50 Best: Gaggan and all the others

«I had no idea I would be at number one again. But at some point, while they were announcing the other names in the list, I began to realise that the dream could once again come true». Gaggan Anand doesn’t hide the emotion of being once again at number one in the largest continent. For the second year in a row, a unique case, he won S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant.

Five years ago he began to experiment molecular cuisine techniques applying them to Indian tradition in his restaurant Gaggan, in a calm street behind Plohen chit Road in Bangkok. The effect in Asia and in Bangkok’s food scene was explosive. The latter city, thanks to this prize and thanks to the fact it hosted the event for the first time and after three years it was held in Singapore, confirms to be an interesting point of reference in the globalised world of fine dining (here the complete list).

What will Gaggan do now? He’ll keep on experimenting «we will continue down the road we want, not the one that awaits us». Last night, during the final press conference, the chef announced however that he will close in 2020: «I want to move further. After winning the first time I immediately thought I had to look harder to be up to the task. Now, after this second acknowledgement I wonder: what is Gaggan’s future? So I’ll close in order to develop new projects, perhaps I’ll form a rock band» he joked with the journalists. His passion for music is renown and there’s a radio always playing in the kitchen.

Music is progressive, of course. Just like he defines his Indian cuisine as progressive. It’s no chance his restaurant is in Bangkok, a city that opened up to a large market, a trend that the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant immediately noticed. As proven by the other prizes and the many new entries during the evening: «It’s now a large family. In the past I’d think of the list as a goal, now I look at it to discover new destinations. For instance the Philippines, with the Best Female Chef award (handed to Margarita Forés, a speaker at Identità Milano, on Monday night). We’ll discover a surprising cuisine», says Gaggan.

The podium and the other prizes – In the edition representing the largest number of Asian countries ever, as many as 13 in the list, on the podium next to Gaggan we have, in second place Yoshihiro Narisawa, with his Narisawa in Tokyo, who was n.1 in the first editionof Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2013 and awarded as best in Japan in the Country Awards. A great friend of Gaggan he celebrated the victory with him, as a guest in the kitchen in a crowded and fun after party. Third place to André Chiang who moved up two places compared to 2015 with his André: seating 30 people in Chinatown in Singapore. David Thompson looked extremely touched when he got the Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award for his now 30-year-long commitment, first at Nahm, inside the Como Hotels Metropolitan Bangkok, and now in his new adventure with Long Chim in Singapore inside the iconic Marina Bay Sands. Nahm itself, which is now in the sound hands of talented Prin Polsuk, sous chef of Thompson for many years, is at number 8. As we mentioned, the Best Female Chef 2016 is Philippine’s Margarita Forés, who arrived on stage with her son Armando. Her cooking is the result of her passion for Italy, «to which I add respect for tradition and the use of authentic, fresh products cultivated in my country». The One to Watch, sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro, went to Hiroyasu Kawate with his Florilege.

Many new entries - In general it was a year with many new entries, a sign that the food and restaurant scene in Asia is very dynamic. As many as 10 new restaurants made their first entrance in the list. In the first ten, on top of Gaggan, another Indian restaurant, Indian Accent, though in New Delhi. Some moved many places up. As many as 20 for local star Ian Kittichai and his Issaya Siamese Club, in a traditional white house with a tropical garden (n.19). The best restaurant in China is Amber in Hong Kong, at number 4. Mingles, Highest New entry at number 15 was a big surprise and was also the Best Restaurant in Korea. Special attention for the Chef’s Choice Award, won by creative and anti-conventional Paul Pairet who with his Ultraviolet in Shanghai has his guests involved in an all-comprising experience with food, as proven during his presentation at the Chef’s Talk on the day before the awards. Umberto Bombana lost a place and moved to n. 13 with his Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong: «Our goal was to stay in the top twenty anyway, and we accomplished that», he told us the chef after the ceremony.

That made by Quintessence in Tokyo was a big ride indeed, moving 29 places up to n. 20. Among the country awards, it’s worth keeping an eye on Gallery Vask, the best in the Philippines, (n.39), Locavore in Bali, the best in Indonesia (n.49), Ministry of Crab in Colombo, the best in Sri Lanka (n.31) and the return as best in Cambodia for Cuisine Wat Danmak (n.43) in a small colonial estate outside the tourist area of Siem Reap, a few minutes from the beautiful temples of Angkor. Finally, among the women, Cheryl Koh also stands out, awarded as Asia’s Best Pastry Chef with her Tarte, in Singapore.