Gaggan Anand

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Gaggan Anand was born to Punjabi parents in 1979 in Kolkata. During his childhood, he was more interested in becoming a drummer than a chef. He also performed in some local rock bands before starting his career as a chef. Sharing his childhood memories on his official site he has stated I and my father would get fresh produce and create a menu that we would cook together and this became one of my fondest memories of childhood. I was always caught stealing food from the pots while dishes were cooking. I would dip pieces of bread into simmering curries and this simple act created such fond memories of food. I always wanted to be a musician. I dreamt of being a professional drummer in a band, but one day, as a teenager, I realized that my economical situation would never improve pursuing my dream as a musician, so I went to the next thing I knew best, which was cooking. I was admitted to IHMCT Kovalam in 1997, about as far away from home as one could be, and I never looked back. I never saw a horizon without the view of a kitchen with it. I remember my first cooking instructor recognizing raw talent in me. He observed as I cooked glazed carrots, caramel pudding, bread rolls, steak, mashed potatoes and beans, I remember it like it was yesterday. Since then, life has been a complete rollercoaster ride of a journey. Gaggan with his mother in his childhood.When he was six, the first thing that he made was instant noodles. He cried after cooking it because it did not look like the picture on the package.Sharing about his family in an interview, he said, I grew up cooking with my parents, eating home cooked food with conversations around the dinner table and discussions of menus and dishes to be cooked and served at celebrations and festivities. Thank god cooking is not work, but rather an act of love and affection from you to your loved ones..After receiving a diploma from the catering college, he began his training with the Taj Group. Later he left Taj Group and got married and started a catering company in Kolkata but the company failed. Then he spent one year doing a home delivery service from the Tollygunge area. He made 25 cents an hour. After this, his brother found him a job in 2003 to work in a cafeteria of a telecom companys office in Kolkata. In an interview, he said, I learned how to use $1 to make a meal that will satisfy a person..In 2007, he moved to Bangkok and worked with a restaurant that was specialised in Indian cuisine named Red. Sharing his journey in Bangkok, he said, When I arrived in Bangkok, I noticed there was no fine dining scene here, and I wanted to be the first. I always wanted to do something different. I worked with and followed the chefs in Europe who were elevating the world of fine dining, starting with Ferran Adria, he showed me that the whole world was into this heightened, playful dining culture. My mother always said dont play with your food but thats all we want to do now. Its a taboo. Asia was just opening its eyes to the new dining world and it was by luck we found ourselves in the right place at the right time so we took the opportunity..In 2009, he was in Spain in the Ferran Adris Alcia Foundation. He divorced his wife and went to Bangkok to study an Indian restaurant there. At that time, he met Rajesh Kewalramani, who became his fan and who encouraged Anand to open his own place. He opened his own restaurant named Gaggan in December 2010. The restaurant was on the list of The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants. He also became the first Indian chef to work with Ferran Adris research team at elBulli. Further, he worked with various restaurants in Bangkok. Gaggan with Ferran Adri.On the global level, the restaurant was ranked 17th in 2014.In 2015, 2016 and 2017, the restaurant Gaggan became the best restaurant in Thailand.It also won Asias best restaurant after appearing on the list of Asias 50 Best Restaurants. Restaurant Gaggan wins Asias Best Restaurant.The restaurant was on number 10th, 23rd, 7th and 4th overall in the world in The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 respectively.