BAOKLIST
FOOD & DRINK
W
GLASGOW
Japanese
I Moshi Moshi Japanese Diner 7 Buccleuch Street. 353 0777. Say Japanese food to an average Brit and the image that pops into most peoples‘ minds is one of raw fish and highly stylised. formal restaurants with prices that would make a Far East derivatives trader think twice before popping in for a bite to eat. Time to think again according to Clive Schmulian. the man behind this venture to bring a morsel of downtown Tokyo to Glasgow.
Schmulian first got a taste for Japanese cuisine when he stumbled upon a Japanese restaurant in Paris six years ago. Subsequently smitten by the bento bug he has spent the last eighteen months planning and researching for Moshi Moshi. As with all labours of love there are trials and tribulations to overcome and the cross which Schmulian had to bear in his search for authenticity was a trip to the land of the rising sun to look into Japanese food. Having eaten his way around Tokyo. Schmulian came back with the idea of re- creating a noodle bar in Glasgow.
The end result is a blend of startling simplicity and state of the art technology. The decor is minimalist black and white
illuminated by microlights. In keeping with the Japanese concept of using space in the most economical way possible. all the doors in the restaurant are sliding and the only storage space is in a loft tucked out of site above the toilets. Diners sit on chairs at a bar which is built around the open-plan kitchen so that you can watch your food being prepared in front of you. Using hardware supplied by Carpe Diem and software developed by John Smith Books. Schmulian is working on the idea of interactive eating. Mounted on the wall above the kitchen is a video screen linked to a database of information about Japanese food. so if you can’t tell your tempura from your teriyaki you can call up the relevant information by clicking on an icon using a tracker ball on the bar. Taking the idea further. diners will be given questionnaires at the end of their meal so that Schmulian can continually assess his customers‘ views on the food and service. Realising that Scotland may not be quite ready to welcome sushi with open gullets just yet. Moshi Moshi‘s menu features only two sushi dishes. one of which is made with smoked salmon rather than raw fish. As peoples'
palates become more accustomed to the concept more sushi will be added but. at present. the emphasis is on three other areas of Japanese cooking — bento meals. noodle dishes and a tempura set- meal. Bento boxes are traditional lunch boxes divided into compartments which contain rice. chilled soba noodles. salads. pickles and dressings along with other ingredients such as skewers of grilled chicken or salmon steaks cooked in teriyaki sauce. Four sorts of noodle dishes are on offer and no one will give you a second glance should you slurp. The tempura meal at £12.50 gives you the chance to tuck into miso soup. caledonian roll sushi and the tempura itself— seafood and vegetables shallow fried in a light batter with pickles. rice. salad and dipping sauce. Green tea is included in the menu but should you fancy something alcoholic then there's Sapporo and Asahi beer. chilled or warm sake and plum wine which is usually mixed with soda water to produce an unusual and refreshing drink.
The prices are extremely reasonable with no main course costing more than £7.50 and the appetisers start at £1.80. (Jonathan Trew)
Ubiqai
This superb Scottish restaurant has been the recipient of
12 ASHTON LANE
many awards for excellence since being established in l97l. The newest award is a Michelin Red M. an award never before bestowed on a Glasgow restaurant.
MICHELIN RED M, 1995
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GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Tel 0141-334 5007
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