Meet Garima Arora: First Indian Woman Chef to Win the Most Prestigious Restaurant Award
Cooking is an art and chefs are artisans who can create magic with their hands.
Garima Arora has precisely (and deliciously) created this magic – she has become the first Indian women to win the prestigious Michelin Star award.
If you aren’t sure how huge that achievement is for a chef, let us tell you. A Michelin Star is a system used to rate restaurants by the world’s oldest hotel and restaurant reference guide. It is the world standard for judging the quality, food and experience of a restaurant.
Think of it as winning the Oscar award for the best chef.
Garima Arora, a chef from Mumbai is now the first Indian woman to get a Michelin Star award for her restaurant.
Her restaurant in Bangkok goes by the name ‘GAA’ – and serves a cuisine that connects both Indian and Thai elements. What’s amazing is that it is the only restaurant in Bangkok owned by an Indian woman!
Garima’s proud feat is nothing short of exceptional. She has put Indian cooking at the spotlight once again and has joined the league of ‘masterchefs’ with a Michelin Star award.
When asked about how she feels to have won this accolade, Garima credited her success to perseverance and having a love for what she does. She took her chances against the odds and chased her dream of becoming a chef.
A former journalist, Garima decided to pursue her passion for cooking. She trained under world-famous heavyweight masterchefs like Gordon Ramsay, Rene Redzepi and Gaggan Anand.
“I come from a Punjabi family and food is always a big part of our culture and lifestyle. My dad travelled a lot and made a variety of cuisines at home.”
GAA was established in 2017 and within a year, Garima Arora has managed to cook her way to the world’s most reputed honour.
“I began my career at a newspaper but soon began to realize that being a chef is a young person’s game. I had to do it now so I quit my job and moved to Paris to learn cooking,” she said.
Garima’s journey to success is an example – if you can dare to chase your dreams, you can turn them into a reality!
Way to go, Garima! Wishing you continued success and laurels in your journey. You are a hobbypreneur in true sense and we definitely need examples like you that give inspiration.
For the love of Food – Let us all celebrate the win for passion that successfully turned into a profession for Garima and India!