Gaggan is a “modern Indian” (you will see what I mean in the pics below) in Bangkok Thailand. Since its opening in 2010, it has consistently ranked in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and the Michelin Guide. Currently, as of 2023, it is ranked as 17th on the World’s 50 Best. Gaggan closed his original restaurant in 2019 and reopened in the current location. I had a reservation to visit in 2020, but due to COVID, I had to cancel; so here we are again in 2023, finally made it to Gaggan. The arrival reception was disorganized and disappointing for such a renowned restaurant. He actually has 2 restaurants in the same building and there was some confusion as to where we should check in. Then, upon checking in, there was only a tiny area for us to wait as the dining room was not ready yet. There was a bar, but the hostess did not offer a seat for a drink or anything other than “wait”. Also, it was raining at the time and the waiting area is not covered! Anyway, when we were finally led into the dining room, we were shown to a table on the very edges of a U-shaped table with a very bad view of the kitchen “stage”. I asked to move and eventually, they sat us closer to the center. TIP: You should make sure you get a seat near the center for a good view of the amazing experience to come! The dining room itself was very impressive and almost had a nightclub like atmosphere which would be very appropriate later!
At each place, there was an interesting plate.
The first “course” was yogurt, placed directly in your hand.
The meal basically consisted of a series of small snacks and bites. With each course, a chef, or Gaggan himself, would put on a huge production preparing the dish and a big story explaining the concept. I should also note that all the drink pairings were included. After the yogurt, another series of bites.
This ball was made of mushrooms, and basically, that’s all I remember from the night. #1 the atmosphere was so FUN that if you take notes, you will not enjoy the meal #2 they serve so much wine and drinks, its very hard to remember each dish.
At this point, the man himself showed up. We were lucky because he was here this evening and stayed with us throughout the entire meal. Someone I bought a dinner for here a few weeks later was not so lucky and Gaggan didn’t show up at that dinner.
Here is an example of how funny and entertaining he is.
…and more food…
During some parts of the meal, I felt like I was watching a mad scientist. He truly is a creative genius in the culinary world.
Have a look at this use of neon!
I remember this was a biryani.
As the night progressed, and as people drank more, the music got louder, and the place felt like a really really fun nightclub!
At this point, we moved on to desserts.
For the last dessert, we were asked to lick the plate!
Overall, except for the weird reception, service was beyond incredible. The meal itself was so fun, creative and unique. I don’t remember if the food was good or not, I know some dishes were really yummy, but frankly, I don’t care in this case. The whole experience was 100 out of 10. I would return and highly recommend you experience it for yourself!