Imagine the cost of one meal being Rs 50,000 (with alcohol servings)! This is what is happening at Delhi's Hyatt Regency right now. It began on February 14. And the ongoing residency will end in mid-March. Despite the high cost of the meal, all bookings are full. There is no vacancy left.

The reason is the chef who is making it. He is Gaggan Anand, a 45-year-old Indian who runs a world-famous restaurant in Thailand. He is in India for a month to cater to food lovers at the Delhi hotel.

After Hyatt Regency announced that Gaggan would be opening a temporary residency in the hotel, Delhi-ites rushed to book their slots. Without alcohol, the cost per meal is Rs 40,000.

If you thought Gaggan is using exotic items for the meal, you are wrong. Each and each ingredient is sourced locally. Then, why is the cost so high? It is so high because he has shut down his Thailand restaurant (bookings for which have been made months in advance) so that he can be in Delhi for a month. He has flown to India with 18 of his team members. He has to pay them and also pay the rest of the staff in Thailand who may not be working currently but still need to be paid salaries.

Even at Rs 50K per meal, the cost recovery is not much!