India Shining

Gagan Anand (second from right) with his team.

In a meeting with Gagan Anand late last year, the Thai-based chef of Indian descent rather unequivocally predicted that his Bangkok restaurant would be the best in Asia. Give the man a stuffed animal; She was right. At the S. Pellegrino’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (World’s Guide to the Best Restaurants) held in Singapore this Monday, Gaggan’s eponymous restaurant won top honors as the best restaurant on the continent. Anand Restaurant celebrates Indian street food made using scientific cuisine.

Locally, Manish Mehrotra’s carefully crafted Indian Accent (The Manor, New Delhi) has won India’s best restaurant, ranked 22nd in Asia’s best list, seven steps ahead of 29th. Marimoto’s Wasabi (The Taj Palace and Towers, Mumbai) and Bukhara (ITC Maurya, Delhi) have rounded up the Indian team at No. 29 and No. 41, respectively.

“Like the rest of the restaurant team, I’m flying high,” Mehrotra said over the phone. “Although Indian cuisine is clearly represented, we need to further enhance the game and show the versatility of the country. Although the taste may be local, the look must be global. This is how we will dominate the world, ”he said.

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