Two Indian restaurants have been listed among the world’s 50 best, with one making the top ten and the other featured among the top twenty.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 list was announced in June in Las Vegas, with Gaggan in Bangkok named at number nine and Trèsind Studio in Dubai ranked at number 13.
Indian restaurants a hit
Gaggan is the brainchild of Kolkata-born Gaggan Anand, who pursued music professionally before starting his culinary career. He went from a trainee position at the luxury hotel chain Taj Group and worked his way up, cooking at the revered El Bulli in Spain alongside Ferran Adrià.
This, says the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, was an experience that sealed his love for molecular gastronomy. He founded his first restaurant in Bangkok, Gaggan, in 2010, which went on to be named The Best Restaurant in Asia four times.
The listing continues: “Gaggan closed in August 2019 and a few months later, the former drummer opened its new incarnation: Gaggan Anand.
The chef is on a mission to push the boundaries of the fine dining experience, seeking to create, “a culinary adventure of the senses and a roller coaster ride of emotions”. The same irreverent philosophy shines through the restaurant’s digital channels, the chef’s hilarious sense of humour and the out-of-the-box presentation of the dishes. In 2024, the restaurant reverted to its previous name, Gaggan.”
Creativity as a main feature
According to the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Gaggan uses creativity as a main feature. “Music, colours and creativity combine on the menu, which is anchored in progressive Indian cuisine with a fine dining twist, with French, Thai and Japanese influences.
From using emojis to represent each of the courses to pushing diners to eat with their hands or even lick the plate, Anand wants to disrupt and reinvent the fine dining experience.
Indian restaurant Trèsind Studio, Dubai, in at No.13
Trèsind Studio in Dubai was described as ‘an ode to India’s rich and diverse culinary heritage’. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ listing says: “From humble beginnings in a backroom of its sister restaurant, Trèsind, Himanshu Saini has steered Trèsind Studio to its current position as one of the world’s most renowned Indian restaurants in less than a decade.
Rather than the often-employed blanket approach to India’s cuisine, Saini and his team guide diners through a nuanced yet approachable exploration of 17 dishes that tell the story of the country’s rich and diverse cultural, agricultural and religious heritage.
“Resembling an intimate theatre, the 20-seater restaurant’s focal point is the open lab-like kitchen where guests can watch each intricately plated dish come to life. Saini is known for incorporating natural elements in his presentation, be it fresh flowers, leaves, shells, butterflies or locally sourced ceramics in organic form. This, combined with clinically precise plating leads to dishes that leave a visual impact long after the final course is served.”
Dishes on the menu are split into four regions: Thar desert, Deccan plateau, Coastal plains and Northern plains & Himalayan mountains. They include Shiso papadum, yogurt crémeux, garden herbs; Missi roti, nopales curry, cultured butter; Ghee roast crab, burnt cinnamon, curry leaf crisp; Pani puri, sparkling sweet lime water, jicama and Lamb kebab, green plum korma, mountain greens.
Masque in Mumbai ranked at number 78
The list of restaurants numbered 51-100 was also revealed with Masque in Mumbai ranked at number 78. Set in a former industrial mill, the restaurant offers a 10-course chef’s tasting menu. Indian Accent in Delhi also made the list, featuring at number 89. The restaurant showcases inventive Indian cuisine by complementing the flavours and traditions of India with global ingredients and techniques. Its Chef’s Tasting Menu features dishes such as ‘chaats from the streets of Delhi’, ‘Kashmiri morel musallam, roast walnuts’ and ‘beetroot chop, pickle eggplant, mustard coconut curry.’
