Restaurant Gaa in Bangkok, led by chef Garima Arora, was awarded its second Michelin star on December 13 in Thailand. This makes Garima the first Indian woman and second Indian to run a restaurant that has received this distinction.
Gaa is a modern Indian fine dining restaurant located in a traditional Thai house. It received its first Michelin star in 2018. “While it is not easy to even retain a star, consistency is the main parameter that has helped us get a second star,” says Garima Arora.
Gaa restaurant | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
On the Michelin website, Gaa is described as a restaurant that is “old-school at heart, transformed with modern techniques and presentation,” a sentiment Garima relates to aptly in terms of Indian cuisine. “The cuisine is thousands of years old, so it is old school indeed. But we have a very methodical approach. We don’t just deconstruct known flavours and dishes. We ask why… why a certain vegetable is put in the tandoor or why we marinate the way we do,” says the 37-year-old chef.
She adds that this principle was influenced by her time at Noma in Copenhagen. “From Chef René Redzepi, I learnt that cooking is not just physical but needs to be a cerebral process. Things don’t just have to taste good, but they have to make sense together, and it gives me a lot of satisfaction to be able to justify my techniques and flavour pairings,” she says.
Summer Curry | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The restaurant aims to redefine the way Indian cuisine reaches the modern diner. “We have been using certain flavours and ingredients together for centuries without understanding why these flavour pairings or techniques work. Out of this, the use of oils and fats makes a big difference in the kitchen. We are the most diverse cuisine when it comes to using oils and fats, and we have many varieties like sesame oil, mustard oil, vegetable oil, and ghee. We use this technique a lot. Layering of spices is another methodology we use extensively. Putting 20 spices together and calling it a garam masala is not good enough. It is knowing that a sweeter spice is going to hit the palette in the middle rather than a pungent spice,” says Garima.
Gobi Paratha | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Through the current menu at the restaurant, chef Garima aims to give her guests a one-of-a-kind experience inspired by the “limitless cuisines of India”. “The next movement in Indian food is going to be the focus on regional food. We need to get to a point where an international traveller will be able to tell the difference between flavours from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, rather than group it all as South Indian food. Nevertheless, one can stay a lifetime in India and still not be able to explore all of its cuisines,” she says.
It is also apparent that chef Garima experiments with ingredients that are foreign but come together as a dish with a desi core. “We have a strong research and development team that helps in finding what works. It can take months to reach that final sweet spot. 99% of the time, experimental pairings don’t work but sometimes unexpected flavour combinations work together to taste new and surprisingly Indian,” she says.
Snack at Gaa | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
At Gaa, chef Garima wears the hats of chef and owner. “The most important part of this business is to ensure my guests have a one-of-a-kind experience. Balancing both these roles is not easy but is unavoidable,” she says and goes on to talk about another hat she adorned recently. “As a new mother, I also had to be away from the restaurant a lot, but my team efficiently managed everything. From motherhood, I have learnt to be more patient in the kitchen, and it makes a lot of difference. Many working mothers often feel they are not doing justice to either side, and it is only with the support of their partner and family can they find the balance.”
Team Gaa | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Currently, Gaa is present in one location serving dinner on all days and lunch exclusively on weekends. “While I don’t have expansion on my mind at the moment, I am working with the brigade of talented young chefs at Gaa to help them with their ventures,” shares Garima.
She adds, “For any young chef who wants to explore modern Indian cuisine, one point to remember is to always ask how and why. It has to be a more cerebral approach than a cosmetic one.”
