Sitting at the very heart of Bangkok’s vibrant dining scene, leading chef Garima Arora is the culinary mastermind behind the two Michelin-starred restaurant Gaa. Since opening in 2017, she has captivated audiences with her extraordinary vision, helping transform the landscape of Indian cuisine on the global stage.
Garima’s culinary journey began at 21, training in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu where she was introduced to a new culinary world of technique and skill. Embracing this she relocated to Dubai to work at Verre by Gordon Ramsay before spending three years at Noma in Copenhagen. This diverse training and experience guided her at Gaa to explore in depth Indian cooking techniques and flavours by applying them on locally sourced ingredients. Gaa’s current menu introduces guests to the never-ending explosion of flavours, textures and ingredients; all inspired by the limitless cuisines of India.
In Gaa, Garima is passionate about showcasing the modern relevance of Indian cooking and the endless possibilities of vegetables on the global stage. Her menus are Indian to their core, honouring her roots while celebrating Thailand’s unsung ingredients. Her menus offer exciting and bold dishes that showcase her distinctive style, leading her guests on a contemporary culinary odyssey into the very heart of India.
More than just a restaurant, Gaa is a gastronomic sanctuary where tradition and innovation converge. In collaboration with Architectkidd, a Bangkok-based design studio, Gaa has been created within a beautifully preserved historic Thai house transported from the city of Ayutthaya – 80 km north of Bangkok – and reassembled piece by piece in the city’s bustling Thonglor. Celebrating the unique characteristics of the baan ruen thai – thai dwelling place – with subtle lighting and a contemporary palette, the 60-year-old building has been artfully transformed into a stunningly designed dining destination.
In 2018, Gaa was awarded its first Michelin star, making Garima the first Indian female chef to receive this prestigious accolade. In 2019, she was voted Asia’s Best Female Chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and Gaa made its debut on the list, securing 16th position and earning the Highest New Entry award. Gaa’s second star came in 2023, reinforcing her status as the only female Indian chef to be recognised by Michelin with this. Her trailblazing was further exemplified in 2023 when she debuted as the first female judge on MasterChef India.
Beyond her culinary achievements, Garima is a passionate advocate for championing and reforming the narrative around Indian cuisine. She is the founder of Food Forward India, a travelling non-profit initiative that looks to document, discover and catalogue the diversity and complexity of Indian food and the culture surrounding it.
For those seeking an unforgettable dining experience that celebrates the confluence of Indian and Thai cuisine, Gaa offers a journey of flavours crafted by one of the world’s most inspiring and talented chefs. Garima’s innovative spirit and dedication to her craft continue to push the boundaries of culinary excellence, making her a true pioneer in the world of gastronomy.
We sat down with the culinary heavyweight to find out a little more.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, including where you are today, professionally, and what got you here?
I am honoured to lead Gaa, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant that I’ve nurtured since its opening in 2017. My passion lies in transforming the global perception of Indian cuisine, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see how Gaa has captivated audiences with this vision.
My culinary journey began at 21 when I embarked on a life-changing experience at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. There, I was introduced to a new world of culinary techniques and skills that have deeply influenced my approach. From Paris, I moved to Dubai to work at Verre by Gordon Ramsay, and later, I spent three transformative years at Noma in Copenhagen. These diverse experiences have shaped the way I explore Indian cooking techniques and flavours, particularly by applying them to locally sourced ingredients here at Gaa.
At Gaa, my passion is to showcase the modern relevance of Indian cooking and highlight the endless possibilities of vegetables on the global stage. Our current menu is a celebration of India’s vast culinary landscape, bringing together an explosion of flavours, textures, and ingredients. It’s Indian to its core, deeply rooted in my heritage, yet it embraces Thailand’s unique and often overlooked ingredients. My goal is to offer exciting and bold dishes that take our guests on a contemporary culinary journey into the very heart of India.
What or who inspired you to become a chef?
The short answer is, my dad. I’ve watched him cook all through my childhood. He’s definitely my biggest influence, when it comes to all things culinary and even beyond. When I was a child, he would travel a lot, and when he came home, he would recreate the dishes he had sampled, or experiment with new combinations. It was like watching him create magic in the kitchen and he was happy.
After graduating college and before I started my job in journalism, I took a trip to Singapore. There I tried hotpot for the first time, fell in love with it and I gathered my family and cooked them a big hotpot when I returned. It was such a fun evening and I realised then that what I really wanted to do was communicate to people through the medium of food. I still enjoyed my job at the time but six months in, I knew it was time to make the switch. I joined Le Cordon Bleu Paris shortly after.
Who has been your biggest influence to get you to where you are today?
My dad.
What’s your signature dish at Gaa?
The ‘Tandoori Story’ is something that you can’t miss on our tasting menu. We incorporate durian as the primary ingredient, which was a bold choice considering its controversial reputation. By grilling the durian to impart a smoky flavour, it complemented the kadi and various condiments we served it with. The dish has been warmly received by our guests, and witnessing their reactions upon trying it for the first time is always satisfying. The most memorable aspect of this experience, for me, was transforming what seemed like a challenging dish into a crowd favourite. It served as a valuable reminder that with creativity, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks, we can craft something truly extraordinary in the kitchen.
What are the most important considerations a chef should think of when crafting your menu?
I think every chef has different thought processes. Personally, I am driven by the element of surprise, whether it be unexpected combinations of ingredients, textures, and flavours. The most important aspect is that each component adds something to the dish and is, ultimately, delicious.
Do your personal preferences in food influence the menu at all?
Absolutely, my own personal taste bleeds into everything that I create. It’s the excitement and joy of tasting something new for the first time that I chase and I want to recreate for our guests.
How would you describe your cooking style?
Steeped in tradition but playful and I’d like to think a little naughty at times.
Do you have a favourite time of year or set of ingredients that you look forward to working with?
It’s delightful to work with seasonal ingredients. My current favourites are Hor Wor, a shrub with white and purple flowers, whose leaves are similar to green and purple basil leaves. It has a unique aroma. Hor Wor grows in Thailand during the winter time, and we make oil out of this lemon verbena-like herb and Mahua flowers, a tropical flower grown in India from March to April. We dry and make the ice cream out of this.
What is your favourite ingredient to create with?
I enjoy cooking with fruits and vegetables. Extracting umami from these ingredients can be challenging but rewarding. It’s fulfilling to witness guests enjoying our dishes and being pleasantly surprised by how tasty vegetarian food can be.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef?
A pilot. In any case I married one so landed close enough.
What is your favourite dish to cook at home with your family?
My family loves getting together over a barbecue. Visiting home is filled with big lunches and hearty dinners with family and friends. Simply the best.
When are you the happiest?
Spending time with my son, maintaining a healthy regimen, and looking after myself.
What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?
A sharp knife is the most essential and non-negotiable piece of kitchen equipment for me.
When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?
You’ll either find me at home with my son or at the gym.
What’s your favourite takeaway or comfort food?
Chaats are my forever go-to comfort food. It’s an Indian dish or rather a combination of different flavours: sweet, sour, umami, and a little spicy. It’s very refreshing, and I can have chaats any day of the week.
Where is your favourite place to dine around the world?
My top dining spot has to be my family’s kitchen. I used to cook regularly with my dad, and it was such a joy spending time with him. I love preparing meals together and, to this day, his kitchen remains my favourite place to eat.
What do you think is the most over-hyped food trend?
Nothing is ever overhyped. There is a place for it all to exist.
What differences do you find working with local produce as opposed to non-local produce in terms of what you can create and flavour?
For me, we want to showcase the local ingredients, but our main concern is using high quality ingredients that are in season when creating our menu. We begin by selecting the produce we wish to incorporate and then find the sources that provide the quality needed to achieve the flavours.
How would you describe the food you create at Gaa to someone who’s never experienced your kind of food?
At Gaa, we focus on creating a one-of-a-kind dining experience which showcases the modern relevance of Indian cooking techniques. We want our guests to be surprised by the prowess of Indian techniques, ingredients and flavours when they are applied to a new set of ingredients. The result is something new, but still Indian at heart. This is what modern Indian cooking is. When you create new recipes that didn’t exist before, but when you eat it, you know it’s Indian. My team and I have worked to create a multi-sensory experience that hopefully leaves our guests feeling like they’ve tasted dishes that are utterly unique, and which they haven’t come across before, anywhere else.
What’s your favourite flavour combination?
Chaat. It’s sweet, sour, spicy, umami and bitter at the same time.
What is the USP of your restaurant?
Indian cuisine that is beyond your imagination with the world renowned Asian hospitality.
What do your future plans entail?
Raising my son will be priority number one. And, of course, our focus will be on Gaa, ensuring exceptional experiences for our guests, and delving deeper into regional ingredients and cooking methods. We’re geared up to intensify our efforts with our menus and explore food even further.
In the coming year, we plan to embark on some serious research and development trips to India, and hopefully bring back ingredients, techniques and flavours to showcase to the world. We are really excited to bring more of India to our menu. And we have young chefs who started with me and are ready to start their own thing. Very soon I will give them the opportunity to run their own kitchen.
Factbox
Address: 46 Sukhumvit 53 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Phone: +66 63 987 4747
Website: gaabkk.com
All imagery credit: Gaa/Garima Arora
