At DLF One Horizon, our photographer waits to click Chef Garima Arora’s photographs. Seven months pregnant, she has already finished a few meetings, one workout, and playtime with her eighteen-month-old Aham, and it’s only 1 pm. The rest of the day will be spent at Banng, the upcoming Thai restaurant she is opening later this month, along with restaurateur Riyaz Amlani. That’s Arora for you—always on the go. 

While Mumbai was their first choice of location, the team couldn’t settle on the location here, so, Delhi happened almost by chance. “It’s a true homecoming—I spent my first nine to 10 years here, my extended family lives here. Besides, I’m very positive about how people dine out in the city, chasing authentic dining experiences. It’s not about Indianising your experience anymore. I recently went to this amazing ramen restaurant, Long Finish, and was impressed by how perfectly the food was made—the place was packed on a weekday, and that’s such a good sign. Banng is going to be authentic Thai food. Of course, we’ll have some fun with it, but I have to do justice to what Thailand taught me as a chef and after 10 years of living in Bangkok. We have many Pan Asian restaurants but very few Thai; I’m privileged to have that insight.”