Gaggan under the helm of chef-patron Gaggan Anand took the top spot at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 in Seoul, South Korea, this evening. Gaggan was declared also the best restaurant in Thailand and this is the fifth time the restaurant has brought home the No.1 spot.
“We are still in vogue,” chef Anand told the Bangkok Post. “After seven years, it’s good to be back on top. It was a good break so I could reinvent myself and the restaurant because times change. Ingredients have changed in last 10 years, and the people who come to fine dining have also changed, as has the way they eat. I’ve adapted myself to become modern with the modern times. I have reinvented myself and have had to redo everything that I've done, and restart, almost from scratch.
“My style remains same, my thinking remains same, but I wanted to make sure that I was not part of the usual fine dining scene in Asia, where everything is stable and there are too many stories. When you enter a restaurant, there's an ingredient tray, there's too much and we forget to focus on the food. So I thought, how about focusing on the food and making my personality, which I could never do in my old restaurant, reflect at its most at the food. This is why it has become about the food, music, theatre — all these are personalities of mine — are all in one.
“As a chef, one must never give in to the pressure of fine dining. It is worth the pressure. Stick to what you do best and always be confident of your product," adds the chef.
"When I was young, I never imagined Asia could be a gastronomic hub. Today look who we are. We are not just one city or one country, we are a family of so people from Asia, representing our famiy, our culture and our cuisine. I was in self-denial and self-doubt, but this award goes out to my team at Gaggan. This award also goes out to everyone who thought that I did not deserve to be No.1 because it gave me the power to work the hardest. This isn't just the fifth time we are taking this award, it is the best time we are taking it," said chef Anand upon receiving the award.
Even not getting No.1, people still thought I am number one. That's already a great image. I am a front runner and this is not because of the hype, it is because of the food and how I have reinvented myself. That's a great feeling. Being on top and not being on top will not matter to me anymore,” chef Gaggan Anand tells the Bangkok Post.
Chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn’s restaurant, Nusara ranked No.6. “We are still building Nusara and hopefully one day we can reach the same fame Le Du did in 2023. Lucky for us, Thai food keeps getting more and more popular,” the chef-patron tells the Bangkok Post. Chef Ton has two restaurants on the list with Le Du coming in at No.20.
A new entry on the list at No.31 is Gaggan at Louis Vuitton, with its pastry chef Dej Kewkacha, bringing home Asia’s Best Pastry Chef Award.
Potong.
Sorn.
Samrub Samrub Thai.
Other Bangkok restaurants on the list are Suhring at No.11; Potong at No.13; Sorn at No.16; Baan Tepa at No.44; and Samrub Samrub Thai at No.47.
Ban Tepa’s chef-patron Chudaree "Tam" Debhakam, the only Thai female chef with two Michelin stars, was honoured with the title of Asia's Best Female Chef 2025, the second consecutive year that two Thai chefs have won the award, last year being chef Pichaya "Pam" Soontornyanakij of the Michelin-starred Potong. (More about chef Tam at bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/2962738/meet-asias-best-female-chef).
In the extended 51-100 list, Thailand was represented by Gaa at No.65, Côte by Mauro Colagreco at No.75, Blue by Alain Ducasse at No.80, Wana Yook at No.81, Bo.Lan at No.98 and Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh at No.99.
Other major awards of the evening were: Farmlore in Bengaluru, India, was given the One To Watch Award; the Sustainable Restaurant Award went to Locavore Nxt in Bali, Indonesia; Best Sommelier Award went to Kasutaka Ozawa of Crony, Tokyo, Japan; Art Of Hospitality Award went to Toyo Eatery in Manila, Philippines; Chef’s Choice Award went to chef Vicky Chen of Wing and Vea in Hong Kong; and the Icon Award was posthumously presented to chef Margarita Forés, who recently passed in February, from the Philippines.
Regionally, August was the best restaurant in Indonesia coming in at No.49; Toyo Eatery in Manila also was the best restaurant in the Philippines at No.42; Logy in Taipei took home the best restaurant in Taiwan; Masque in Mumbai came in at No.19 and was the best restaurant in India; Meet The Bund in Shanghai was the best restaurant in Mainland China; Chef Tam’s Seasons won best restaurant in Macau and came in at No.9; the best restaurant in Singapore was Odette, which came in at No.7; Mingles in Seoul was declared the best restaurant in South Korea and came in at No.5; Sézanne in Tokyo was declared the best restaurant in Japan and came in at No.4; and The Chairman was the best restaurant in Hong Kong and came in at No.2.
Visit the complete list at theworlds50best.com.
