In the competitive world of Asian cooking, Gaggan Anand reigns supreme: For four of the past five years, his main restaurant, the eponymous Gaggan, has placed first on the list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. In the world rankings, the restaurant, located in Bangkok, Thailand, places number five. He is, quite emphatically, a chef at the top of his game.
The shock, then, that accompanied his 2016 announcement that he will be closing down Gaggan to open a new restaurant in Fukuoka Prefecture in 2021, was palpable.
The new restaurant, expected to be called GohGan, will be a collaboration between Anand and Fukuoka-based chef Takeshi "Goh" Fukuyama, who currently runs La Maison de la Nature Goh, ranked at No. 48 on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list.