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Gaggan Anand
Sunday 1 February 2015
Gaggan
Bangkok, Thailand
A Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) native, Gaggan Anand showed his passion for cooking from an early age and to this day presents many of his mother’s home style recipes. After completing his diploma in Hotel Management he worked for the Taj Group at Orient Express and Zodiac Grill and as a young chef of just 22 had the honour of cooking for former US President Bill Clinton. He has also travelled with His Excellency Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, personally taking care of all his culinary needs.
Having achieved all of the goals in India, Gaggan moved to Thailand in 2007. He took the helm at contemporary Indian restaurant Red Bangkok quickly establishing a reputation as a talent to be recognised and food critics were soon heralding his food as revolutionary. Indeed, the international press compared Gaggan’s work to that of chefs at international Michelin-starred restaurants.
Eventually seeking fresh challenges, he became chef de cuisine for Bangkok’s Lebua Hotels and Resorts, where he was part of one of the most thriving food and bevarage operations in all of Thailand. However pursuing his dream, he, along with three other friends, decided to create their very own restaurant ‘Gaggan’.
While the restaurant was being renovated, Gaggan left for a once-in-a-lifetime chance – he interned with the research team of Spain’s famed El Bulli, under the inspiring Ferran Adrià of Catalonia.Gaggan was the first Indian and just the second Asian ever to enter through the hallowed doors of this extraordinary laboratory. Although he was only able to spend a few short months there, he considers his time at the nirvana of culinary knowledge one of true enlightenment.
Gaggan is a chef with simple recipes made elegant by exotic presentation and futuristic cooking techniques. What he does with passion is translate the recollections of his roots into modern, innovative dishes; providing simple solutions that are authentically Indian, but successfully bridge the culinary divide between East and West.
Anand’s restless creativity and sense of fun has helped his restaurant become one of Asia’s most fashionable destination restaurants, loved by celebrities, the Thai royal family and international gastronomes alike.