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URBAN OASIS Oshi/Las Brisas
He is 'not a hotel chef’. Paul Tamborini says that at least three times in the course of a twenty-minute interview. ‘I don’t do banquets,’ he insists. Still, he and his brother Mark are chefs in charge of the two restaurants - Oshi and Las Brisas - at the new Langs Hotel next to Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow.
Of course, what he means is that he and Mark are not typical hotel chefs. And that is true. Most recently Paul, 29, seconded Martin Wishart in Leith while wee bro Mark, 26, was at the Loch Lomond Golf Club. Pretty fine pedigree, indeed, and Langs has offered a challenge. Both of the West End-born chefs have worked at a clutch of award-winning restaurants throughout Scotland and UK. Like many a Glaswegian, they’re back where they want to be. ’I know it's a cliché,’ Paul says, ’but it’s coming home. It feels superb, brilliant.’
Of the two spaces at Langs, Oshi is the more impressive. While Las Brisas, with its turquoise colour scheme, is designed to be the California-influenced restaurant, Oshi is at least as reminiscent of what you might find on the Pacific Rim. Editors from the long-standing bible of modern mainstream American West design, Sunset magazine, should be notified immediately.
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Scottish fare with your theatre
STRIKING TWICE
Lounge Hotel offers an 'urban oasis'
The central feature of this Curious Oranj creation is a ten-metre pool lined in ultramarine blue tiles. At one end water cascades gently down a pane of glass and at the other a gas fire licks up toward an inverted conical black flue that extends to the high ceiling. The sound of tinkling water is undoubtedly relaxing, although time will tell if patrons follow encouragement (spied on the Langs' web site) to 'speak softly’. The self-described ‘urban oasis' may attract a livelier than sotto voce crowd.
Food is served through the day until 10pm at Oshi, while Las Brisas (Spanish for breezes) will open noon until 2.30pm and 7 until 11pm. The Japanese influences are clear at Oshi: grilled chicken yakitori, tempura of vegetables, sweet and sour Asian-style pork as well as sushi platters. The Tamborini brothers recently won the Scottish leg of the Chef and Potter professional chefs' tournament, travelling south this month to face other finalists in the UK. They were drawn to Langs because owners John and Bridget Brannan are willing to support an ambitious kitchen in their £11m venture. Watch this space, as they say. But the boys may yet have to whip up a banquet. (Barry Shelby)
.? Oshi/Las Brisas, Larigs Hotel, Port Dunc/as Place, Glasgow, 0147 333 7500
example, a succulent seared sirloin fillet Iserved With a crown of shittake mushroom relish and frrecl won ton in a bowl of udon noodle broth: was recently on the lunch snack menu I£6 50) as well as the fix-priced lunch menu (two cOurses for {IO/three for {I2 SOI Other specialities include cullen skink and cod \.'\.'rapr‘)ed Ill Par'rna ham
Starting a second restaurant was only logical, says Kearney, given the team has two chefs. While Stevens remains on the Southsrde, Rutter assumes the reins at the new place Aside from hanging some luminous watercolour ' strII-Irfes and Mediterranean town- scapes by Scottish artist Glen ScouIIer, very Irttle has been done to the interior
The Marque Central
‘It will never work.’ That prediction made a couple of years ago was only recently heard by Lara Kearney abOut the restaurant she runs wrth chefs John Rutter and Glyn Stevens on Edinburgh’s CausewaySrde After two \. ears rn busmess, however, The theatre has proved that sceptic was ' " rt‘ar‘k Business has been
118 THELIST 'c’: 37 ;;
brisk enOugh for the trio to venture west and fill the recent v0rd left by Tuscan Sciuare at the Royal Lyceum Theatre With their new place, Marque Central
The menu, written in their srgnature cramped calligraphy, changes weekly, featuring contemporary Scottish and modern British fare Table d'hOte, a la carte, pre-theatre, snack lunch and post-theatre selections all ensure diners are slightly sporled for c'nOrcte For
All they had time for was a thorOugh rand apparently well-neededi scrub and fresh coats of paint Marque Central opened Only six days after the keys ~were handed over At the launch, David ‘Howre' Scott teased Kearney about their ambition, suggesting that more Ivlargues were sure to lOllO‘.".' No way, she says, there are only two chefs IBarry Shelbyr
is Marque Central, 30b Grrnd/ay Street, Edinburgh, 0737 227 95/5
eat@list.co.uk
Spit or swallow
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pepper This follows through to a palate of sherbet and forest fruits Remarkably unusual, and renia'l.alily tasty
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‘14": ger‘anruri'is Ibelrevc- it or noti, tornato plant and cinnamon This is
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Dao, Dom Ferraz 1999 r O ‘
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E. A special buy—tzvo-save-[Z offer is available on trre Dao, Dom Ferraz 7999, and buy-tlrree-for-[IO offer is available on the Fa/ua 7999 All -./'/rne; available from Bottoms Up and ‘//ClOf/d Wine