Gaa Bangkok is a newish restaurant, it is has been around for about 7 or 8 months and is ably helmed by Chef Garima Arora. Chef Garima was formerly a Sous Chef at Gaggan, which is just across the ally way. Gaa Bangkok is open for dinner 7 days a week and they have two choices, four if you include the vegetarian options, a 14 course or a 10 course dégustation menu. I went with the 14 courses.

In addition to having a great team in the kitchen, Gaa Bangkok also has a very capable team on the floor run by Kiki Sontiyart, who is also the Sommelier. They have just the right mix of attentiveness and ……. each dish is introduced to you describing the various ingredients and how it is prepared.

The Menu

Fresh pea salad with quail egg on a cracker base
Chilled soup of Mango, Pumpkin and Pickles

Betal Leaf
Duck Vindaloo Donut
Thai sticky rice
Homemade Pickles

Chicken Liver, Longan
Corn
Cow Milk Tofu, Grilled leaves of Mustard and Pakchi Farang

Crayfish, Khakhra
Crab, Cauliflower, Caramelized Whey
Khanom-La

Pork Rib

Keema Pao
Caramelized Onion Bread, Homemade Butter

Egg Fruit Ice cream, Jack Fruit
Chocolate betel leef
Bhakarwadi, Koji Ganache

The Food

I enjoyed all the courses but my favourites were:

• Duck Vindaloo Donut
• Corn
• Crayfish
• Pork
• Chocolate Betel Leaf

Round 1

Fresh pea salad with quail egg on a cracker base. Great textures and flavours, a bit of citrus. Yum. Great start

Chilled mango and pumpkin soup with kaffir lime oil on top, covering four homemade pickles. Don’t stir! Interesting combination of flavours, nice balance, like the tartness of the lime.

Round 2

Crispy Bettle Leaf, with duck stock, herbal salt rub, lemon grass, kaffir lime, galanga (like ginger). Looks great tastes better.

Donut with duck vindaloo with a collection of homemade pickles. WoW, amazing combo of flavours AWESOME

My favourite pickle was the Spicy Tomato followed closely by the Chili.

Thai sticky rice, mochi with salted duck egg yolk cream and a homemade pickled chive flower. Scrumptious!

Round 3

Frozen chicken liver mouse / pate with a crositini base and a grape centre. Loved it!

Corn – bhuta street food in India, with corn puree, cows milk and vinegar. Another amazing dish. A nice way to eat corn, especially on the day after USA’s Thanksgiving.

Homemade cows milk tofu, grilled coriander and mustard leaves, sauteed mustard with green chili oil. Not a big fan of tofu, but the difference in flavour between this an the usual stuff, is amazing, very fresh, add in the flavour of the coriander and mustard leaves, very nice

Round 4

Crayfish with pormello, crayfish sauce, coriander leaf on an Indian cracker. Loved it!

Toasted Cauliflower with crab meat in a fermented whey sauce. Another great combination of flavours and textures. The crab and cauliflower work well together.

Khanom-La, Garima’s take on a Thai Dessert (missed the description, was distracted by the look of the dish). An interesting mix of flavours, extremely enjoyable.

Round 5 – Main Course

Pork Rib topped with coriander, shallots, pomegranate. The pork has marinated in tamarind for 24 hours and then spent 18 hours in a sous vide. What else can I say but YUM!!

Round 6

Keema Pao, bread with a centre of lamb infused with southern Thai spices. Great combo of flavours, the lamb and Thai spices work well together

Round 7 – Dessert

Egg and jack fruit ice-cream, with praline and a homemade cone. More savoury than sweet, interesting mix of flavours, I like!

Chocolate betel leaf. Dark chocolate and cardamon silver, the other side is fennel powder roast chutney. Fold it and eat in one bite. Love the combo of dark chocolate and fennel (inspired by Indian after dinner palate cleansers)

Bakarwadi, Koji Ganache. Indian spices added to a danish pastry. Savoury and sweet (koji ganache), great mix.

The Wine

As I was by myself I did not hit it too hard, the choice of a German Pinot Noir by Kiki was a good one, would have gone with something I knew instead, when you have a good Sommelier listen to their advice!

wdt_ID	Photo	Wine
1		> Name: Charles Collin, Blanc De Noirs - Brut Year: NV Region: Côte des Bar, Champagne, France Varietal: Pinot Noir Oz's Rating: 3.5 out 5 Very refreshing. Fine bead, pale straw in colour. Nicely balanced, enjoyable palate, with a medium long finish. <
2		> Name: Meyer-Nakel Spatburgunder "G" Year: 2015 Region: Ahr, Erzeugerabflullung, Germany Varietal: Pinot Noir (Spaetburgunder) Oz's Rating: 4 out 5 Medium deep crimson, perfumed aroma with an abundance of cherry and a hint of spice, smooth, savoury palate, with subtle tannins and a medium finish. I like! <

Gaa Bangkok

I like Gaa, it is more casual than Gaggan, and has a bit more “cheek” to it as well. The food is amazing, you are definitely satiated by the end of 14 courses. Not sure I would risk the 10 course option, I might miss out on something!

The service is great, the team is well versed in the ingredients and preparation of each dish, add in a Sommelier who likes to challenge you with something different (if you are game) and your dinner becomes an event.

Gaa Bangkok is a restaurant to add to your must visit list!

Looking forward to my next visit.

Cheers!