Waah Gwaan Cafe – A refreshing Jamaican experience
Published:Thursday | March 17, 2022 | 12:06 AM
To understand a culture, one has to get a taste of it. The moment I stepped into Waah Gwaan Cafe, I knew this was a home away from home. In the true spirit of a Jamaican adventure, this food journey started with being lost before finding an unlikely island treasure.
“Make a left turn back on to Harbour Street, and it’s right there upstairs,” a Rastaman told our team while we were on Water Lane in downtown Kingston. The directive revealed half-truths. Just before reaching a popular pizzeria, we did, in fact, spot a quaint coffee shop. The door had an open invitation for customers to ‘Shub’. But with only one step, there was the destination. While there were no stairs in sight; the real elevation may be found in the flavour department!
The jerk chicken burger, marinated, cooked to perfection and complemented with fresh ingredients, will have you salivating with every savoury bite. Other bickle sensations include the wanga gut burger, French toast sandwich, omelette burger, tuna melt panini, cheesesteak sandwich and smoked marlin bagel.
It will be hard to miss a ‘beet’ with berry smoothies. Fruit-infused meal replacement delights like the strawberry bliss, raspberry bomb, morning refresher, coffee-nola, nine months lata, Royale granola and energiser punch are sure to put an extra pep in your step. And Waah Gwaan is nothing without its famous banana tea; people are having a whole ‘latte’ love for the turmeric latte and the dandelion latte as well.
Since opening in November of last year, the team has received nothing but refreshing reviews. According to one of the owners Sherina Whyte, she and her other business partners, Sasha Kelly and Kashief Coke, decided to open the unique eatery based on their background.
“We grew up in the country, so we have everything that your grandmother would give you that would make you go, ‘Mi miss mama or mi miss grandma’. The theme is influenced by Jamaica because we wanted to bring back the authentic Jamaican experience, with an international flair,” she told Food.
Realising that they were unemployed when the world was on lockdown, the trio believed the only way to go from there was up. So, they took a chance on themselves, starting a business at the lowest point of their lives and making sacrifices along the way to see the dream become a tasty reality. They have loved the support ever since.
Whyte plays a significant role as the chef, cooking up one mouth-watering dish after the other and blending up smoothies of local flavour with an international flair. Kelly, who specialises in food management, handles the customers, the book, and social media. While Coke, the designer, was responsible for the urban-chic yardie interior.
The proof is written on the wall with Jamaican words and proverbs, like ‘bush tea’, ‘one one coco full basket’, ‘bresheh’, ‘dung a town’, ‘one-stop driver’, ‘bless up’, ‘yaad’, ‘rub a dub’ and many others. “I think people love Waah Gwaan Cafe because we put a lot of love into our menu offerings, and we pride ourselves in providing excellent customer service. People come back for the taste,” both Whyte and Kelly revealed.
As for the wide variety of smoothies, the chef explained that she wanted to provide a healthy alternative to the rice, fried chicken and flour. “All the smoothies each have their components of health and nutrition that you won’t get anywhere else.”
The trio wanted to create a new cafe wave with more smoothies and natural teas to create a more inclusive experience, hence the strategic selection of a downtown location. Creating a judgement-free zone and welcoming from the handcart man to the corporate executive is everything they could ever hope for.
“I think in the next five years, downtown is going to change,” Whyte added. With inflation contributing to the daily struggle, they’re looking forward to building the Waah Gwaan brand and running a successful business. The owners are happy to be making a difference by bringing the outta many experience to the local culinary scene.
Waah Gwaan Cafe is located at 19-21 King Street. The entrance is on Harbour Street. They are on Instagram, @waahgwaancafe.