Got listed as Asia's Best Female chef

Garima Arora, chef

Only three months after we got our first Michelin star, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants reached out to say that I had been voted Asia's Best Female Chef and that my restaurant, Gaa was also part of the list.

This was a first for an Indian woman. It was around the same time that the idea for our non-profit initiative, Food Forward India, came about. With all the accolades coming in (being ranked number 16 in Asia and number 95 in the world), I felt I had to make something meaningful out of this achievement rather than focus on the restaurant and myself. It was crucial to route the conversation back to something that I felt passionate about - Indian food.

It was clear that our cuisine has the resources and the tools to form the basis of something modern and relevant. The fact, that two years in, Gaa is on these lists, is testament to that.

But the change has to start with us. In October, it all came a full circle and we finally launched Food Forward India in Mumbai. How proud I was of that moment! Having 60 of the most brilliant people from the industry sitting in the same room, and our only agenda was to brainstorm about the future of Indian cuisine. I feel lucky to be in this position and, to bring everyone together to discuss something so dear to our heart. I'm excited for what's to come.

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