Gamma Gamma: The Pan-Asian Player With Personality
When it comes to seeking out the next big thing in restaurants, there’s always rich pickings in Soho, with newcomers opening on a regular basis. And as our love affair with pan Asian cuisine shows no signs of subsiding any time soon, we think there’s room on the capital’s streets for Gamma Gamma.
New to Greek Street and following the culinary trend of small plate pan-Asian tapas (a smart move for this fast-moving part of London), Gamma Gamma is certainly not another identikit Thai restaurant – the dishes have personality, the ingredients are exotic and the overall dining experience is designed to make an impression.
The website describes the chefs as ‘mad inventors’ which explains a lot. Forget your standard pad Thais and green chicken curries, how’s ostrich jungle curry, kangaroo steak or zebra loin tataki?
Plates are meant to be shared but were actually bigger than expected – I’d recommend 6 or 7 for two people for dinner. Many of the dishes on the menu have rather long names, and there are some unusual ingredients in the mix.
But does the food live up to the hype? Some dishes were punchy and full of flavour – the seared tuna sashimi with charred padron peppers & persimmon, miso merchego crema and squid ink rice cracker, £12.90, was a highlight, while the smoked burratta with honey roasted kabucha pumpkin, avocado, mulled nashi pear, thai basil pesto and tofu chips, £10.90 was pretty much perfection on a plate.
Others however, had a different, altogether more mellow vibe. The kare-kare: filipino style beef curry in mild peanut sauce, bok choy, banana blossom and long beans, £12.90, was good, but compared to some of the other dishes, seemed as though it was missing something.
Food arrives at the table when its ready, so this was possibly because it followed some of the more exuberant dishes. There was also a bit of a faux pas with one of the desserts which we planned to share – the chocolate parfait was so solid, it nearly flew off the flat plate it was presented on when we attempted to split it.
Overall, the meal was fun, enjoyable and a bit of a roller coaster ride, akin to dancing to hands-in-the-air club classics followed by a chill out set.
But Gamma Gamma isn’t just another edgy Soho hangout – with a deep house soundtrack and an eclectic selection of cocktails (Smokey Eyes, £12, even contains smoke!), the ambience is clubby and the lighting diffused, making it a good choice for a drink after work or before heading ‘out out’. Grab your besties and get down to Gamma Gamma, you’ll have a ball.
