. Back then, I tried to get a table at ‘Gaggan’ when in Bangkok, but it turned out to be impossible. Well, to be fair, I get why. If he was only close to what he offers today, then it’s no surprise that he is booked out for months, and to be fair, we had booked about 4-5 months earlier just to make sure we would get a table. Given there are only 14 seats, it’s not a given you would get a table. Also, there is one menu, which you have to fully prepay at the time of booking and it comes with a wine or juice pairing. And while the price is quite heavy with 14’124 THB per person, it’s worth paying for.

In any case, once you’ve arrived at The World’s 50 Best No. 17, you’re seated in the outside area by the bar where the staff takes good care of you with a bit of water and a few jovial jokes.

Then, it’s time to move inside. And you’re seated at your predetermined spot with a little ‘welcoming decoration’. Now, what is key here, is to be on time, else you miss part of the dinner, and part of the show. One seat didn’t show up on time (about 30′) late, and he had missed quite a part of the experience. So, make sure to be on time.

What is great is that the kitchen crew is right in front of you during this whole spectacle. You can watch them prepare everything throughout the evening – which is truly enjoyable.

The first course, called “Yogurt Explosion” was basically a little bit of tiki …

… which was then topped off with a yogurt sphere …

… so you would eat it in one bite from your hand, and it was a good start to cleanse your palate and get started. And obviously, with the ‘tiki’, you have this pop on your tongue, which makes you crave for more. And more you get.

The next course was the “Amaebi Shiso Papadum (prawn, tapioca, caviar, papadum with sago, ume, amaebi, shiso vinegar, finger lime)”, which laid focus on the fresh prawn, and it was delicious.

Then, it was time for a “mushroom truffle (cookie (no egg, no flour, no sugar), air fried mushrooms with black truffle and cashew nuts)”, which was – to my surprise – actually amazing. So, so far, I was like, okay, I get it why this guy is ranked so high.

And that feeling continued with the “Murku South Indian Paper (paper with curry leaf, tamarind, coconut oil, coconut milk from South India)” since the bite was just great. I mean, it’s hard to describe, but it was a perfect start into a memorable dinner.

Then, it was time for Gaggan to show up in the kitchen. And that is something I somehow truly admire. Despite his fame, despite the fact that he wouldn’t have to be there to make it work, he is still there and performs the show. I mean, honestly, respect. I have seen chefs still being around like Massimo Bottura in the Osteria Francescana who also comes by briefly to talk to you and ask if everything is okay, or René Redzepi in the noma 2.0, who seems to be a massive introvert and actually does not come by to talk to you despite the fact that he is in the kitchen. But a chef at that level really performing the dinner, I haven’t experienced.

Next in line was “Onion has a brain (onion, beetroot)” and here, the storytelling really began. The story was that this is the brain from a local, sustainably grown rat, since it was important to Gaggan to be sustainable. And that theme went through the whole evening. At first, you laugh, then you wonder, and finally, you realise that he is basically pointing out what’s wrong with the restaurant industry – the whole hype around being sustainable and that so many places just ‘greenwash’ themselves, while it is actually key that – as a restaurant – you are sustainable.

Next in line was the “Asparagus Sunflower (asparagus, mousse, wasabi, lemon)”. You don’t get the menu upfront, but at the end of the dinner, hence, you don’t really know what you’re eating, but they made a contest of ‘what you’re eating’ and I suppose as a European this task is much easier than as an Asian, because the asparagus was already clear from the cut. And the bite was actually not only super pretty, but also delicious.

Now, there was a ‘dish within the dish’. Once you were done with the asparagus sunflower, they told you to dig in the dirt with your finger, and tada, there was the “beetroot spicy gorgonzola (gorgonzola, yellow chillies in a freeze drier, beetroot)”, which was a nice surprise. I haven’t been to many places where you have this kind of second level surprise.

You will find pictures of the crew working here and there, because I really liked that everything was prepared (or at least finished) in front of your eyes.

Next was the “Chole Bature (deep-fried bread injected with mousse of chick peas, onion and parsley mousse, served with a pickled onion on top)”, which was another amazing bite. The simplicity of the flavours in combination with the texture was just excellent.

Preparation for the next dish was in full course …

… while Gaggan explained the next course. And I like his humour. He was pointing out that the next course included ‘ethically force-fed foie gras’ – obviously as a joke – but, it was along these lines of being sustainable and caring for the environment, and that most people would just go by labels.

The “Irish Coffee Foie Waffle (waffle made of instant coffee, cheap Irish whiskey, butter, caramel, Irish coffee, cafe latte in a parfait, ethical foie gras with Serrano pate)” was definitely a bite of its own. The intensity of the flavours like foie gras and coffee was unique – and it actually went well together (something I hadn’t expected). Another great sensory surprise. And the fact that he decided to put two desserts in the middle of the menu is something quite unique. I suppose CODA (Dessert Dining in Berlin) is the only other place where you get desserts throughout the menu (to be fair, there you only get desserts).

Then it was time for “Salmon Eggs Ghewar (or what they call “our phantasy of an egg tarte”: kable (?) from Radschistan, milk fat, milk, milk solids, caramelised milk fat, winter wasabi ice cream, fish eggs from salmon cooked at 78 degrees, pepper leaves, freshly grated yuzu)” and it was a blast. Smooth, sweet, yet salty. Absolutely interesting!

Then the sensory experience heightened as the preparation now included light and music elements. It was interesting to see how he would basically use music as a pairing component besides the wines with quite a few of his courses.

While the ‘picture’ doesn’t show it, a video would. This was the finalisation of the dish by Gaggan, in full movement to the sound of the music, creating that dust of beetroot on top, but in a way it would kind of be all around in the air, and it was visible. Frankly, for me, this was a moment where you could see that he has passion for music – and combines it into cooking.

The “Rasam Oat Latte (latte, plant-based oat milk, spices, beetroot)” was a nice dish and the perfect transition to the next story …

… about the “rat squeezer”. In all seriousness, he explained how they used the ‘rat squeezer’ to mush the whole rat and take its blood for the next course. Plus, that they would get a special oil from the Japanese government from the Fukushima area to finish off the dish. When you read and write it like that, it has much less impact, but when you hear him talk about it, you see how serious he is in his criticism.

In any case, the “Bamboo Shoot Satay (plant-based meat)” finished off with …

… “Fukushima oil” applied by Gaggan himself was a nice bite. Not much of a rat flavour ;-) but nice!

The “Momo Methi Malai (momo, black garlic dough, green peas, cooked with champagne, sour cream and fennel creek oil)” was an absolutely delicious bite. The umami notes were just over the moon – and the combination of the momo, in that little sauce, was just wow.

Then, it was time for the “Taco Vinha d’Alhos (Goa-inspired, vindelu (?), pickled pork, hicama taco, salsa of green apples, pigs ears, bun chao, marinated with white wine garlic and salt, spices of vindelu (?), brushed apple juice)”, which was a light yet flavour-intense bite. The pork was tender, juicy and full of flavour. The hicama taco was light and didn’t add much in terms of flavour, but all the more in terms of texture.

For the next course, the kitchen crew and Gaggan were getting ready to serve …

… “colors of eggplant (eggplant charcoals, peanuts, tamarind, turnips, purrees)”, which looked truly interesting, and tasted as such as well. Frankly, the quality of the food is beyond question – delicious throughout.

Then, it was time for the “Charcoal Sancho Tsukune (jungle foal, nugget, black pepper, roots and herbs burned it to ashes to coat it, mozzarella)”, which was another super flavourful bite. What was a bit suboptimal was that the coating came off when you took it between your fingers, which made it a messy bite.

Next in line was “today’s catch tomato chutney (some fish wrapped in a leaf)”, which was burned in front of you. Given I just had to step out to wash my hands, I missed the explanation, and, of course, the setting wouldn’t wait for me. Hence, I can only assume what was in that banana leaf …

… which was then unwrapped by Gaggan and it was simple, but enjoyable.

What I liked is that Gaggan also took the time to say thanks to the kitchen crew and pointed out the individuals, who make this journey possible. Frankly, this doesn’t happen enough (and admittedly, depending on the setting, is often difficult to do).

Then it was time to prep the next dish …

… which was a “scallop ice cream lollipop (scallops, wrapped with seaweed, curry leaf sauce, coconut, pepper)”. I was like “what?!”. A scallop as a lollipop? But let me tell you, it really works in terms of flavour combination. And it’s much better than I had anticipated!

For the next dish, there was some proper grilling to be done …

… so the “Kuruma Ebi Hojicha (shrimp, shrimp butter, green tea leaf stocks, salt added, charcoal on the plate)” was cooked to perfection. The bite was amazing. I mean, it was really something full of flavour – loved it.

Then it got a bit confusing, as you got a grain of rice in front of you (for some reason, I got two ‘since I looked hungry’) :)

And Gaggan explained how the idea for the dish came from rice he had forgotten in a fridge and which grew to be long rice …

… but before it was time to prepare the dish, they showed the ingredients for the dish …

… finally prepared it …

… and then you would have the “fall mushroom aged rice (rice with mushroom stock cooked for 45‘, white truffle, salt)”. While it looked lovely with the white truffle, it was, unfortunately for me, the most disappointing dish that evening. Mainly, to be honest, because it was too dry. The rice was decent, the truffle was okay, but the whole thing was just lacking moisture – or a sauce.

Then, it was time for the last two dishes, obviously, as many others throughout this evening, accompanied by music. The “Orange Kulfi (ice cream sandwich)” was refreshing and felt like a dessert.

And finally, it was time for “It’s the end of the world as we know it”. You didn’t get cutlery. You got the plate. And the idea was to lick the dessert off the plate! Where have you ever, and in such a high-class restaurant, seen this? I sure haven’t! But I loved the idea (although it’s a bit messy with a beard).

Finally, you were able to have a look at the wine selection (as it was explained, but it wasn’t shown to you during the actual menu) …

… and the whole crew would come out to be there and you would be able to even take a picture with them.

Personally, I must admit, the experience at Gaggan Anand was one of a kind – amazing food, amazing sensory experience, perfect storytelling, with an underlying message, which you do not find often in high-class gastronomy! If you have a chance to eat here, do it! But make sure you book months and months in advance!

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Gaggan Anand

68 Sukhumvit 31

Khlong Tan Nuea

Watthana

10110 Bangkok (TH)

Tel.: +66 988 83 10 22

E-Mail: reservations@gaggananand.com

Homepage: http://www.gaggan.com

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.