Garima Arora: Running Out of Money & Why Women Can’t Have It All | Table 1 with Vir Sanghvi
Culinary Culture
36,024 views
Before making history as the first Indian woman to win two Michelin stars, Garima Arora studied journalism in Mumbai and admits she felt completely unqualified for the professional kitchen.
In this episode of Table 1, Garima Arora joins Vir Sanghvi for a candid conversation about ambition, sacrifice, motherhood and building Gaa into one of Asia’s most acclaimed restaurants. She traces her unlikely journey from studying journalism in Mumbai to cooking at Noma under René Redzepi, leaving Copenhagen for love, moving to Bangkok and eventually working alongside Gaggan Anand.
Garima opens up about the turbulence that followed Gaggan’s fallout with his partners, why she ultimately chose to walk away and rebuild Gaa, and the financial reality of putting everything she had into her restaurant. She also reflects on becoming the first Indian woman to receive a Michelin star, what it took to earn a second, and the extraordinary pressure of running a restaurant while raising two young children.
Beyond the accolades, Garima speaks candidly about why she believes women cannot “have it all”, the compromises behind professional success, her evolving relationship with Indian food, and why opening a restaurant in India was one of the scariest decisions of her career.
This is a rare look inside the mind of a chef who refused to follow a safe formula and built a global culinary reputation on her own terms.
Table 1 with Vir Sanghvi, produced by Culinary Culture Studios, brings together influential chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers and hospitality leaders for honest conversations about ambition, failure, risk and the realities behind building successful empires.
Watch the full episode and subscribe for more conversations from Table 1.
00:00 - “I’m Not Qualified for This Job”
01:46 - From Journalism in Mumbai to Becoming a Chef
06:53 - Gordon Ramsay, Passport Hurdles & Dubai
09:12 - Getting Into Noma, the World’s Best Restaurant
17:57 - René Redzepi & Surviving the Noma Kitchen
21:05 - Leaving Copenhagen & Noma for Love
23:00 - Meeting Gaggan Anand & Moving to Bangkok
32:09 - The Gaggan Fallout & Choosing Sides
35:02 - Starting Over & Nearly Running Out of Money
38:06 - The Infamous Durian Dish & Reinventing Gaa
44:44 - Winning a Second Michelin Star
47:51 - Motherhood & Why “Women Can’t Have It All”
50:47 - How Motherhood Changed Her
52:15 - MasterChef India & Breaking Out of the Cocoon
57:28 - Opening in India & Why Indian Diners Are Tough
1:01:23 - Expanding to KL, Bangkok & Shadi Catering
1:10:43 - Opening Banng While 8 Months Pregnant
FOLLOW US:
Instagram: 📷 Instagram: culinarycultureco
#Table1Podcast #GarimaArora #VirSanghvi #Gaa #CulinaryCultureStudios #Noma #FineDining
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Cheers for the good work Vir, love seeing someone who understands food interviewing for a change.
Garima Arora: Running Out of Money & Why Women Can’t Have It All | Table 1 with Vir Sanghvi
Culinary Culture
36,024 views
Before making history as the first Indian woman to win two Michelin stars, Garima Arora studied journalism in Mumbai and admits she felt completely unqualified for the professional kitchen.
In this episode of Table 1, Garima Arora joins Vir Sanghvi for a candid conversation about ambition, sacrifice, motherhood and building Gaa into one of Asia’s most acclaimed restaurants. She traces her unlikely journey from studying journalism in Mumbai to cooking at Noma under René Redzepi, leaving Copenhagen for love, moving to Bangkok and eventually working alongside Gaggan Anand.
Garima opens up about the turbulence that followed Gaggan’s fallout with his partners, why she ultimately chose to walk away and rebuild Gaa, and the financial reality of putting everything she had into her restaurant. She also reflects on becoming the first Indian woman to receive a Michelin star, what it took to earn a second, and the extraordinary pressure of running a restaurant while raising two young children.
Beyond the accolades, Garima speaks candidly about why she believes women cannot “have it all”, the compromises behind professional success, her evolving relationship with Indian food, and why opening a restaurant in India was one of the scariest decisions of her career.
This is a rare look inside the mind of a chef who refused to follow a safe formula and built a global culinary reputation on her own terms.
Table 1 with Vir Sanghvi, produced by Culinary Culture Studios, brings together influential chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers and hospitality leaders for honest conversations about ambition, failure, risk and the realities behind building successful empires.
Watch the full episode and subscribe for more conversations from Table 1.
00:00 - “I’m Not Qualified for This Job”
01:46 - From Journalism in Mumbai to Becoming a Chef
06:53 - Gordon Ramsay, Passport Hurdles & Dubai
09:12 - Getting Into Noma, the World’s Best Restaurant
17:57 - René Redzepi & Surviving the Noma Kitchen
21:05 - Leaving Copenhagen & Noma for Love
23:00 - Meeting Gaggan Anand & Moving to Bangkok
32:09 - The Gaggan Fallout & Choosing Sides
35:02 - Starting Over & Nearly Running Out of Money
38:06 - The Infamous Durian Dish & Reinventing Gaa
44:44 - Winning a Second Michelin Star
47:51 - Motherhood & Why “Women Can’t Have It All”
50:47 - How Motherhood Changed Her
52:15 - MasterChef India & Breaking Out of the Cocoon
57:28 - Opening in India & Why Indian Diners Are Tough
1:01:23 - Expanding to KL, Bangkok & Shadi Catering
1:10:43 - Opening Banng While 8 Months Pregnant
FOLLOW US:
Instagram: 📷 Instagram: culinarycultureco
#Table1Podcast #GarimaArora #VirSanghvi #Gaa #CulinaryCultureStudios #Noma #FineDining
A. Leaving Noma for love.
B. Risking everything and nearly running out of money.
C. Becoming the first Indian woman to win two Michelin stars.
D. Her belief that women can’t “have it all.”
Comment below and tell us why 👇