Garima Arora Executive Chef And Owner, GAA

68/4 SOI LANGSUAN, PLOENCHIT ROAD LUMPINI, PHATHUMWAN, BANGKOK 10330, [e-mail]

- Bhavika Govil

Congratulations on being the first Indian female chef to win a Michelin star. Running a restaurant can’t be easy. What is it that keeps you going?

I think I just love what I do. Nothing else really matters. Things always get tough. Sometimes they’re easy, and you get lucky, and sometimes you get unlucky. That’s just life. But what gets you through all of that is your need to do something great.

Your father introduced you to food from around the world while growing up. Have your personal travels helped influence your food style too?

For me, travelling isn’t just travelling because I have lived in five different countries in the last decade, and culturally I brought a lot back from these places. All of that is reflected in my restaurant today. My food wouldn’t taste what it does today if I had left India and come straight to Bangkok.

So, how would you describe the food at Gaa? What can one expect?