They brought us a bowl of rice. And that was it. Fortunately, by the time we got over how sad the whole scenario was, at least part of the rest of our order had showed up.
Just as well, for it cannot be denied that the aromas upon walking into gaga (yes, lowercase) are irresistible.
Founded in 2010 in Shenzhen, where there are now a staggering 12 outlets, gaga is to be found in almost all of China’s big hitters, and now too in our humble Nanjing. Their website extolls the brand’s personality as, “Effortless, Chill, Smart”, and to a degree this indeed comes across in the new Nanjing outlet.
Said website also claims the brand to be “a point of connection between people and the world”. Alert readers not snapping away at every dish on their table may also have cottoned on to this; the trend for ladies to choose locales in which to sit around chatting that look as good as they [think they] do.
We forwent gaga’s signature fresh-fruit tea in favour of a glass of white wine and a Jing-A Workers Pale Ale (¥28). While there is little to be said as to the former since it had disappeared from the menu in the 36 hours it took to get around to writing this review (it was nice and dry, though), the latter deserves much mention.
A quick perusal of the bottle’s rear might cause some to believe the iconic Beijing brewer to have sold out, but there was surely no other way to meet demand than to turn to Carlsberg for quality, industrial-scale production and bottling. In our case here in Nanjing, that means this Jing-A flagship is brewed in Anhui Province, a little north of Nanjing, in the city of Tianchang to be precise.
Noting the nice nod to Halloween that was the miniature real pumpkins as table decorations, we also didn’t miss the fact that water, thankfully, is not served hot.
As for the solids, our Friday evening repast comprised Spanish Serrano Ham Bruschetta (¥58), Wagyu Beef Sliders with mushroom and pickled cucumber in a balsamic glaze (¥98) and Australian M2 Beef Ribeye Steak and egg (¥138); each and every one the definition of perfection.
So what’s not to love? A little over priced in some areas perhaps (almost ¥50 for a tiny burger?) and the online menu, albeit happily with a fair degree of English. Very minor quibbles.
Overall, it’s easy to go a bit gaga over gaga. Service too is attentive, relatively speedy and thoughtful. Because then they were back, to ask if we wanted the rice warmed up.
gaga is located at 31/32, LG1 of ifc at 345 Jiangdong Lu 江东中路345号南京国金中心LG1-31/32室 Tel 83130089.
