PINAY CHEF Sam Jumchai — MARGAUX SALCEDO
Restaurant Gaa in Bangkok received its second Michelin star just last week! Congratulations to Chef Garima Arora and her superb team!
I was able to dine at the previous location of Gaa prepandemic and had the joy of visiting again, this time at their new location just a few days ago, following their epic upgrade to becoming a two-time Michelin-star restaurant.
What is delightful news to Pinoys is that there is a lovely Filipina in the Gaa kitchen as well! She is Chef Sam Jumchai, a graduate of Enderun Colleges. She is a gorgeous and very eloquent chef who had previously interned at Mugaritz in Spain, Gaggan in Bangkok and Cape Cod in the United States.
It was a joy to listen to her praise Chef Garima, who is evidently as inspiring in life as on the plate. Chef Garima, she shared, had just given birth. To be able to balance having a newborn and yet not only run but improve a Michelin-star kitchen is amazing.
Restaurant Gaa is actually an Indian restaurant, although located in Thailand. Chef Garima was born in Mumbai, although she had worked at Noma in Denmark before working at Gaggan in Thailand. Once she was in Bangkok, she never left.
At Gaa, the focus of her degustation menu is applying traditional Indian cooking techniques onto locally sourced ingredients. She continues that her mission is to rediscover and reform the narrative on Indian food. Their website states, “At Restaurant Gaa, we focus on creating a one-of-a-kind dining experience, which showcases the modern relevance of Indian cooking techniques. We bring to you the cuisines of India as we in the kitchen enjoy them the most.” Chef Jumchai shared that they are now exploring regional Indian cuisine as further inspiration to their always improving menu.
The menu is incredibly creative. “The Tandoori Story” uses durian; “A Taste of Kolkata” uses Indian Chinese scallop; while they have ice cream made from wild Mahua, a flower that grows in India.
You must also make time to spend at the Gaa Lounge. Look for Tar, who has been with Chef Garima for eight years. He is a charming Thai who says that Chef Sam mentored him, encouraging him to play around with flavors for his signature cocktails. Ask for the drink he made for me, which as of yet has no name—it is a subdued Negroni, a Negroni with elegance and manners!
The next time you visit Bangkok, make sure to make Restaurant Gaa part of your itinerary. It will be worth it!
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