It's time for Gaggan 2.0

The world's most famous Indian chef reinvents himself and finds even more success

All of us know that Gaggan Anand is the world's greatest Indian chef. It isn't just the accolades (two Michelin stars, number one on Asia's 50 Best four years in a row, his own Chef's Table episode etc.), it is also that he broke into that exclusive club of great chefs in Japan, Europe and the Americas who had always thought of Indian food as no more than a chilli-filled, ethnic cuisine. Gaggan was the first chef to demonstrate that ours was one of the world's great cuisines and that it deserves to be treated with respect. Even now, he is the one Indian chef whose name means something to all of the world's top chefs.

So, how come we heard so little of him during the pandemic? Good question. And the answer is complicated.

The pandemic could not have come at a worse time for Gaggan. He had just fallen out with his partners at the original Gaggan restaurant and walked out. The staff had followed him to a new restaurant (called Gaggan Anand rather than just Gaggan) and it seemed like he had pulled off a successful transition.

Then, the pandemic struck and Thailand shut down. Gaggan was not worried. He thought it would take another three months for everything to return to normal. He had saved enough money to see him through, so he told his staff to treat the period as an extended holiday.

Of course, it did not work out that way. Thailand stayed shut for nearly two years. The foreign foodies who flocked to the restaurant, lured by the star quality attached to Gaggan’s name, stayed away. And Gaggan’s savings ran out. Though somehow, he managed to hang on to the building where his restaurant was located.)