Where Chefs Eat Overseas: Gaggan Swears by Bangkok’s “Street Food Queen”

Gaggan Anand is many things, but boring isn’t one of them. From an intimate counter inside a two-storey house in Bangkok’s Asoke district, the chef, musician, and provocateur serves upwards of 20 mind-bending courses to 14 lucky guests each night. For its experimental approach (see: emoji menu), Gaggan’s eponymous “food theatre with progressive Indian cuisine” was named the best restaurant in Thailand by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants last year and took sixth place globally.

This month, the self-described “conductor of the food opera” is bringing his greatest hits (Lick It Up!) to Australia with sold out residences at Crown Sydney and Melbourne over nine days. Ahead of the events, we asked the Kolkata-born chef where he goes for street food, good drinks and more in his adopted home of Bangkok.

What restaurant best represents Bangkok? 
Jay Fai in the historic Old Town. The street food queen of [Bangkok’s] street food capital. 

Best restaurant to take a big group? 
Beer Hima. It’s a frozen beer and seafood paradise with consistent service and big portions. 

Favourite casual restaurant? 
Soma Bangkok, a modern Thai bistro in the Siam area. I go there all the time. Grilled skirt beef salad is my forever order. The crab rolls are lovely, and the smoked fish tom yum is just delicious.  

Favourite special-occasion restaurant? 
Sushi Masato. I love sushi and this offers the best omakase in Thailand.

Best area for street food? 
Chinatown because it’s nostalgic and real. This is the beautiful collision of Chinese and Thai cuisines and it’s insane value for money. I go for noodles and dim sims here.

Best place for coffee
Terroir BKK on Song Wat Road. This is in old-town Bangkok so it has a lot of charm and atmosphere, as well as the best-quality coffee, served V60 pour-over style. 

Best bar? 
I’m not into mixology and different drinks, but the Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental is a favourite because they have great whiskies and jazz, with musicians from New Orleans and Chicago. 

Most underrated part of the city?
Bang Nam Phueng floating market. This is great because it’s not for tourists, it’s for the Thais who live and work there. It’s authentic and just fabulous to experience. 

Favourite thing to eat after service? 
Drunken noodles at Took Lae Dee, a famous 24-hour Thai dining chain in Foodland supermarkets.   

Lesser-known Thai and Indian dishes more people should know about?
Thai-style congee cooked with either fish or pork. Or khichdi lentils and rice, a dish cooked in every Indian home with mild spices and ghee.  

Kitchen hack more people should try? 
Avoid frozen and non-seasonal ingredients!

International restaurants on your bucket list?
Right now, I have four on my list. Mekumi in Kanazawa, Japan (because I love sushi). Boragó in Santiago, The Alchemist in Copenhagen and Ynyshir in Wales.

Want more restaurant tips for your next holiday? Check out Broadsheet’s Where Chefs Eat Overseas series, where top chefs share their favourite destination diners and hidden local gems.