FOOD & DRINK SUPPORTED BY
RECENT OPENINGS
FLAMING SHOW-OFFS Teppanyaki specialists Benihana come to town with their first UK opening in two decades. Andrea Pearson gets a taste of the theatrical
B ig brands and franchises don’t always take off here but Benihana’s winning formula seems to be bedding into 21st- century Glasgow with ease. This new opener combines the ritual and theatre of Japanese teppanyaki and the slickness of a US corporation with the cheery hospitality of Glasgow. And, most importantly, the food is terrific. Diners are seated in groups around a searingly hot teppan behind which the chefs prepare the food – warming up with impressive juggling before slicing and dicing the fish, meat and veg. While the showstopper moment is an onion volcano that shoots flames into the air, the speedy butterflying of a batch of prawns is equally impressive. Most people opt for a traditional teppanyaki dinner which includes soup, salad, a dish cooked on the hot plate (usually meat, fish or a combo) with veggies and a bowl of rice. Starting at around £20 they offer great value, but prices can rise with upgrades – particularly if you opt for a wagyu steak at around £60. Leave room for a sublime ginger and lime sorbet. The experience is uplifting and a great way to celebrate a birthday – or even the end of the working day.
BENIHANA
7 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2PR 0141 442 0141, benihanainternational.com
£12 (lunch) / £26 (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 ERROL’S HOT PIZZA
PIZZA BAR
379 Victoria Road, Southside, instagram.com/ errolshotpizzashop, £16 (dinner)
Opened by a group of friends – all local residents – Errol’s old-school dive- bar aesthetic and classic New York pizza distinguish it. The chefs are formerly of Finnieston’s Alchemilla and their small plates here are reminiscent of that spot’s
excellent Med food – refreshingly tangy artichoke, lemon and almonds, or purple-sprouting broccoli with chilli and garlic. The pizza is a swaggering headliner, with a gorgeous thin base that’s robust but foldable. Punchy puttanesca (anchovies, capers, and sun-dried tomato) is a particular hit. With nods to everything from Serie A to The Sopranos, Errol’s has bags of personality to stand out from the crowd. LOCKER 1012 CAFES
1012 Argyle Street, West End, fb.com/Locker1012, £10 (lunch) Pink. If you ever want an unequivocal first impression, walk into this café in Finnieston and you’ll no doubt think ‘pink’. It’s all-pervading – splashes in the mock marble floor, chairs, crockery, plus wall decorations of artificial flowers in multi-hues of it. It’s the sort of place to host a fashion shoot rather than a queue of hi-vis workmen. It’s all-day brunching here, from smoothie bowls and buckwheat pancakes to sourdough this and
thats, and ‘guacaroni’ – guacamole and macaroni, of course. Dishes are decently done and it’s all helped by good produce including Peelham Farm bacon and sourdough from Glasgow’s Freedom Bakery. SUPPER CLUB BY NICO BISTROS & BRASSERIES
142 Nithsdale Road, Southside, supperclubglasgow.co, £45 (set lunch / dinner) The latest from busy Glasgow chef Nico Simeone, Supper Club is modern Scots-European in style. During the week, this chic bistro is the development kitchen for Simeone’s restaurant family. Open to the public at weekends, it’ll hook food fans with a taste for the future and some no-holds-barred experimental dining. Each limited edition set-course tasting menu varies, with early appearances from aged beef carpaccio with fermented pepper and smoked marrow, a light salmon tartare with crispy wild rice, and a barbecue heritage potato dish showing that anything could be next. A paired menu of accompanying wines is available for around £35.
Edinburgh BOROUGH
BISTROS AND BRASSERIES
50–54 Henderson Street, Leith, 0131 629 2525, boroughrestaurant.com, £19 (lunch) / £35 (dinner) After a brief hiatus, Borough is back. Chef-proprietor Darren Murray and restaurant manager Aleksandra Murray are now firmly in the driving seat of this neighbourhood spot, which fits neatly between the Michelin-starred glitz nearby and the Shore’s more casual options. Lunch is only available Fri–Sun, while their focus on sourcing means dinner is a four- course no-choice format. That might mean a clever combination of squash, carrot and crowdie; hake with cauliflower and blood orange dressing; then a perfectly cooked lamb loin; all rounded off by a dessert that riffs on traditional flavours, like set chocolate cream with barley and mint granita.
UMI JAPANESE CUISINE JAPANESE
18–24 Deanhaugh Street, Stockbridge, 0131 343 6991, umiedinburgh.com, £16 (lunch) / £26 (dinner)
Umi aims to carve out a noodle niche with a line of soulful ramen dishes. Subtly flavoured, they are elevated by details like a tangle of bright chilli hairs, or a traditional ajitama soy- seasoned egg with just-set, custardy yolk. As you’d
expect from Bentoya and Kenji’s sister restaurant, sushi is also strong, though creative liberties have been taken with toppings and fillings: look out for cheddar, jalapeño, cranberry and pomegranate. If the house is full, it’s a slight squeeze in to the traditional tatami room, but the light filtering through and the gleaming lacquered wood creates instant ambience and charm. WHISKERS WINE CAFE
BARS & PUBS
48 Raeburn Place, Stockbridge, 0131 343 3681, whiskerswinecafe.co.uk, £12 (lunch) / £16 (dinner) Jonnie Cook comes fresh from Chop House and has dropped the deli (the space was formerly home to Henri of Edinburgh) to focus on cooking food beautifully. He didn’t go far to find suppliers – meat comes from George Bower a few doors down, fish from Armstrong’s and cheese from Mellis. There are around 30 wines available by glass or carafe, which the informative staff will happily match with your meal. Food comes on small plates with big attention to detail – think cured sea trout with gin cucumber, avocado and nori, or highland venison tartare with egg yolk and brioche.
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 72 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2019