On the 13th of December, the MICHELIN Guide Thailand Star Revelation announced that two restaurants would be awarded a prestigious second star for 2024. One of them was ‘Gaa’ the Bangkok-based restaurant helmed by Indian-born Chef Garima Arora. Widely considered the most prestigious accolade in the culinary world, a MICHELIN star was given to Gaa in 2018 which made Arora the first female Indian chef to receive the award. And now she’s made history again by earning another and making her one of only 3 Indian chefs in the world to currently hold two MICHELIN stars.
A single MICHELIN Star recognises restaurants with high-quality ingredients and consistently excellent preparation of distinct dishes. Two Stars signify a chef's talent and personality, reflected in refined and inspired cuisine. The highest honour, Three MICHELIN Stars, is bestowed upon chefs displaying superlative cooking at the pinnacle of their profession. At the moment only 7 other Thai restaurants hold two stars and none have yet earned a third.&nbs
Gaa which is described as a modern fine-dining Indian restaurant is nestled in a beautifully renovated traditional Thai house in the heart of Bangkok. It was launched in April 2017 and Chef Garima’s vision was to ‘synergise the connection between India – her native country – and Thailand’.
On social media, the team at Gaa shared how honoured they were by the recognition and thanked their ‘guests, friends, suppliers and all team members over the years for their unwavering support and love.’
Chef Garima added in a statement, ‘“I am honored to receive this award. On behalf of my team, I can say it’s something we have collectively worked hard for and are going to keep pushing and sharing the cuisine of India with the world.“ Arora also adds, “This year has been filled with blessings for me – balancing life as a new mom together with a business is a work in progress but this award comes as a validation that hard work always pays off.”’
This latest MICHELIN nod is a huge achievement for Chef Garima Arora but it also marks another win for Indian food abroad. Over the last year MICHELIN awards have been awarded to multiple Indian restaurants in the USA and even though the MICHELIN Guide doesn’t operate within India yet, it is still wonderful to see talented Chefs like Garima Arora representing the diversity of Indian cuisine on a global stage.