Covert operation
EAT&DR|NK
Glasgow’s new restaurant and bar the Secret Garden at the Gate doesn’t look destined to remain clandestine for very long
he name conjures the image of a clandestine oasis
hidden within the facades of
the Trongate. Perhaps in time the Secret Garden will live tip to its moniker. btit it‘s early days and for now it is a semi—screened dining space at the back of a smart bttt still somewhat sparsely decorated. slightly boxy bar.
Still. looks aren‘t everything and there is nothing offensive about the Secret Garden at the Gate. a new venture from the team that has given Glasgow two of its best contemporary Indian restaurants. the Dhabba and Dakhin.
Now. plenty of successful restaurateurs expand (such as Two Fat Ladies Ryan James‘ recent purchase of the Buttery). What‘s interesting here. however. is that the cuisine at the Secret Garden is a departure from subcontinental cooking. So. rather than trading on Bapu Hospitality"s well- established reputation for Indian food. they have something different: a tapas menu (as well as a bar food selection).
The tapas are billed as ‘Asian- Pacific fusion” with ‘influences
TAKE THREE: MORE TAPAS
International Starters
82 Commercial Quay, Leith,
0131 555 2546, www.internationalstarters.co.uk
As the name might Suggest the menu consists entirely of starters or appetisers from around the world. It's a bit like a global tapas menu. with a huge range of smaller dishes on offer. split into Mediterranean. Asian. Americas and Scottish sections.
86 THE LIST t")- 19 Jul 2007
gone for
and ingredients frotn the Pacific Rim‘. which seems about right. The key phrase is ‘intluences and ingredients‘ rather than the less safe adjective ‘authentic’. a term too often abused by restaurateurs and critics alike.
There are hints of liast Asia through the selection of tapas- style dishes: tamarind chicken. teriyaki beef or lndo—spiced okra for exatnple. The latter shows that a South Asian component of the mix. Assuming that they know
how to cook that type. though. our
recent graze ventured towards less well-charted territory.
Chicken laska. a mild noodle curry with a hidden spicy kick behind the tnore apparent. slightly
THE CUISINE AT THE SECRET GARDEN IS A DEPARTURE FROM SUB- CONTINENTAL COOKING
Mother India’s Gate
1355 Argyle Street, Glasgow, 0141 339 9145, www.motherindia.co.uk Born out of Mother India (champion of 'home-style' subcontinental cooking), this diner introduced the concept of tapas-style Indian food or thali. One potentially downside. however, is that it doesn‘t take bookings. So be prepared to wait. watch and probably salivate as the place buzzes.
sweet tones of coconut and almonds. features two breasts of moist. white meat. Korean char- grilled beef offers slender but tender strips of fillet. marinated teriyaki style. served with some slices of fresh ginger root and leaves. The fried fish with coriander is perfectly executed (even if the accompanying chilli dip is somewhat ordinary). Sea bass fillets with skin intact have been lightly dttsted in a spiced flour and fried to seal in juices. The routine is to offer some complimentary veg with tapas orders. and on otir visit this entailed a pickled raw cauliflower. red onion and carrot mix served with some spongy flat bread. Successful restaurateurs with new ventures are bound to raise dining expectations. And happily they are mostly met at the Secret Garden at the Gate. A bit more work to achieve the suggested intimacy in the dining room should mean fttll marks all round.
Secret Garden at the Gate 62 Trongate, Glasgow, 0141 548 1330
Barioja 19 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh, 0131 557 3622
This lively bar was launched as a less formal dining experience than its Sister Spanish restaurant. lgg's. next door. But it has long since established itself as a well-respected place to eat in its own right. with plenty of character. friendly service and a nicely balanced lbenantapasrnenu.
Side DISI'IOS E
News to nibble on . . .
Edinburgh 8 08ng
EATING l
DRINKIN W“ “retires
I Predictably, our recent Eating & Drinking Guide [pictured], has been another top seller this year. Alas, almost equally inevitable are a few wee errors of fact amid the torrent of accurate information.
To set the record straight and with sincere apologies:
0 ln Glasgow, Topolino’s on Sauchiehall Street offers a fixed price lunch for £4.95 and no longer uses laminated menus.
0 In Edinburgh, at the Doric Tavern tablecloths are plain light cream and the colour scheme in the dining room is lemon.
0 And in our Out of Town/West regional listings, the Angels Bar & Diner in Uddingston also serves evening meals Monday-Thursday with a two-for-one offer and last orders at 9pm.
I Ryan James of Two Fat Ladies restaurants in Glasgow’s West End and City Centre has purchased the Buttery. one of the most venerable premises in the city. The sale came as something of a surprise and previous owner Ian Fleming. who rescued the business a few years back. puts the blame squarely on his insurance company for reneging on a claim after the kitchen was struck by a fire some months back.
I Side dishes predicts that the new venture from Victor and Carina Contini, Zanzero, will be the big dining out hit of the upcoming Festival. Located in the former premises of Circus Café in North West Circus Place on Stockbridge’s fringes, the operation should build on the excellent reputation that the couple have created with their New Town Centotre. More on Zanzero in a fortnight.
I Back in Glasgow, the Persian restaurant Koolba. which vacated the Merchant Square development last year. has been resurrected in Candleriggs at number 109 (where Smith's bistro had been). Expect plenty of char- grilled Iranian style treats.