For world-renowned chef Grant Achatz, attaining the title of best restaurant in America by Gourmet Magazine was his second greatest challenge compared with fighting the stage IV tongue cancer which nearly cost him his life.

Achatz, who has received accolades for his one-of-a-kind molecular gastronomy from the James Beard Foundation and Time Magazine among others, was the guest speaker here at the opening session of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery annual meeting.