Page 90 - MASALA Magazine Vol.15 Issue 2 | December 2023 - January 2024

Anuradha Sachaphimukh, known in the community
as Booba, is the co-owner and head of F&B at Arito, a
quaint Japanese vegetarian fusion restaurant hidden inside
Sukhumvit Soi 23. Today, Japanese vegetarian food has
become widely available in Bangkok and much of the West,
but for a long time this was not the case.

Japanese chefs are trained for years to master traditional
culinary skills, especially in the art of sushi. Thus, adapting
sushi to a vegetarian restaurant would be quite a challenge,
particularly in a cuisine which relies heavily on fish and
meat broths. For this reason, Booba, a vegetarian and a fan
of Japanese cuisine, decided to learn the techniques herself,
adapt them, and pass them on.

Born in Delhi but having grown up in Bangkok, Booba
started out selling cargo space for airlines after she finished
high school, as part of a family business. In fact, she even
had a short stint designing dresses at Kalawin International Anuradha Sachaphimukh,
Fashion School, but did not find the work fulfilling. Cooking was always Co-owner and Head of F&B at Arito,
her real hobby. “I don’t eat much, but I like to bring people together reimagines traditional Japanese dishes
with my food,” she admits with a big smile on her face. Attending Suan with a vegetarian twist.
Dusit Culinary School was where she was able to master culinary
techniques, eventually traveling to Japan where she found her calling. B Y AYU SH MADAN

Booba and her business partner, Devchand Chodhry, first opened Arito
in March 2022, quickly garnering acclaim in the community. When
I visited her, there was a rush of incoming orders from LINEMAN
and Grab, as her staff rushed to prepare food for their customers. I was
eager to savour some of her food, and was genuinely impressed when
she showed us how she makes two of her signature dishes: Tom yum
udon and Emerald maki.

90 | MASALA MAGAZINE DEC 2023-JAN 2024