For two leisurely hours one July afternoon, Gaggan Anand welcomed RADARLIST into his world.
It began with an up-close tour of the newly revamped Gaggan where he walked us through the restaurant and the ideas behind its latest chapter before we settled in at Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh for a conversation in which nothing felt rushed and very little was off limits.
Gaggan spoke candidly about reinvention, his relationship with success, why he no longer wants to be a brand, and his evolving definition of luxury. Along the way, we were joined by his longtime partner, Rydo Anton, who shared more about Raga, their forthcoming restaurant in India, from the story behind its name to what the pair hope to create for Gaggan’s homecoming.
We were also among the first to hear about Gaggan’s plans to venture into hotels, and the deeply personal idea of luxury that is shaping what comes next.
This is Gaggan Anand, up close and personal, on what he has built, what he is leaving behind, and what comes next.
RADARLIST: It’s not like you need an introduction but please indulge us and our readers by telling us a little about yourself, please.
Gaggan Anand: Hey, I’m Jim Morrison. I have a band called The Doors. They call me the Lizard King. We’re dead, and somehow we’re trying to stay alive. (Laughs.)
You want the real answer? I’m Gaggan, and I happen to be a chef. I was a musician first, and then someone told me, “Take a knife and do good things in life.”
I’ve been living in Thailand for 20 years now. I’ve had a restaurant called Gaggan for 15 years. We’ve changed locations, we’ve changed many things in life, but here we are again, waiting for you.
RADARLIST: Earlier you mentioned turning 47 and beginning to think about your future. Could you tell us about that, as well as your upcoming hotel and restaurant projects?
Gaggan Anand: Last year, I turned 47, and I asked myself, “Is this what I want to do for the next three years? The next ten? The next fifteen?”
Most people don’t even know what they’re doing tomorrow, but I look at my life at least 15 years ahead. If you don’t dream about those 15 years, how will they ever become true?
You have to daydream so you don’t accidentally create a nightmare.
While I was thinking about it, I realised the first thing I needed to do was make the very best version of the life I already had. That’s why we renovated Gaggan. We made it completely ours. Completely me. The theatre of Gaggan started as an idea last year, and this year it’s transformed into something almost impossible to describe. It isn’t something you can explain with words. You have to feel it. It’s like music. You can’t understand a song by reading its lyrics. In the same way, I can’t describe my food without you eating it and experiencing it for yourself.
After 18 months of going back and forth, trying things, failing, succeeding, changing directions, I realised that from the age of 48, which I am now, until I’m 50, this is the format I want to cook in. This version of Gaggan only started this month. Then I asked myself another question: what happens when I turn 50? That’s when I realised I wanted to open a hotel.
You have to daydream so you don’t accidentally create a nightmare.
RADARLIST: What inspired that decision?
Gaggan Anand: I asked myself, what is luxury? Today, luxury has become a watch, jewellery, a handbag, shoes, or posting a photo of caviar from your first-class flight. We live in such a materialistic world that everything has to be shown through what you own. Most of it is fake. You don’t own the airline. You’re only sitting in first class for twelve hours because you paid for it. So what are you trying to prove? That you’re insecure?
That’s when I realised I wanted to create a hotel that showed people luxury as something money cannot buy. That’s the vision behind Gaggan Hotels. Everything will be all-inclusive. You won’t pay separately for the room, the minibar, or anything else. Everything is included.
I believe in equality. I believe everyone deserves a first-class experience. Of course, luxury can’t be cheap, but I also believe we’ve misunderstood what luxury really means.
RADARLIST: So what does luxury mean to you?
Gaggan Anand: Freedom. I once had an argument with a lady who said luxury means something big. I disagreed. Luxury is freedom. She came from a first-world country, so I didn’t want to argue with her, because I don’t think she understood.
In a third-world country, freedom is one of the greatest luxuries we have. Freedom of speech. Freedom to eat what I want. Freedom to do what I want. Privacy. Inclusivity. Immersion. That’s what Gaggan Hotels will be. In many ways, what Gaggan is today will eventually evolve into that hotel experience.
RADARLIST: Was there a specific moment that made you want to reinvent the old Gaggan?
Gaggan Anand: Gaggan was like a band. Today, we’re living in an era where people don’t listen to music anymore. They listen to brands. Restaurants have become brands too. People travel with checklists. If you’re in Bangkok, you have to eat at Jay Fai. If you’re in Paris, you have to eat at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. If you’re in Italy, you have to eat at a trattoria. I think that’s completely wrong. I want people to discover things. Discovery is part of life.
At one point, I realised I had become a brand, and I wasn’t even in control of that brand anymore. So I asked myself, how do I stop being a brand and become a band again?
As a musician, every album represents a different era. Picasso had his Blue Period. Queen had different musical eras. Every artist evolves. When I was in my thirties, I had my first Gaggan era. A huge house. Fifty guests. Two seatings every night. The most successful restaurant in Asia and one of the best in the world. Then I needed a break. COVID became that break. I removed every negative thing from my life. I cut away everything that wasn’t really part of me. Then I started Gaggan again after COVID.
RADARLIST: During those years, your restaurant returned to the top of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants several times. Did that change how you viewed success?
Gaggan Anand: People always talk about rankings. In 2025, we became Number One in Asia again. That was the fifth time.
When you read the phrase “a warrior struggling to stay relevant,” I wrote that because, at 48 years old, I’m still trying to prove to myself that I can cook. That’s the saddest thing about our industry.
Everything follows fashion. “This chef is Number One.” “Now he’s Number Five.” “This year he’s Number Three.” Does that suddenly mean I’m not as good as last year? I don’t want to be that person. We had two Michelin stars. Then I had disagreements with Michelin. Eventually we talked, apologised to each other, and agreed on certain things. We received one star. People said, “That’s where he belongs.”
I loved hearing that. Give me that. Most people who criticise me have never even met me. They call me arrogant. My question is always the same: Have you ever met me? That’s who I am.
RADARLIST: Earlier when we toured the restaurant, you described the new Gaggan as art. How would you define that art?
Gaggan Anand: It’s performance-based art. There are many forms of art. Painting. Music. Cinema. Our art is performance. You come into the restaurant and watch chefs perform with skill and technique. Then I add music. I add theatre. I add my personality. It’s rock and roll. It’s punk. Punk isn’t green hair. Rock and roll isn’t a costume. It’s a personality. Ozzy Osbourne wasn’t pretending to be Ozzy Osbourne. He simply was. That’s the difference.
RADARLIST: Your restaurant also asks guests to put away their phones. Why is that important to you?
Gaggan Anand: People have become obsessed with social media. Husband and wife. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Parents. Grandparents. Everyone sits in restaurants looking at their phones. You’re on a Valentine’s date. I remember my first Valentine’s Day. There were no phones. There was music. Food. Wine. Looking into each other’s eyes. Where is that love now? Where is the joy of sitting in a restaurant and forgetting about the rest of the world? Imagine you’re a mother. Your one-and-a-half-year-old child is safely with the nanny. For the first time in weeks, you’re finally having dinner alone with your husband. Instead of enjoying that moment, you’re scrolling through TikTok. I understand that being an influencer has become a profession. I respect that. But I grew up listening to vinyl records. Then cassette tapes. Then CDs. Then MP3 players. Then Steve Jobs changed everything. My generation adapted constantly. We evolved. That’s why I’m always willing to change. Not because I’m radical. Not because I’m unpredictable. Because I’m mutable.
“At 48 years old, I’m still trying to prove to myself that I can cook.That’s the saddest thing about our industry.”
RADARLIST: Would you say the restaurant today is more of an extension of yourself?
Gaggan Anand: It’s not an extension. It’s me. It’s not even a mirror. It’s exactly who I am. If I hadn’t done what I’ve done, would I have a good night’s sleep? For the last month, I’ve been telling my team that we’re having the best sleep of our lives. We’re tired because we work so hard, but we’re sleeping well because, finally, we’re doing exactly what we want to do.
I am a rebel. There are two kinds of rebels. I hate the ones who become violent and aggressive, who burn cars and destroy things. I prefer Banksy. He’s a rebel who delivers such powerful messages without violence. He’s one of my biggest inspirations in both art and rebellion. I love him. I’m from India. Gandhi is one of our greatest fathers. You don’t need violence to make a statement.
RADARLIST: Has that philosophy also influenced the way you approach your food?
Gaggan Anand: Absolutely. I created what I believed was the perfect dish. Everyone serves ice cream as a quenelle. I’m not French, so why do I have to make a quenelle? I serve ice cream the way I want to serve it.
One day, an influencer moved the garnish on one of my dishes just to take a photograph. How dare you? Would you touch the Mona Lisa? No. Then why are you touching my art? You’re supposed to eat it, not rearrange it.
That’s where a lot of my frustration came from. When I place a dish in front of a guest, I want them to experience it exactly as I intended, at its perfect moment. I don’t want the camera to eat first. That’s why we don’t allow phones or cameras. Everything I’ve changed in this restaurant comes from listening to my customers, the people I love, and even my own family. Sometimes I have to tell them, “Stop it. You’re my family. This is embarrassing.” Even with my daughter, we’ve negotiated. No phone. Only one hour of iPad a day.
They call me arrogant. My question is always the same: Have you ever met me?
RADARLIST: Earlier you said freedom is luxury. Could you expand on that?
Gaggan Anand: Imagine you’re finally out with your husband after leaving your one-and-a-half-year-old child with a nanny. For the first time in weeks, you’re having dinner together. Isn’t that freedom? Isn’t that luxury? That’s what luxury means to me.
Today, people think luxury is buying a half-million-baht handbag or a five-million-baht watch. Then they walk into a luxury boutique and get judged by the way they’re dressed. I never dress up to go into those stores. I walk in exactly like this. Judge me for who I am. I actually love it when people look down on me. The more you underestimate me, the better I’ll perform. So keep looking down on me. I need it.
RADARLIST: Throughout your career you’ve experienced so many different versions of success. Today, what does success mean to you?
Gaggan Anand: Success is being able to go home every day, sleep peacefully, and be happy that I gave everything during that performance. Success isn’t awards. Awards come and go.
Success is that my food becomes me. Success is that my restaurant reflects my personality. Today, my team and I have become a personality. We’re no longer just a product. There’s a difference. Sometimes a restaurant is simply a product. You go to a burger restaurant because you want a burger. That’s a product. A burger doesn’t need to become omakase. That’s completely wrong.
The same goes for ramen. Ramen was never meant to be fine dining. In Japan, ramen is something you eat at one in the morning after you’ve had a few drinks. You’re standing there, slurping noodles. That’s its beauty. Today, everything is becoming fine dining, and I don’t understand why. At Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh, an Indian curry is just a curry. It doesn’t need flowers. It doesn’t need unnecessary garnishes. Sometimes people wanted to decorate everything, and I kept asking, “Why?” Can’t it simply be effortless, delicious, and cooked with heart?
RADARLIST: The current menu at Gaggan feels incredibly personal. What inspired it?
Gaggan Anand: I spent eight months writing this menu. It’s based on my life and divided into four eras. The first is my childhood, from birth until I was eighteen, and the food memories that shaped me. The second is from nineteen to twenty-nine, when I first arrived in Thailand. That was my defiant period, my rebellious years. The third is when I became Gaggan. That era was about prominence, fame, and shame. The fourth is Nirvana. For me, Nirvana means purity. It’s like a phoenix being reborn. It’s about the food I genuinely enjoy eating today, simple food. Each act has seven courses, making twenty-eight dishes altogether.
RADARLIST: How did you bring such a personal menu to life?
Gaggan Anand: I didn’t sit down with a computer. I used huge sheets of art paper, different coloured inks, different pens, and different stamps. I scribbled ideas everywhere. Then I rewrote them. Then I wrote them again. I added techniques, ingredients, and sketches.
The menu our guests receive is hand-drawn by me. I imagined every dish before it even existed. People sometimes ask why I can’t simply write a book. It’s because expressing myself isn’t easy. To create this menu, I had to revisit my own memories. Some were beautiful, and some were painful.
I see myself as the director of an opera. I have nineteen chefs and thirty-two people working to serve only fifteen guests. It’s incredibly complicated. We spent three months developing the dishes. Then everyone took a fifteen-day holiday while we travelled to cook in other countries so we could earn enough money to pay everyone’s salaries on time. Even during that period, we continued developing the menu. We spent an entire year planning it, and in the final five weeks everything came together.
I call myself the conductor of chaos. Every chef is like a different musician. One plays the trumpet, another the violin, another the drums. I know exactly who plays what and when they need to perform. That’s why I showed you the board downstairs. That’s where I conduct the entire performance.
RADARLIST: Earlier you mentioned AI. How do you think it’s affecting hospitality and the culinary world?
Gaggan Anand: I hate AI. I’m anti-AI because I think it’s anti-human. Yesterday we were talking about Nikola Tesla. Not the company, the real Tesla, the man who gave the world electricity. He died a poor man. That was real intelligence.
If AI could solve world hunger, I’d support it. But what is AI doing? It’s making some people richer while making others unemployed. That’s why I’m against it. If you’ve watched films where robots take over the world, that’s how I see it. Technology should help humanity, not replace it.
RADARLIST: Could you tell us about your new restaurant in India?
Gaggan Anand: Of course. Is Rydo here? Can I bring one more person into the interview?
(Rydo Anton joins the conversation.)
Rydo Anton: Hi, RADARLIST.
RADARLIST: There’s been a lot of speculation about the name. Is it called Raga?
Gaggan Anand: Yes, it is.
People often ask where the name comes from. Even “Gaa”, from my previous restaurant with Garima Arora, came from me. In India, “ga” means “to sing”. Music has always been a huge part of my life. Now, Raga has multiple meanings. It refers to the melodic framework in Indian classical music, but it’s also made up of our names. I’m Gaggan Anand, and he’s Rydo Anton. Together, it’s “Raga.“
RADARLIST: Now that we are talking about names, what’s the meaning behind your own name?
Gaggan Anand: Gaggan means “sky”. My daughter’s name is Tara, which means “star”. Without my star, who am I? She’s my star. When you enter the bar, you’ll see the stars. One day, Tara asked me, “Where am I?” I told her, “You’re right here, in the stars.”
Everything in this restaurant represents something I love. Tara. My dogs, Miso and Matcha. Pain. Pleasure. Nirvana. My tattoos are the same. I always get two at a time because life is about equal and opposite forces.
When my mother passed away, I got the “Smiley” tattoo from Nirvana. Kurt Cobain never smiled, but for me it represented something much deeper. I also got the phoenix because I believe my mother will always come back in some way. This tattoo says “Everlong”, after one of my favourite songs. Nothing lasts forever, but everything feels everlasting while you’re living it.
Then there’s Tara, alongside Om and the infinity symbol. She’s blessed by Om and infinity. Everything has meaning.
RADARLIST: That’s incredibly personal.
Gaggan Anand: That’s who I am. People often say I’m provocative, but I’m also an artist. Everything I do has a reason. I don’t have an agenda. I don’t care whether this interview gets one million views or one. I’m simply telling you who I am.
RADARLIST: Let’s go back to Raga now that we have Rydo with us. What inspired you to return to India?
Gaggan Anand: I finally want to go home. India has changed so much as a country, as a culture, and as a people. It feels like the right time. Rydo has been with me for more than thirteen years. He joined Gaggan in 2012 as my first Head Chef. He eventually wanted to return to Indonesia to build something of his own, and we even explored opportunities there together. But I didn’t think the market was ready for what he was capable of doing. Instead, I asked him to build something with me. One of our dreams is to write a book together, although we simply haven’t had the time.
RADARLIST: Rydo, could you introduce yourself and tell us about Raga from your perspective?
Rydo Anton: Hi, I’m Rydo Anton. The concept is simple… Gaggan takes the money, and I do all the hard work. (Everyone laughs.)
No, seriously, Raga is rooted in Indian classical music. A raga represents rhythm, emotion, and progression, which is exactly how we see the restaurant. I’ve been with Gaggan since 2013. Over those years, I’ve not only been his Head Chef but also someone who’s helped turn some of his wildest ideas into reality.
One night, around one o’clock in the morning, he called me and said, “Lick It Up should become a dish.” I thought he was crazy.
He said, “Let’s make people lick the plate.” I asked him if he’d been drinking. He said, “No, I’m driving home.” A month later, it became one of our most iconic dishes. That’s how we work. Ideas can come from anywhere, and then we execute them together.
Gaggan Anand: He’s the main force behind making those ideas happen. I like to say I’m Ferrari, and he’s Lewis Hamilton.
Rydo Anton: I’ll happily take that comparison.
zzy Osbourne wasn’t pretending to be Ozzy Osbourne. He simply was.
RADARLIST: When do you expect Raga to open?
Rydo Anton: The restaurant is still under construction. We were originally aiming for January, but now we’re targeting August.
India is complicated. Regulations change all the time, especially after recent safety incidents, so we’re making sure everything meets the highest standards. Neither of us is willing to compromise on quality or safety. This is our first restaurant together in India, and we want to do it properly. At the moment, several members of our senior team are coming to Bangkok for training before returning to India.
Gaggan Anand: This project is really his. I’m deliberately not interfering because I want him to enjoy opening his first restaurant.
Rydo Anton: I’m definitely enjoying it. Every morning I wake up to around seventy messages. It’s stressful, but it’s good stress. It’s part of growing. For Gaggan, it’s also a homecoming. We’re opening a restaurant in the country where he was born, and we’re entering one of the biggest markets in the world.
Gaggan Anand: He’s much more than my younger brother. He’s family. He’s my legacy. People often ask who my protégé is. He’s my protégé. We’ve shared success together, but we’ve also shared losses. Not just financial losses, but the emotional ones too, whether that’s losing people or facing difficult moments in our restaurants. Those experiences have taught us about life. We’ve evolved together.
Rydo Anton: That’s why we’re still here together after all these years.
RADARLIST: How different will Raga be from Gaggan?
Rydo Anton: The philosophy will be similar, but India is a completely different environment. We have to build an identity that belongs there by working with local ingredients and local producers. Seasonality is also very different.
Gaggan Anand: India doesn’t just have four seasons. It has micro-seasons. Sometimes an ingredient is available for only fifteen days before it’s gone again. India is almost like a continent.
You have the highest mountains in the world, beautiful coastlines, the spice capital of the world, some of the wettest places on Earth, and deserts like Rajasthan. Every region has its own climate, culture, and ingredients. That’s what makes cooking there so exciting.
RADARLIST: With so many new projects happening, how do you decide what to take on?
Gaggan Anand: We receive so many offers. One day Rydo called me and said, “Please stop taking on new projects.” I apologised. He was right. (Laughs.)
Rydo Anton: Even in Indonesia, there are many people who want us to build something. It’s exciting because every project teaches us something new. You evolve with each one.
RADARLIST: Are there any projects people don’t know about yet?
Gaggan Anand: Actually, yes. You’re the first person we’re telling. Last week, we opened a new restaurant with Chef Charlie called Sato San Rooftop Bar, opposite Wana Yook. Most people don’t know about it yet.
Rydo Anton: We originally had another restaurant in that building, but we had to close it because of structural issues. We didn’t want our team to lose their jobs, so we decided to create something new instead. Chef Charlie leads the kitchen, and the food is fantastic. It’s bold, authentic, and based around samosas, but approached in a completely fresh way.
Gaggan Anand: You eat it today...…and tomorrow you’ll regret how spicy it was. Pleasure and pain. No pain, no gain. (Laughs.)
RADARLIST: You’ve recently renovated this restaurant (Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh where this interview was being conducted). Have there been any major changes to the concept?
Gaggan Anand: The renovation is finished. Right now we’re just waiting for a few final approvals outside the building, but everything inside is complete. The concept hasn’t changed. Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh is still built around a fictional story. Well… officially it’s fictional. Unofficially, there may be a real story behind it. Let’s just leave it at that.
Rydo Anton: The restaurant is now led by our Head Chef, Hernán Villalva, who’s from Monterrey, Mexico. The food brings together Indian and Mexican flavours. We like to keep it comfortable, so guests can either enjoy the tasting menu or order à la carte. Gaggan focuses on his Indian comfort dishes, while Hernán brings his own perspective from Mexico. Together they create something that feels natural rather than forced.
Gaggan Anand: Every head chef reports to Rydo. He’s the boss.
Rydo Anton: I look after all of them. We argue all the time. Yesterday we had a huge argument over something very small, but that’s healthy. If you don’t argue, there’s no progression. At the end of the day, we always resolve it because we’re working towards the same goal. That’s how kitchens work.
I’m Ferrari, and he’s Lewis Hamilton.
RADARLIST: Bangkok has become one of the world’s leading food destinations. Why do you think that happened?
Gaggan Anand: I think it happened because we arrived at the right time. Thailand has always loved food. The culture was already here. The movement towards modern gastronomy really started when chefs like David Thompson came back to Thailand, alongside people like Ian Kittichai. It wasn’t just me.
Together we showed people that Thailand could also be a gastronomic destination. If you look at many of the chefs who are successful today, you’ll usually find that they were connected to one of those kitchens in some way. That’s where the movement really began.
RADARLIST: Yes, I agree. Thailand’s passion for food has always been incredibly strong.
Gaggan Anand: Exactly. We were simply in the right place at the right time. Thailand is the Land of Smiles. That warmth, hospitality, and love for food already existed. We were just fortunate enough to become part of that story.
Stay tuned as we continue interviewing some of the world’s most-watched culinary figures. Until next time.