In a Nirvana
T-shirt, self-styled "culinary rock star" Gaggan Anand expresses no
regrets about killing his golden goose-a two-Michelin-starred Bangkok
restaurant ranked among the best in the world. "Sudden things in life are
not planned, like a hurricane, like a typhoon. It just comes, you deal with
it," the 41-year-old told AFP in his loft-style apartment in the Thai
capital, with fridges covering an entire wall, a long dining table, and a
bookshelf-size pantry.

The imminent
closure Saturday of "Gaggan", where a 25-course meal in a colonial
villa costs 8,000 baht ($270), stunned the culinary scene. Gaggan's shock move
sent foodies in a spin as reservations were cancelled. To some it was a
puzzling act of self-sabotage, but to the mercurial and blunt Gaggan the move
was hastened by creative necessity after a dispute over shares with business
partners. "I am tired. I am laughing. I am crying. I AM JUST A
HUMAN," he said this week in an emoji-laden Instagram post in which he
apologized to customers and said "64 rebels" had walked out with him.

"At the age
of 41 the biggest lesson I learned was never leave anyone behind!!" he
wrote, admitting he gets "too emotional sometimes". He told AFP that
his new, more intimate space likely opening in October will host 40 diners per
evening, but his ambition remains expansive. "In ten years I will be one
of the greatest chefs of the 21st century. A world star," he said, looking
through big black glasses.  "Every
year, at least 20,000 tourists already make the trip to Bangkok to try my
cooking."

Lick It Up    

A disciple of the
Catalan master of molecular cuisine Ferran Adria, Gaggan opened his eponymous
restaurant in 2010 in Bangkok's glitzy business district. Five years later it
catapulted into Asia's fifty best restaurants. In Thailand's 2018 edition of
the Michelin guide-the first for a country where cheap street food is famous-it
nabbed two stars, and this year was fourth-ranked globally in the World's 50
Best, a list that received criticism in the past for not being more inclusive.

The hit Netflix
show "Chef's Table" followed Gaggan around the city as he shopped in
local markets or prepped meals in the kitchen. His secret for success: serving
up molecular-or what he calls "progressive"-gastronomy in Asia and
revolutionizing Indian cuisine by introducing Japanese and even South American
influences. Among his creations are foie gras with goat's brains, spherical
yogurt served on a spoon, and an oyster topped with horseradish cream, a dish
he calls "Viagra". For one course customers are also encouraged to
lick their plates as the "Kiss" song "Lick It Up" blares
out over speakers.

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He hopes to bring
the same unexpected flair to his new venture this time using his full name
Gaggan Anand. A former drummer and rock lover, Gaggan likes to listen to
Nirvana or Red Hot Chili Peppers in the kitchen.  "I'm a culinary rock star, an anti-conformist,"
he said smiling.  Born in 1978 in an
underprivileged part of Calcutta, he began cooking with his mother "who
made simple but incredible dishes". 
At 18 he enrolled in a hotel school, then set up a meal delivery
business.

In 2007,
separated from his first wife, he decided to start afresh and came to Thailand
with only "a few hundred dollars". After working at several
restaurants, he made a snap decision to set up his own after a booze-fuelled
evening with friends. He convinced the team at the then-number one restaurant in
the world-Adria's El Bulli in Spain-to take him on as in intern.  "I discovered the emotional experience
of cooking: mixes of flavors, textures and incredible techniques, I wanted to
apply his revolutionary methods in Asia."

Gaggan's project
was ascendant for almost 10 years. But the disagreement with business partners
spelled the end. "I wanted to own more shares in the establishment, to
have more control, but my partners have refused," he told AFP. He said on
Instagram post he owned a 25 percent minority stake. But in the coming
restaurant, he wrote, his daughter will be the biggest shareholder, "so
you can be sure, my next venture will be driven from love and pure
passion."--AFP