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2015-08-04
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“GABA”, as the restaurant stated, is short for an important central nervous system inhibitory neurotransmitter for relaxation, anti-anxiety and improve overall well being. I got this feeling when I walked into GABA Concept. Large windows with plenty daylight and the place were about 40% full at late lunch hours. People spoke softly so not to disturb the atmosphere. My friend and I were trying to suppress our hysterical laughs gossiping about last Friday night out.We had the Gaba breakfast and th
We had the Gaba breakfast and the truffle mushroom alfredo. Dishes were healthy as claimed, little oil, wheat spaghetti, unsweetened yogurt, etc. Taste and skill were decent but I wouldn’t go “oh, I crave for that.” Portions were smaller than we preferred but most Hong Kong girls would be satisfied. The black coffee quality passed since it didn’t turn sour after cooling down. I liked how the restaurant was big on beneficial ingredients like Roselle, quinoa and tofu. Many items with purple sweet potatoes got my attention, too, like cheesecake, chocolate fondant and coffee drinks. People with purple obsession would be on their knees; they probably got all 50 shades here!
Desserts were low to no sugar. They got some creative choices. We had the sweet potato cheesecake with homemade raspberry ice cream. The sugar-free ice cream caught me by surprise but the tanginess balance quite nicely with the not-so-sweet-neither cheesecake. Yet, I was expecting the cake to be more potato-ie (sweet potato usually had its own special starchy aroma but got none of that here). I wished they could pack in more potatoes, maybe as the base.
The down side, food and drink service were slooow. I didn’t feel much GABA flowing through my hungry system after awhile. I didn’t see many people ordering drinks but my black coffee came 30+ mins after seating (most tables were already done with their meal). Food took 10-15 more mins. It was funny how the breakfast dish took the most time to arrive when very few items required cooking. The neighboring tables, which came in before or at the same time as us, were crossing their arms and frowning because of the delays. The 2 servers were young and polite but fairly nervous (some training on prioritization skills would be good for them). They seemed very busy but unsure on what. Still, couldn’t blame them since the kitchen team was not making their jobs any easier and they had to apologize to every table.I saw that there was a lot of heart putting into the dishes though (ingredient choices, thoughtful creativity and plating). I was relieved to see that most people looked generally pleased and wow-ed when the food arrived after a long wait. My GAGA depreciated, again, when groups of customers walked in and filled up the restaurant. Oh poor staff, could they handle this… I would come back when it is not one of those “once-a month pms-ing days” or when I’m feeling extra zen, with a laptop and sit here all afternoon on a lazy weekend.
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