Rat brains, grilled rat and other delicacies: another way of catering at Gaggan’s

Here: rat brains for dinner.

This is how Gaggan Anand, as performative and instigator as ever, introduces them to us: 'I believe in sustainability and zero-mile products. Now, many of my fellow restaurateurs can rely on fishing, gardening, hunting in their surroundings. But finding zero-mile products within a concrete jungle like Bangkok, where I am, is harder. I was at a loss: many places bear the green star and I am barred from this possibility?' (He exudes disappointment, ed.). ‘A feng shui master came to my rescue: we set out together in search of zero-mile products near the restaurant. At one point, we uncovered a trapdoor and what did we find? Lots of rats! It was at the time of the lockdown, when people were mostly shut indoors. We realised that rats had taken over the city. They were in the streets, in the trees, everywhere. That's when we came up with the idea: we caught a good number of them and first of all we sent them to a kind of spa for 15 days, they got manicures and pedicures. Already after this period they no longer looked like rats, rather like refined mice. Then, for a further 21 days, we fed them the best of delicacies, the best of the best; we made them swallow (by force, actually) a soup with onions, garlic and herbs. They drank good whisky. At that point they were ready to be cooked. Now I can offer you the most sustainable meat dish there can be in Bangkok: rat meat! Their brains, then, are a real treat.

Step back. Within the sphere of fine dining (the finest, I mean) there are at least two different types of restaurants: the more classic ones, let's say, which focus on food & wine & service, such as Osteria Francescana, Noma, Mirazur, Geranium... And others that make the table spectacular to the extreme. They are a separate format because they focus on the emotional involvement of the diner, so that we can say that the price of the menu (that is, the entrance fee, like at the theatre) includes not only the meal, but what a real experience. This is the case, for example, at Disfrutar in Barcelona, downstairs in its 'mesa viva'; or at Alchemist in Copenhagen; or at Sublimotion in Ibiza; or at Ultraviolet in Shanghai. In these places, food is blended in various forms with the elements of performance.

Gaggan in Bangkok is another great example...

‘A couple had made a reservation at the restaurant. A few days ago she called me to cancel, asking if it was possible to deliver the food to her home, delivery style.’ Gaggan tells the story and laughs: because it would already be funny in itself that such a request would be sent to any three-starred restaurant in the world; it is even crazier here, because restaurant Gaggan cannot do without Gaggan himself. He is the star. He embodies another way of catering, one that makes use of theatrics, images, lights, sounds, choreography, provocations, twists, and complete interaction at the counter (which seats 14 people, 7 on one side, 7 on the other. ‘I spent a lot of money to buy a special Swiss stereo system that would allow the music to be heard perfectly and evenly everywhere in the venue, no matter how close you are to the speakers. The soundtrack, which can be pounding and acts as an intermission to the various moments, a sonic rhythm in the rhythm of the courses, changes constantly and ranges from Daft Punk to Malia J, from Limp Bizkit to Backstreet Boys, from Foo Fighters to Aerosmith, to Sting. With Gaggan DJing, of course). It punctuates a performance that lasts just under three hours, divided into two acts with a break during which you can go to the bathroom, if necessary, just as if you were at La Scala in Milan.

In other words Gaggan Anand himself is a crucial element of the Gaggan experience. Histrionic. Overflowing. Unstoppable. You have to be willing to be fully involved in a sort of ritual, a well-thought-out narrative plot, which flows along smoothly, smiling and carefree, but which can also be indigestible to some (you find yourself singing all together, dancing, playing games, eating unknown food introduced in a provocative, even disgusting, way,  as we have seen, all bypassed by jokes and irony...). At our counter, among 12 people at the party, one couple seemed really unprepared for it, they looked puzzled, out of place, on the edge of running away).

We, on the other hand, had a great time and ate divinely.

What did we eat?

Rat brains, indeed. The dish resembles the brain of a small animal; it is off-white with red veins evidently reminiscent of blood. In the mouth, it is creamy, rather sweet, delicate. Enjoyable.

Rat brains, of course, are not rat brains (just as the grilled rat presented later is not really one either). Gaggan has never revealed what it really is. Some have speculated: it is a snack made of cream of white asparagus and cheese. Unlikely, at least in our case: the taste leads elsewhere. We also asked Chat GPT: no help. To the question: 'What does Gaggan's Rat has brains dish consist of? It replied:

The dish 'Rat has brains' by Gaggan Anand is a provocative and conceptual gastronomic creation that is part of the menu at restaurant Gaggan in Bangkok, Thailand. Gaggan Anand is known for his innovative and experimental cuisine, often described as 'progressive Indian cuisine'. Despite the eerie name, the dish 'Rat Brain' does not contain real rat brains. It is a preparation that plays with the perception and imagination of diners. The dish is created using common ingredients presented in a way that resembles the appearance of a brain, often using molecular cooking techniques to create unusual textures and shapes.

And so on.

We perceived nuances reminiscent of a very light foie gras, more likely caramelised onion and then vaguely peaty notes. Let's think: in Gaggan's account, with which we began this story, there are many useful and not at all random clues when he lists the feeding of the fattening rats after the spa.

So be it. Before and after the rats, dinner at Gaggan's has made use of an enthralling staging, during which the leading actor weaves together provocative tales, anecdotes, observations on current affairs - be it immigration, cultural heritage, our food system or the state of the planet. In this long and impassioned monologue with no filters, he presents samples of pure fine dining, 22 in all (11+11, in the two acts. The former introduced as 'easy to eat, difficult to cook', the latter with the elements reversed. Which, by the way, is not even true), with echoes that are certainly Thai, then mainly Indian and Japanese, some Middle Eastern hints, even French and Spanish, but always on a firmly Asian canvas. Spectacular, indeed. The wine cellar certainly contributes: Serbian sommelier Vladimir Kojic squads a fixed pairing that is an exceptional selection of natural European wines, including a glass of Pecoranera (Freisa, Dolcetto, Barbera and Merlot) from Tenuta Grillo, in Monferrato, Piedmont.

ACT 1

Yoghurt & chutney - Gaggan's historical dish, now summarised in this first tasting. On a crunchy leaf of mint chutney, there is a spicy spherification of yoghurt and chaat masala, a powdered mix of spices used in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent: dried mango powder (amchur), coriander, cumin, ground ginger, assafetida, chilli, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, pomegranate seeds.

Shrimp shiso papadums – Papadum is a kind of crispy flatbread or waffle, used as a snack or side dish in Indian cuisine. Here with shiso leaf and Japanese sweet shrimp.

Mushroom fireworks shells – Exceptional freeze-dried mushroom macaron, without flour or eggs. The filling is made of creamy cashew nuts and black truffle.

South indian murku paper – Let's go to South India, where murku (or muṟukku) is a dough, shaped into a spiral, of rice and Vigna mungo 'black gram' flour, and fried. Here it becomes a thin, flavoured (tamarind, coconut oil) 'paper', supporting curry leaves. Impressive complexity on a sweet, salty, spicy, almost effervescent background.

Rat has brains – Rat brains, we have already talked about it extensively. Rich, full.

Green asparagus sunflower – Green asparagus used in its entirety, one for each dish. With wasabi.

Beetroot gorgonzola below – Beneath the asparagus tartlet, hidden by the edible earth, is the long-cooked and reconstructed beetroot, stuffed with gorgonzola.

Chole bhatura – 'Butterflies from the streets of India'. A type of deep-fried Indian bread, chole bhatura is a chickpea bhatura, so essentially a combination of chickpea curry and fried buns, typical of Punjab. Here with chickpea mousse, onion, almond chutney, balsamic vinegar.

Coffee foie waffle – Waffle with coffee-flavoured toffee and foie gras marinated in Disaronno liqueur. A perfectly-fitting sweet break.

Ghewar sea salt salad – Still on the sweet side: fried milk tartlet with sea salt ice cream and fresh vanilla, topped with sprouts and leaves.

Uni kiwi toast – A dish that enhances uni (i.e. Japanese sea urchin) and introduces acidity, 'not found in Thai cuisine'. There are layers of rusk with green kiwi and yellow kiwi jam, just for the acidity.

 

ATTO 2

Tomato rasam latte - Presented as rat juice and rat blood, it is actually a cold, fermented tomato rasam prepared with yuzu, black pepper and oat milk. Rasam is a spicy, soup-like dish from southern India.

Bamboo turmeric satay – It is presented as a grilled rat! All a mystery. In reality, it is grilled bamboo served with mango and yuzu chutney and turmeric oil, which shoots phosphorescent reflections lit by strobe light.

Methi matar momo – momo dumpling (momo is a type of dumpling originating in Nepal and Tibet, and widespread in the neighbouring regions of Bhutan and the Himalayan states of India) with a black garlic skin and stuffed with green peas cooked in cream with fennel leaves and sour cream.

Colors of eggplant – Aubergine used 100 per cent, with tamarind, coconut, jaggery (traditional unrefined sugar made from the concentrated juice of the flowers of the arenga pinnata, i.e. the sugar palm), sesame and a sauce of burnt aubergine skin puree. Ugly but good.

Chicken charcoal wada - Fermented vegetable ash batter pancake with chicken wings and lentil and rice filling with curry powder. Served with tamarind sauce.

Crab cauliflower mustard - Steamed blue crab from Thailand served with mustard, cauliflower and burnt mustard leaves. Decent, but nothing more.

Fish paturi – The dishes are literally on fire! The Gaggan team uses a blowtorch to ignite the banana leaf rolls enclosing a grouper fillet marinated in yellow and white turmeric. Served with coriander and dill. Very good.

Vinha d'alhos taco - Delicious vindaloo taco made with pickled pork cheek with chilli and chutney. Vindaloo is like a curry. Enjoyable.

Wild shrimps rice - long-grain basmati rice aged for 3 years, cooked with wild shrimps, curry and sorrel. Also delicious.

Pink guava leaf - it reproduces a pink guava leaf.

Kintoki carrot halwa - Updated version of Gaggan's famous 'Lick it up'. In this case, it is made of carrot tahina paste (sesame-based, typically Middle Eastern).
 

Finally, the newest addition to the Gaggan world is Gaggan at Louis Vuitton. The establishment is inside the huge LV The Place Bangkok at Gaysorn Amarin, which is at once an immersive exhibition, café, shop and indeed restaurant. Here the chef enjoys adding a French accent to his style.

 

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso