A Kolkata native, Gaggan showed his passion for cooking from an early age and, to this day, presents many of his mother’s home-style recipes. After finishing his diploma in Hotel Management, he worked with the Taj Group at Orient Express and Zodiac Grill. As a young chef of just 22, he had the honour of cooking for former US President Bill Clinton. He also travelled with His Excellency Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, personally taking care of his culinary needs.

Having achieved his goals in India, Gaggan came to Thailand in 2007. Taking the helm at contemporary Indian restaurant Red Bangkok, he quickly established a reputation as a talent to be recognised. Food critics soon heralded his food as revolutionary. Indeed, the international press compared Gaggan’s work to that of chefs at international Michelin-starred restaurants.Eventually seeking fresh challenges, he became Chef de Cuisine for Bangkok’s Lebua Hotels and Resorts, where he was part of one of the most thriving F&B operations in Thailand.

However, pursuing his dream, he and three other friends decided to create Gaggan. While the restaurant was being renovated, Gaggan took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — he interned with the research team of Spain’s famed El Bulli, under the inspiring Ferran Adrià of Catalonia.Gaggan was the first Indian and just the second Asian ever to enter through the hallowed doors of this extraordinary laboratory. Although he was only able to spend a few short months there, he considers his time at this nirvana of culinary knowledge one of true enlightenment.

Gaggan is a chef who makes simple recipes elegant through exotic presentation and futuristic cooking techniques. What he does with passion is translate those recollections of his roots into modern, innovative dishes, providing simple solutions that are authentically Indian while successfully bridging the culinary divide between East and West.