GaGa

good quality, good value cooking

Attracting the cool, the curious and the convivial for its happy melange of sipping and supping, this joint venture comes from the comestible creatives behind the Thornwood Bar and one-time Malaysian staple, Julie’s Kopitiam (RIP). It's an equal billing that doubtless hits a sweet spot for many but may prove a little too bar-heavy for some. The decor is certainly more funky than formal, with stripped-back, post-industrial shabby-chic touches offering an eclectic and buzzy backdrop to animated chatter and diverse tunes. Amiable staff weave between closely packed tables distributing kaleidoscopic cocktails – pique your appetite with a bar classic from the 'Straight Up Swally' selection or perhaps brave the on-theme exoticism of a banana sesame sour. Meanwhile, a tsunami of tasty morsels races from the kitchen. Navigating the small-plates menu as a group brings the perennial challenge of quantity and pace. While the swift and unfussy delivery is obviously a local crowd-pleaser, staggered ordering may pay dividends for those wishing to slowly savour. Prawn toasts with chilli are generous, flavoursome and unapologetically calorific, while the Malaysian vegetable curry offers coconut comfort zapped with a confident hit of fragrant roasted chilli oil. Side dishes such as miso/garlic potato or chips with basil mayo (or the ubiquitous Kewpie mayo) remind you that, at heart, this is well-prepared street food given a contemporary makeover. As a final flourish (before one last cocktail perhaps), the Ga Ga sundae drizzles rich sesame caramel over passion fruit and coconut before balancing the sweetness with sour mango and salty peanut. Subtle? No. Bowl-lickingly tasty? Definitely. Booking is essential.