FOOD & DRINK FOOD & DRINK SUPPORTED BY
RECENT OPENINGS
OUT OF THE STEAM BASKET Jane Allan squeezes into a new South-east Asian diner helmed by a chef going it alone
S trategically perched at Eglinton Toll straddling Glasgow Southside’s main arterial roads, Nanika epitomises the notion of small is beautiful. This 14-seater diner and takeaway with its clever starry-sky interior brings Justin Valmassoi’s take on Vietnamese street food to an eager audience already primed by his stint at the Glad Café. The deceptively compact menu displays bold originality and a feast of dishes ranging from tongue-curling garlic and chilli cucumbers to sweetly green jackfruit curry and succulent, spicy pork bao buns. Designed to appeal to a sophisticated contemporary palate that relishes the salty, the spicy and the zesty, a bowl of smoky salmon with crunchy celery, sweet pear and al dente sweet potato, all drenched in a citrusy ponzu sauce, reflects Japanese influences. The salt and chilli tofu dish – one of several vegan offerings – takes a more Chinese direction, while Korea joins the mix in a generous portion of house kimchi and rice. South-east Asian cuisines reflect the fusion cultures of migrant populations and Nanika brings all this to Glasgow in a bowl of tom yum fries.
NANIKA
72 Victoria Road, Southside, Glasgow, G42 7AA 07383 716676, nanika2.neocities.org
£11 (dinner)
The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one. Glasgow
for conscience-easing recycle certainty). The premium pick of falafel is top notch, while the homemade salads – tabbouleh, kimchi, etc – are fresh and vibrant. Soups feature, accompanied by Freedom Bakery bread, while other locals include the Good Coffee Cartel for beans and Rapscallion for juices. TEA LOUNGE BY DILMAH
BAKED – PIZZA AL TAGLIO HOTEL TEAROOM
ITALIAN 120 Duke Street, East End, 0141 552 7208, instagram.com/bakedpizzaaltaglio, £10 (lunch / dinner) The Roman-style snack at Baked – Pizza al Taglio (‘by the slice’) has gone down very well with Glasgow’s Italians looking for a slice of home. And no wonder – head pizzaiolo, Daryl Leach, honed his dough-making skills at Italy’s renowned Sorbillo pizzeria, and the crisp- yet-fluffy results (after a 72-hour prep, prove and bake) impress. Meticulously sourced Italian produce and local veg go into dozens of tantalising combinations, including nods to vegans. The slice is partially baked then reheated so lacks the sizzle and char of a wood- fired Neapolitan, but it is terrific to see a dedicated team educating Glasgow on this regional variation with such creative flair.
SPRIGG HEALTHY TAKEAWAY
241 Ingram Street, Merchant City, 0141 221 2223, sprigg.co.uk, £9 (lunch) Snuggled up close to GoMA in a compact, nicely designed spot, this ‘urban takeaway’ is bringing a healthy, righteous mentality to the city’s workers. Specialising in bowls of pick-and-mix goodness for breakfast and lunch, Sprigg’s Living Wage staff will enthuse as they lead you through the filling of your Vegware (take back used containers
Hilton Glasgow, 1 William Street, City Centre, 0141 204 5555, £24 (tasting menu) The luxury, Asian-styled tea lounge at the Hilton provides all the essentials of the traditional afternoon tea and much more. Dilmah – the Sri Lankan tea company – gives this new venture its unique character, fuelled by teas such as Ceylon Ginger or Rose and Vanilla, or a t-cocktail, all concocted by knowledgeable sommeliers. Three teas are matched to three courses: savoury sandwiches, including cucumber and smoked salmon, and roast Angus beef in a sesame slider; indulgent warm scones with clotted cream; and elegant cakes and patisserie, served from a stylish trolley.
Edinburgh
MONO ITALIAN
85 South Bridge, Old Town, 0131 466 4726, monorestaurant.co.uk, £15 (lunch) / £35 (dinner) Silken menu pages, rough-hewn walls and cross- hatched cutlery handles seduce the senses well before the food arrives in this high-end progressive Italian restaurant, where grown-up cooking rewards brave diners willing to test the boundaries of what an Italian restaurant should be. The ground floor dining room is simple, while downstairs diners get a spectacular view of the team at work in the open kitchen. Highlights include a rich ragù of cuttlefish with ink-blackened polenta cakes dotted with pea purée, red mullet in a vivid pond of curried butter and a dessert that
creates something sweet and stinkingly delicious from gorgonzola, cherries and chocolate. BOROUGH BISTRO
50–54 Henderson Street, Leith, 0131 629 2525, boroughrestaurant.com, £26 (lunch / dinner) This clean-cut, Scandi-feeling Scottish bistro uses warm lighting and stylish wood to give a contemporary feel, without being too stiff. The menu lists four courses, but these are mere suggestions and guests are encouraged to meander freely between them all. Lighter bites include courgette tart, which could be followed by tagliatelle and walnut pesto, or venison in pumpkin and pepper sauce. Custard tart, cherry and meadowsweet dukes it out with chocolate, mint and hazelnut for best dessert but, let’s face it, either will do you just fine. Aiming to be a relaxed neighbourhood restaurant, Borough is undoubtedly on the right track. THE LITTLE CHARTROOM
BISTRO 30–31 Albert Place, Leith, 0131 556 6600, thelittlechartroom.com, £22 (lunch) / £28 (dinner)
Good things do come in small packages at the Little Chartroom, where the space is intimate, the menu concise, the warmth genuine and the menu driven by the availability of interesting ingredients. A trio of pork arrives as a crispy
pig’s head croquette, tear-away cheek and savoury belly, while a dish of flaky plaice and perfectly plump mussels is set off by strands of sea plantain and crunchy toasted buckwheat. Puddings are a true partner in the meal rather than an afterthought, such as cleansing elderflower ice-cream, flanked by strawberry slices and delicate tuile, or dense chocolate brownie topped with a chocolate and summer cherry concoction.
Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink
46 THE LIST 1 Sep–31 Oct 2018