HELLO! India Exclusive: Big 'Banng' theory, the Garima Arora way

A lunch at Banng, Bandra is always a good idea. However, attempting to interview the chef post that? Probably not! Especially if it is hosted by Chef Garima Arora—the first and only Indian woman chef to win two Michelin stars who also happens to be a consummate host.

As we sit down for a quick interview at the second outpost of the Bangkok-inspired Thai restaurant that had marked the Mumbai-born chef’s ‘homecoming’ last year, I am already in a food coma. She throws me a knowing smile as I desperately try to look alive. She is in the city to launch the new menu that I just sampled—carefully curated in collaboration with Chef Manav Khanna, which serves a slice of Bangkok’s bustling Chinatown on a plate, taking a closer look at the Chinese influences that have surreptitiously seeped into Thai cuisine over the
years.

The mother of two, who is about to turn 40 this year, has been slowly expanding her culinary footprint. Along with her Bangkok-based modern fine dining restaurant Gaa, which has won her her stripes—Michelin stars to be precise, she now has two outlets of Banng, and she is all set to open a modern Indian restaurant celebrating the diversity of regional cuisines named ‘Yaari’ this year at Waldorf Astoria, Kuala Lumpur.

Excerpts from a tête-à-tête:

HELLO! India: What has been your relationship with food growing up?

Garima Arora: I have not lived in Mumbai for almost 20 years now, but I went to college and school here. For a large part of my childhood, I was vegetarian by choice. I had a lot of Malayali friends, so ate a lot of Malayali food growing up and that sort of stayed with me. That's the kind of food I really enjoyed. Having said that, being Punjabi, food was and is always a big part of everything. My dad is the real cook in the house; he is an instinctive cook. When I was growing up, he used to travel a lot abroad, and when he was back, he would recreate the flavour he had tasted while on the trip for us back home. That expanded my palate as a kid; since then, I am always looking for something new to taste, something new to try. And this has shaped my food philosophy—I need food to be exciting. He is the Gordon Ramsay of my life! I remember we had just opened GAA and there was a couple dining at one of the tables. They saw me going to one table multiple times and nervously talking to the man sitting there. They asked the server if he was a Michelin inspector. The server had to tell them that it was the chef’s dad! He's a straight shooter and his approval still means a world to me.

HELLO! India: So, would you discuss recipes with your dad back then?

Garima Arora: I was too young—barely like 6 or 7 years old—for such discussions. But I remember how resourceful he used to be. Back then, most of the ingredients required to make those dishes were not easily available here—he wanted to make risotto but he couldn’t get the right rice, so he found some South Indian indigenous variety; then for taco shells he would use makki ka roti shaped like tacos. I saw him trying to create authentic flavours with what was around available. It was so much fun to watch, and I guess that has stayed with me to an extent.

HELLO! India: Was it a childhood dream to become a chef someday?

Garima Arora: I always wanted to be a chef. I think I realised that around the age of 16/17 that that's what I wanted to do eventually. At that point I was already studying BMM and then I started working at Indian Express as a journalist. The e plan was to shift to Goa and open a restaurant once I retire. But the more I researched I realised that this is a young person’s game as it requires tremendous amount of hard work. My dad had always given me an opportunity and an option to study abroad to do my PhD or post-graduation—he thought I would go for an MBA or a post-grad in journalism or a PhD in tourism. After working for about 6months as a journalist, I went up to him and told him that I wanted to be a chef. I found the best course and told my dad about it. He had always maintained that he would sponsor my higher studies, and when I went to him with this course, he didn’t hesitate. He didn’t think I would take it very seriously—he thought at least when I came back he would get some nice food to eat. He even told me that once I am back I will have to cook for him and our friends and relatives whenever there was a house party. But I never came back!

HELLO! India: But why? What made you pick Bangkok over Bombay when you decided to start your own restaurant?

Garima Arora: I think Thailand chose me. I was there for a couple of months. So I just finished my stint Noma Copenhagen and was moving back to India when I made a pit stop in Bangkok. One thing led to another and I never left. So, the city chose me.

HELLO! India: It's been almost a decade since you started GAA. Has the administrative part of the job clouded the creative aspect of being a chef in any way?

Garima Arora: As you progress, your job profile changes a little. Your responsibilities evolve, and it becomes a tad administrative. You have to cut off when you need to, to get into a creative space, and you need a strong team around you that lets you do that. Eventually, when you’re a chef and also run a business, you can’t get away from the statutory requirements of the latter. We forget that life has to be lived. We need these challenges because it feels good when we overcome them.

HELLO! India: What did you love most about the job back then vis-à-vis now?

Garima Arora: The best part about when I started out was that I was young. When you’re young, you have the luxury of having no experience, which means you can take bigger risks. You don’t speak from experience but from aspiration. With experience, you start second-guessing yourself, but when you’re younger, you just take the plunge. Those decisions could be considered brave or stupid, but they mostly land you in terrific places. The experience I gained over the past decade pushed me to the next level — being a restaurant owner. It’s a joy to see my chefs like Manav and others slowly taking centre stage. I can’t always be in the kitchen; I shouldn’t have to be. The next generation is going to get into the business soon, so I’m setting the stage for them.

HELLO! India: How do you manage your expanding portfolio along with two tiny tots?

Garima Arora: To begin with, I have a fantastic husband. I couldn’t have ordered one more tailor-made for me! He adores me and understands my work. I’ve also had extremely supportive parents — especially my father, who’s always told me I could do anything I wanted to. Even now, he tells me if I wanted to leave this job and focus solely on being a mother, I’d be fantastic at it. I also have a fabulous team that always steps in whenever I need to step away. It takes a village. It really does!