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. FOLLOW US: Instagram: 📷 https://www.instagram.com/culinarycultureco/ #Table1Podcast #GarimaArora #VirSanghvi #Gaa #CulinaryCultureStudios #Noma #FineDining