India, March 28 -- In the restaurant business, more than most others, it's hard to come back once you have been written off.

Brilliant chefs are the toast of the global food community. And then, in the next moment, they are forgotten, as public attention moves on to newer, more fashionable names.

Ask Gaggan Anand. He knows all about it.

On Tuesday night, when his eponymous Bangkok restaurant was named Best in Asia at the 50 Best Restaurants ceremony in Seoul, Gaggan, 47, was as reflective and relieved as he was thrilled. "Yes, it's unbelievable," he said, moments after the win. "But I had to make it back just to prove it wasn't over."

God knows, many people thought it was over, even though it had begun so well.

In 2015, just five yea...