Restaurant Gaa is a remarkable fine dining restaurant located in the center of Bangkok, Thailand. The restaurant is tucked away in Lang Suan Road in the Ploenchit business district of the city. For foodies, however, this is not an unknown location: restaurant Gaggan, Asia’s number 1 restaurant according to San Pellegrino, is located right in front of restaurant Gaa. It is not just the location that ties these two restaurants together. After all, the restaurant is operated by Garima Arora, an Indian chef who was former sous-chef at… Gaggan.

Gaa opened its doors in May 2017 and quickly made its way to the top of Bangkok’s restaurant scene. The restaurant is established in a bright yellow building with lots of glass and metal at the front side. The interior is dark and cosy and combines grey, brown and black colours with wooden tables. The lighting is subtle and well-appointed artworks and several big sofas set a tranquilizing atmosphere. Asia meets Europe in this unique restaurant.

In the kitchen, a remarkable lady chef is responsible: Chef Garima Arora. Garima has quite an impressive culinary record of accomplishment. During 3 years, she worked at the kitchen of renowned Rene Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen, where she learned the Nordic cuisine and fermentation techniques. She also worked for Gordon Ramsay at Verre in Dubai, and, of course, as the Sous-Chef of the famous Chef Gaggan Anand at Gaggan in Bangkok. It was here that she went back to her roots, the Indian Cuisine, and discovered that wonders could be created when blending her cuisine with modern techniques.

At her own restaurant Gaa, Chef Garima Arora emphasis purity and locally sourced products. Everything you will eat here is home made – from butter to cheese – or locally sourced from Thai producers. Fermentation is a technique that Garima still loves to use and she combines this with modern techniques that she learnt at Gaggan. All these influences result in a kitchen that is hard to describe. It mixes Nordic, Thai, Indian and French influences with a great presentation, resulting in a unique dining experience.

Good examples of this delicious, eclectic cooking style include the spicy 3-year old sourdough duck donut or the combination of unripe Jackfruit with roti and pickles. Garima combines caviar with strawberries and peanut butter, resulting in a surprising blend of savoury and sweet flavours. The pork rib has become one of the signature dishes, and is served as a single rib, delicately covered with coriander, shallots and pommegrate. Another example of an excellent mix of the different tastes! At Gaa, Garima only serves tasting menus, ranging with 10 or 14 courses, which can be completed with excellent wine or juice pairings.

Service is professional and enjoyable and the staff loves to explain about the ingredients and the philosophy behind the dishes. A great way to get a better understanding of the food and the great chef behind it!

Gaa is must-visit on your culinary tour in Bangkok. Chef Garima Arora presents a progressive Indian cuisine with influences from all over the world. Locally sourced products are the basis of Garima’s cuisine, processed with modern techniques while always respecting the main flavours.

Gastronomy

Chef Garima Arora

Interior/exterior

Written by Sven