'Phylum Feast' @ Stravaigin

Stravaigin's vast these days. The space upstairs doubled when familiarity, along with walls and the hairdressers next door, was swept away a year or so ago. In truth, I probably preferred the smaller place. The new and lengthy bar's too inviting to the rolling mauls of bland clothed men who haunt west end nights but pack the bars and fill the tills. The old place put them off. It's heaving, cluttered, tiny bar forced them to press up close to flamboyant types and question whether urges that they hoped had gone away, still lay, beneath their tightly fastened hose.

The downstairs restaurant was refurbished too, but it's so darkly lit you'd need a torch to see what's changed. We went on Thursday for 'The Phylum Feast'- a celebration of Darwin's birthday- and had a cracking night. I'll list everything:

First up was an aperitif, Monkey Gland Martini. Very tasty and fortunately no sign of the glands. Maybe some cheeky bar monkey dipped them in and out again before serving. Next came Primordial Soup and a glass of cava. Lovely. Nice cava too. Being pernickety I'd say the chicken stock was a bit intense for balance, but hey, best named dish of the year so far.

After that came mollusc salad- clams, scallop, squid, baby octopus, prawn, mussel- with a glass of Muscadet. Perfect combination.

Main was mutton with panko crusted langoustine. The flash didn't do this dish any favours, illuminated it wasn't the most visually appetising of dishes, but it tasted great. Flavourful, perfectly cooked mutton, again making me wonder why anyone bothers eating lamb and the panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) crusted Scottish langoustines were immense.

Biting through a gentle crunch to a just cooked, sweet, sea fresh prawn, is about as good a eating gets for me. This dish came with a glass of a Bordeaux good enough to make us order a bottle.

By the time desert arrived I was so high on life I can't even remember eating it. Coffee followed.

All of this, everything that is, except the extra bottle of red, came to £32. We sat down at 7.30 and left the table after 11. I think, frankly it was all getting a little hazy by then. All the drinks were proper sized glasses. That's truly remarkable value for money. This night came out from the jaded sea of Glasgow's eateries and will hopefully spawn a host of offspring. If it does, be sure to book your place aboard the evolution revolution.

CLICK HERE FOR STRAVAIGIN'S HOMEPAGE

Asian Gourmet - a dreamy restaurant.

We were headed down West Princess Street to Asia Style on St Georges Road. It was Thursday, dark, damp and early. We'd skipped lunch. Almost there, stomachs rumbling, sensing some sort of atmosphere, we stopped, turned and stared down through a steamed up basement window. Inside were tables filled with Chinese people, all laughing, slurping, and passing pots filled with diabolical looking wonders. We fell down the stairs and through the front door.

Normally at this point I wake up. Luckily, this time I didn't. There was one table free. Within seconds of sitting a plate of delicately salted daikon dressed with chilli and vinegar arrived. Then an enormous pot of green tea. The menu was massive. The daikon was delicious and scoffed in minutes. Another plateful arrived.

From the massive menu came Shredded Pork in Peking Sauce with Pancake and from the Chef's Specials supplement Monkish with Spring Onion and Ginger. The Shredded Pork was ok. The Monkfish was superb and without doubt the biggest portion of monkfish I've ever been served. All this plus a mound of steamed rice came to £20. Remarkable.

The decor's best described as functional. Intensely bright lighting, paper tablecloths and after thought wall hangings. But the food's good. The daikon dish, which was free, was worth the trip alone. Really. The portions are huge, so you'd get the best out of the place by going in a bigger group and sharing. Over the next few weeks I plan to do just that and try the following...

crab and pumpkin soup £12

white clam and tofu soup £10

deep fried pumpkin coated with salted egg yolk £8

jellyfish with shredded cucumber in garlic sauce £7

salt and chilli crab £10

hot and spicy frogs legs £9.50

steamed tofu with king prawn in salted egg yolk £8.50

fried jade Japanese tofu with spinach £8.50

deep fried sea bass with leeks £11

Some other 'interesting' dishes on the menu...

braised pork trotters £6.50

stir fry pork head meat with green pepper £6.50

marinated honeycomb tripes £6

fried fish head with tofu and vermicelli £9

quick fried pork intestines in brown sauce £8

shredded pig ear and cucumber in garlic sauce £7

We headed off to Chinaskis for a digestive rum and passed Asia Style on the way. Completely empty. The staff stared back at us, somehow they knew.

Asian Gourmet

17 West Princes Street

Glasgow

G4 9BS

They do takeaway too, and the more usual Chinese restaurant fayre.

0141 332 1639

07588 598 862

Open 7 days a week 5pm - 3am. 

Espresso: probably the best panini in Glasgow.

Not so long ago Finnieston was only good for was skaggy bags of heroin and a Gaelic education. Thankfully the economic boom lasted long enough to brush aside Glasgow City Council's endemic lack of vision and shove the few remaining entrepreneurs into areas they could still afford. Thank god. Finnieston's now hoaching with good cafes, bars and places to eat. I even spotted an antiques shop the other day. Meanwhile, Byres Road, traditional commerce hub of the West End, rots amid a sea of chains.

One of the earliest beacons of hope was Espresso. Owned and run by the ever present Ricardo. It's without doubt the best snack bar I know.

The pizzas, pastas and soups are all good but for me the real stars are the panini. Choose your bread and choose your filling. All freshly made and quickly toasted.

Prices go from £2.60 for the Caprese: tomato, mozzarella, basil, oregano up to £4 for some of the meatier concoctions like Polonia: grilled marinated chicken breast, sun dried tomatoes, mayo and lettuce.

In total there are about 40 combinations. My favourite, always on ciabatta, is the Antipasto: grilled pepper, aubergine, courgette and onion with artichoke, anchovies, black olives and capers. It's about as good as a sandwich gets. A close second comes Quattro Stagioni: ham, artichoke, sauteed mushrooms and boiled egg.

Don't overlook the impressive and pleasingly underwrought salads and, of course, the coffee. It's sublime.

One time I happened to mention to Ricardo that the 'Young Turks' who'd set up a sandwich bar down the road also use Danesi coffee beans, but their coffee, while nice, wasn't a patch on his. After palpably bristling he said:

"Well you know Jonathan, everyday is different. When I'm heading in of a morning I'll notice the weather. If it's damp, the beans swell, if it's dry, they contract, so I'll adjust the grind accordingly. After that, I'll clean the machine and pour myself a coffee. Then I'll reasses, maybe alter the grind again, maybe adjust the water temperature, then have another coffee to check I'm happy".

At this point he paused, turned, and looked wistfully out the window in the direction of this 'other' place...

"So, I don't know, maybe these guys... maybe they don't do that".

Espresso

6 Claremont Street

Glasgow

G3 7HA

0141 248 9174

CLICK HERE FOR A MAP

Gandolfi Wine Club

Once a month Cafe Gandolfi's 'wine club' meets up to taste a supplier's selection and vote for the next 'wines of the month'. Anyone can join and membership's free. It takes place on a Monday in Gandolfi Fish and when we arrived at 6.30 last night the place was packed. No mean feat.

A guy called Guy from Chilean wine giant Concha y Toro stood up to tell us about his career so far and that he was visiting Chateau Mouton Rothschild next week. As the wines began to arrive Guy started talking us through them, with more than a smattering of company shpeel. I'll summarise:

Conco y Toro are enormous. 53% of the entire Chilean wine industry. But that's okay because it's run by a man called Adolpho who employs geese in the vineyards, loves the planet and is just simply, brilliantly, amazing.

The wines came in decent sized servings so it didn't take long for the place to start buzzing. And you get nibbly bits too.

I can now reveal the winners *drum roll*...

White of the month is the Gerwurtraminer. It reeked of lychees and was as refreshing as a mountain stream. Red of the month is the Explorer Pinot Noir. Nothing like Burgundy but good. The other Pinot Noir, Los Gansos, despite the help of geese, was rubbish.

It's also worth mentioning the Camenere, which to Guy's surprise didn't make the grade. It tasted okay initially but came alive after a bite of the miniature Pheasant Empanada. The best food and wine match of the night.

At the end of the tasting there was a true or false competition to win two bottles of wine. Three people were left in for the decider, Guy asked, "The first Chilean wines were made in 1565, this means that wine was being made in Chile before it was being made in the Medoc, true or false?". According to Guy... this was true.

Having watched that 'can you recognise them now' round on a repeat of Never Mind the Buzzcocks last week, I spotted the winner was Manda Rin, once lead singer with a band called Bis.

If generous friends aren't treating you, tickets cost £15. For two hours of sociable imbibing on a Monday evening, that's an absolute steal. It looked like a sell out too, so be sure to book.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

And here's what happened when Bis headed home after drinking their prize...

Mzouda Restaurant - a Moroccan in Glasgow (***Update 7/6/11: NOW CLOSED DOWN)

Mzouda sits in that strange bit of Glasgow's West End, once known as Sandyford and now generally referred to as 'behind the Mitchell library'. If you're in the area and don't fancy Karaoke with your curry, or an alcoholic drink, then it's worth a visit.

The food's described as being Moroccan with Spanish leanings. I booked it through 5pm.co.uk for the frankly astonishing promise of £8.95 for two courses. I can't cook my own dinner for that price.

In the absence of alcohol we went for a couple of delicious and authentically very sweet fruit cocktails @ £2.50 each. One was mint and vanilla and the other raspberry and rose. Seriously good.

It's a small set menu but interesting enough and who's complaining at this price? Here it is:

******

Harira, wholesome soup with chick peas, tomatoes and coriander

Fish Roulade, fresh Mediterranean fish rolled in crispy filo pastry,

Briwat, goat cheese and spinach wrapped in crisp filo pastry (v)

Ensalada de Pollo, leaves, goujons of chicken with honey & mustard dressing

Lentejas estofadas green lentils, potatoes, garlic and bay leaves (v)

MAIN COURSES
Mzouda Lamb, tender fillet with honey, raisins & almonds, with sweet rice

Bacalao Pil Pil, Cod with garlic, chilli and parsley, served with mashed potatoes

Mechoui, tender kebabs of marinated chicken and chunky chips

Alcachofas Estofadas, artichoke, potato and pea casserole (v)

Djaj bel Hamed, Chicken, preserved lemons, olives & potatoes

******

Really enjoyed the Fish Roulade, it tasted like salt cod creamed with garlic to me.

The chicken goujons had a healthy dose of cinnamon and tasted almost Chinese.

Couldn't decide between the cod or the artichoke for mains, so after considerable dithering, I blurted out "Lamb".

Glad I did. Delicious, rich and tender. Just the thing for a cold, damp January night in Glasgow, although it left us far too full for deserts.

For the price, the food and service is very good. The interior needs a bit of work though.

'Tenting the ceiling?' was one suggestion, some Moroccan rugs on the walls might help too and more subdued lighting would be good. Tonight there were only two other tables in, so the atmosphere was a little lacking, but I'd still recommend a visit because it's truly remarkable value for money.

Mzouda

141 Elderslie Street,

Glasgow G3 7AW

0141 221 3910

CLICK HERE FOR THEIR WEBSITE

Coffee, Chocolate and Tea

I'd spotted this place when the refurbishments started over a year ago. Glasgow gets there, eventually, but it's the best part of a century since it led the way.



Actually, the problem is not so much the proliferation of coffee shops, but the quality of the coffee. Fortunately this place was well worth the wait. It's the brainchild of Macallums Fishmongers and occupies the site of their old shop. They roast coffee beans on the premises using a fabulous looking machine brought over from France.




Lisa said she used to work in the wine trade, before that she'd spent 3 years in Australia roasting coffee. Why did my careers lessons fail to mention such jobs?



This is a new version of the espresso machine that in 1961 pioneered the design now copied by most other manufacturers. It's a beautiful bit of kit.



My Americano was made using their House Blend 'Cranston Hill'. Wonderful fruity, smokey aroma and a delicious, rounded, chocolaty taste.



Went for a bag of El Salvador 'Las Delicias Bourbon' beans to take home. They were roasted the day before and I was instructed, "Best leave them a day first". Now this sounded interesting. After reading the great Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking I'd always presumed that the sooner you use your beans after roasting the better. Harold explains that coffee beans have more different aroma compounds than almost any other edible thing. Hundreds are released by roasting but they start oxidising almost immediately.



Lisa explained that because the beans are roasted at 220c they need time to 'settle' and release gasses for a day or two afterwards. Otherwise the cup could turn out a bit 'lively'. Fascinating. I decided mine were sufficiently rested this morning. Fabulous coffee. Smokey, nutty aromas and a lovely almost refreshing taste. Think it was £4.80 for 250g of beans. Well worth it and I even got a discreet nod of approval when I said I'd be grinding them myself.


The teas also look good, especially the flower teas which unfurl in beautiful glass teapots before you pour. And, apparently, they're in talks with a Chocolatier... whatever that means.



So I'd seriously suggest popping in to try some of the best coffee in this city and say hello to the knowledgeable and charming Rosie, Rachel and Lisa.






Coffee, Chocolate and Tea
944 Argyle Street,
Glasgow
G3 8YJ
0141 204 3161