The notable Indian chef is in Singapore until March 2022 for the second installment of Mandala Club’s pop-up series
We might not be able to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, for food just yet, but all is well for gourmands in Singapore now that prolific chef Gaggan Anand has brought his multi-awarded eponymous restaurant here for the second edition of Mandala Club’s culinary takeover series.
He and his original team of 20 staff—which had been flown over from Asia to Europe—have taken over the space of former pop-up restaurant Mirazur (by acclaimed chef Mauro Colagreco) until March 2022. As Anand explained: “This is not a simple pop-up where I just smuggle in some ingredients in my suitcase with a couple of chefs… I am building a whole new restaurant here and recreating the full Gaggan Anand experience in Singapore.”
Expectations are high, given that Gaggan was Asia’s Best Restaurant from 2014 to 2018. It also made it to the fifth spot at The World’s Best Restaurants 2021. Thankfully, the team delivers an immersive dining experience that is full of delicious surprises.
Don’t miss: Reclaiming The Culture: Chef Gaggan Anand on Asia’s Inevitable Culinary Takeover
It begins the moment you step foot in the dimly lit main dining room, swathed in dark hues and accented by an interesting (and some might say, contentious) design choice—namely, a modernised painting of The Last Supper plus some random words in thought bubbles such as ‘smell’ and curry’.
Whether you come for lunch and dinner, don’t bother asking for printed menus—there is none. Rather, you’ll receive a booklet with Anand’s real passport image and a set of rubber stamps with different emojis. As the staff explained, you can create your own emoji menu based on your taste memories and dining experience.
Read more: Straits Clan to Rebrand and House World’s Best Restaurant, Mirazur, from May 2021