A different drum

A different drum

The chief alchemist/impresario at Bangkok's Gaggan spills (some of) the beans

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
A different drum

His passion for his art is infectious. At his eponymous restaurant, he takes time to explain his creations to diners and then natters on about street food, spices and new culinary techniques. The lucky ones who show an interest get a demonstration in the lab-cum-kitchen that is chock-a-block with the tools of his trade, both traditional and nouvelle.

Chef Gaggan Anand who mastered the secrets of scientific cooking at the elBulli academy.

Food writers are even offered a personal guided tour of hidden culinary gems, or favourite street-food stalls at the Or Tor Kor market. It is this one-track enthusiasm that, in a little over two years, has also propelled his establishment to the No.10 spot in Restaurant magazine's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and to 66th place on a list of the world's 100 best restaurants.

Setting up shop back in 2010 in a gorgeous, 85-year-old, whitewashed, colonial-style house, Gaggan Anand, a Punjabi who grew up in the city of Kolkata, then took Indian cuisine _ with its venerable 5,000-year history and assortment of influences _ and promptly turned it on its head. Using the deceptively simple mantra of "deconstruct and reconstruct", he broke down traditional recipes to their most basic elements and then recreated them using new cooking techniques, while retaining the original flavours. It's the core approach he returned with after a life-changing stint at the elBulli academy where he mastered the secrets of scientific cooking.

It was an experience, says Anand, of his time at what is considered, in equal portions, as the most controversial and most influential restaurant of our times, which changed his attitude to food and the way he wanted to cook.

"The way that I was taught as a chef and way elBulli taught me were completely different. I wanted to get to the bottom of flavours and use these techniques to extract the best flavours from Indian ingredients," says Anand, who first donned a toque in the kitchens of the famed Taj hotel group.

"My version of traditional recipes might have a modern presentation and texture, but the flavours are exactly what you find on the streets of India."

Why did you choose to become a chef? And, if not a chef, what would you have become?

I didn't have much of a choice, as I love food so much I have loved cooking from a very young age. I also love the drums and I still dream of becoming a drummer in a rock band.

What made you chose Bangkok as your stage?

I just followed my destiny and this is where it brought me.

No.10 in Asia, and No.66 in the world _ a meteoric rise for a restaurant that has been open for just two years. What do you attribute it to?

I would attribute it to my serious dedication to what I call progressive Indian cuisine, cooking with passion, respecting the science and traditions involved and making sure all the guests leave happy and come back for more.

With this recognition you have done your bit for putting Bangkok on the world gourmet map; how does that feel?

It's a proud moment, but with the recognition comes responsibilities. The path ahead is definitely going to be tough. Foodies from around the world consult the list and come expecting a certain standard of food, which we always try to live up to.

When you set up Gaggan restaurant, what was your primary motivation? Do you think you have achieved what you set out to do?

I wanted to change local people's outlook towards Indian food. And the biggest motivation [to continue] has been the Thais who keep asking for more.

How do you encapsulate in your menus the vast range of Indian flavours as well as the culinary traditions of all the different regions of India?

I travel to India more often nowadays to taste new dishes and revive old food memories. I make sure that the flavours and the inspiration of a recipe are not lost even if I deconstruct a dish and then reconstruct it.

What do you do to stay in touch with new trends?

I travel to eat and talk to different chefs I have become friends with. One has so much to learn _ from everywhere!

What at elBulli excites you?

It is my Vatican! I am waiting for its foundation to open and hope to be a part of it.

What is it like creating menus based on food memories?

You simply transform what you taste into how you think it should be represented. But you have to keep the integrity of the dish alive. A curry should be hot and served with rice or bread, and not ice cream.

What next for Gaggan?

It will be the "lab", which is [currently] under construction. I can't reveal much about it right now, but _ trust me _ this could change how we cook!

Name three things you regards as strengths of yours.

My passion for cooking, talking skills, and the ability to remain humble.

What is your favourite cuisine to cook, other than Indian?

It is Italian _ without a doubt!

Which person or people would you most like to cook for?

It would be a great honour to cook for His Majesty the King.

If cooking were music, what sort of music would you be creating?

Hard rock, for sure! In the same style as the band Silly Fools.

Last restaurant you ate at?

At the stall of the old lady who makes my favourite som tam; it's just outside my restaurant on Soi Lang Suan.

The dish on your menu that will follow you wherever you go?

It would definitely be the yoghurt explosion with the papdi chaat element.

Any guilty pleasures, foodwise?

[Laughs] It's a good thing that you specified it should be food! Definitely sweets and desserts. I've been diabetic from a young age, although I often cheat.

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