FOOD & DRINK NEWS & REVIEWS
CRAB FAB
Finnieston trailblazer Crabshakk has expanded with a fully fledged sister restaurant. David Kirkwood discovers that there’s a strong family resemblance
W ith every new opening at Argyle Street’s western tip, it is de rigeur to note the area’s rejuvenation and its emergence as a culinary destination. But when Crabshakk arrived in 2009, the Finnieston frenzy was barely taking baby steps. There was great seafood to be had in Glasgow, though not in this part of town. And nowhere else had that European pulse, the seats at the bar, the smaller plates (deliciously stacking up over the evening). That aesthetic has had a genuine influence on the area and its striking standard of dining.
Into that mix has arrived a little sister. Table 11 is two doors up, its name relative to the ten that squeeze into Crabshakk. It’s small plates all the way, arriving as they’re prepared, 15 or so on offer. There are oysters. There’s seafood. There are meat dishes and vegetable ones. There are crowd-pleasers, such as a juicy, sweet bull burger on brioche that’s over in three bites, or a lobster ravioli in a laksa / bisque that’s (just) the right side of salty. Then there are plates demonstrating what the kitchen’s all about, such as charred monkfish cheeks with a corn and pineapple salsa. The chefs have clearly been allowed to play, especially with
TABLE 11
textures and temperatures. Lamb neck tingles with pricks of fennel and coriander seed beside crumbled cauliflower and pomegranate. Even better is a Thai green watermelon curry with the fruit’s cold flesh bouncing off the hefty chilli kick while crisp flakes of cashew pop up. It’s a stand-out dish, modern and playful, going through warm, cold, spicy, soft and crunchy. Occasionally the combinations jar: tuna’s peppered crust with bitter radish and a tsatsiki-esque dip; or even that salsa with the monkfish? But they also contribute to the menu’s identity. When small plates look all over the world for reference points, cohesion is often lost. Not here. Table 11 fits in nicely, with the same close-up, city-lights style of its elder sibling. Take a seat at the bar, if that’s your thing: the experience is unique. One small negative is the interior wall separating bar from diners, because they’ve created an atmosphere here that you won’t want to cut.
+ The skilful contrast of tastes and temperatures - The middle wall that keeps the confines narrow
1132 Argyle Street, West End, Glasgow, G3 8TD, 0141 357 6401, table11.co.uk Open Tue–Fri 5pm–midnight; Sat noon–midnight; Sun noon–5pm. Closed Mon.
Average price two-course meal: £21 (lunch / dinner) 44 THE LIST 2 Jun–1 Sep 2016
DRINKS NEWS
Amid claims that Edinburgh consumes more gin per head of population than any other city in the UK, Spencerfield Spirits has expanded production of its Edinburgh Gin brand with the opening of a new distillery at the Biscuit Factory in Leith. Led by Head Distiller David Wilkinson, the new facility supplements the gin’s existing distillery at 1a Rutland Place, where viewing, tours and gin- making are all on offer. Jamie Delap of Fyne Ales has taken inspiration from a traditional German style of slightly sour wheat beer, known as gose (pron. go-seh) to produce a new beer specially designed to match the smoked salmon available from his neighbour Loch Fyne Oysters. Pun alert: it’s called This Gose.
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CARLUCCI CARLUCCI DUNFERMLINE, FIFE
Inside, the mood is cheery & modern, while the menu is peppered with Italian classics. Try the new Moretti Regionali range or the
classic on tap.
restaurantcarlucci.org.uk