This review was written in 2018 and since then Gaggan has revamped and opened additional locations in the same area. Please refer to his website https://gaggan.com/ for his latest tasty restaurants!
We have champagne taste on a poor man’s budget
Even though we usually stay in budget accommodations, we do enjoy a fancy meal from time to time. This is why after we learned about Gaggan, we just had to go while in Bangkok.
This post will be different from our usual tips and tricks post, as we want to fully immerse you in the Gaggan experience so you can see what it was like.
Throughout the post, we will include images of what we ate in no particular order.
But have no fear, a list of Pro Tips is at the End of the Post, answering all your burning questions.
After watching the Netflix series Chef’s Table, and seeing that the #1 restaurant in Asia is in Bangkok, we just had to try Gaggan. At $150++ a person for a 25-course meal, how could we say no?
Living in NYC you are surrounded by Michelin Star restaurants. Some we can afford, and others that are just way out of our price range. That is why we got so excited when we saw that Gaggan was semi- “affordable”.
Keep in mind that many Michelin-star restaurants will run you upwards of $300++ or more, per person in NYC.
Upon arrival, our Grab taxi dropped us off in the middle of a dark alley with no signs for Gaggan anywhere.
Looking around confused, we finally saw a glimmer of hope. A well-dressed man smiling from ear to ear was waving us towards the hidden restaurant entrance.
We were immediately escorted to our table and the experience began.
We were told by our waiter that the menu changes every 3 months, which is kind of unbelievable!
With no further ado, let the 25 courses at Gaggan begin!
To our surprise, the menu was all based on emojis!
Each course was brought to us with no description and we were told we would find out what was in each dish after the meal was over.
They do offer vegetarian menus and can adjust dishes for allergies.
Our favorite dish was the flower emoji.
It was deliciously sweet. It reminded us of a dessert; with a crispy outer layer and a sweet creamy filling, it left us wanting more.
For the tongue emoji, a mini boom box was placed on the table and a song called “Lick It” was played.
We were totally confused at first, singing along and tapping our feet to the song. When low and behold, a plate arrived with the edible words “Lick It Up” on it.
So, we did as we were told, and licked our plates.
We had our faces planted into our plates at the #1 restaurant in Asia, how cool is that??
The only downside of the experience was that they charge for bottled water and never told us there would be a charge. The water was $15 a bottle!
That kind of left a sour taste in our mouths after dinner, but we should have probably assumed it would not be free.
After the 25 courses, the waiter brought over the menu with the main ingredient listed next to each emoji.
Remember our favorite dish? The Flower emoji? Well, guess what it was made from? GOAT BRAINS!
We were shocked. This was our first experience with goat brains and let me tell you, Gaggan left us wanting to ask for the recipe.
Here are some more pics we took of the 25-course menu at Gaggan:
Here are the Pro Tips to make the most of your Gaggan experience:
- You must make a Gaggan reservation at least one month in advance.
- They only have 2 seating’s, 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm
- You will receive an email confirmation after you book online, but if they do not respond, follow up (when we booked our reservation they never confirmed and when they finally did it was for a different date and time so we had to ask them to change it)
- Gaggan Dress code – no sandals or shorts, (the other guests were very dressed up)
- Tax and gratuity are included in the final check
- The menu changes every 3 months so do not expect to get the emoji menu
The entire dinner was a full-on experience. The service was impeccable and the food was divine.
If you are traveling to Bangkok before 2019, you MUST get a reservation for Gaggan. The experience will leave lasting memories for sure!
So excited! I’m eating here on Saturday, and I am very much looking forward to the experience! I attempted making a reservation 4 years ago when I was in Bangkok, but alas, made it too late. Thank you for sharing your fun post!
You are going to LOVE it. It’s super expensive but a memorable night. It takes a lot to blow me away and it was WELL worth it. I wonder what menu you will get??? Have fun! Also go to Thipsamai Pad Thai, didn’t get a chance last time but will be back in April to try it finally. Long wait… fyi.