Gaggan Anand

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

Tatler Asia
Last Supper
Above Last Supper

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

Tatler Asia
Yogurt Explosion
Above Yogurt Explosion
Tatler Asia
Best savoured in one bite
Above Best savoured in one bite

The degustation menu spotlights Anand’s progressive Indian cuisine, where traditional dishes and popular street food snacks are presented in innovative ways. And, of course, there is no better way to start the meal than with the Yogurt Explosion, a signature creation that has been on the menu since 2010. The quintessential Indian ingredient is presented as a blob of chaat masala and black salt, which you lay on top of the accompanying green lotus pad made from green chutney and savour in one bite.

As for the Surf & Turf, it pairs the savoury foie gras ice cream with monkfish liver, cured with miso and sake to liven up the rich flavours before it is poached and seasoned with homemade togarashi. 

In case you missed it: How Mumbai’s Masque Is Redefining What It Means to be an Indian Restaurant

Tatler Asia
Create your own emoji menu
Above Create your own emoji menu

The menu also features some of Anand’s favourite eats, as showcased in his version of the popular south Indian breakfast, Idli. Named Idly Sambhar, it consists of a pillowy rice and lentil cake stuffed with fresh coconut chutney and crowned with a savoury lentil and tamarind espuma. In his curry dish, it stars kombu-cured scallops bathed in a cold coconut curry leaf sauce enhanced with fried onions, chilli oil and oscietra caviar.

As an ode to Singapore, he has also included a dish inspired by our love for ice kachang. His take though is a flavoursome medley of burnt eggplant miso topped with a shaved ice of kelp dashi, yuzu gelatin, Hokkaido uni and shiso blossoms.

The last savoury dish is the humble aged basmati rice, designed to cater to Asians’ love for rice. What you get is the namesake ingredient cooked with kombu dashi for additional umami, and topped with sweet Singaporean mud crab meat and finished with citrusy bergamot zest.

To make the meal even more memorable, Anand has made Singapore his temporary home until March 2022. And just like in his Bangkok establishment, he’ll be at the restaurant to personally interact with guests throughout the meal.

For us, it’s worth the trip to Mandala Club. Book here.

Topics