Chop Chop, Glasgow

I've had a long love affair with Chinese food and it's pretty much a given fact I'd never say no to Chinese takeout. I'd heard amazing things about Chop Chop and their famous dumplings but we don't get through to Edinburgh very often. Lucky for us Chop Chop recently opened a restaurant in Glasgow and invited us along to give it a try.

Chop Chop is famous for its "jiao zi" or North Eastern style Chinese dumplings. Both my husband and I are HUGE fans of dumplings so we knew we were in for a treat. If you are anything like me you tend to fall in to the same old habits when ordering Chinese food so we went open minded and ready to try something new.

The restaurant is hidden down Mitchell Street not far from the bustle of Buchanan Street and only a short walk from Central Station. It is bright and clean with lots of cherry blossom trees decorating the room. Our server was really friendly and explained the menu to us and we were sold on the Unlimited Buffet. I let them know I had a coriander allergy and while it did feature in several dishes it wasn't a problem to get them made without coriander or have something else subbed in its place. The server also showed us how to make dip for our dumplings, to our individual taste, which was a really nice touch.

We opted for the Chop Chop Unlimited banquet for two which is served Chinese style--everything comes out when it is ready so there isn't your typical Western progression of starter to main. You can re-order as many of the dishes as you like, as many times as you like but the portions are already really generous.

It included cucumber salad (tofu salad for me due to coriander), fried chicken wings, chicken dumplings, pork dumplings (coriander left out for me), spicy fried potatoes, aubergines, prawn crackers, crispy northern beef, crispy shredded potato and rice.

It's called a banquet for a reason y'all--it was amazing. I'd never had potatoes at a Chinese restaurant before but they had me questioning why I hadn't before. I was prepared to really not like the aubergine, but it was one of my favourite dishes by far. Nothing was greasy or oily; anything fried was crispy and light and we came away full but not gross if you know what I mean.

Gluttons for punishment we decided we couldn't pass up dessert and tried the ice-cream dumplings and sugar-string apple. My husband has travelled to China before and remembered the having the apple in China. I'm so glad that memory came to him because it was amazing. The ice-cream dumplings were nice but the sugar string apple was just so different and amazing. Cooked apple pieces are covered in a caramelised sugar coating and then you dip them into a bowl of ice water so it begins to harden. It's like the nicest candy apple you've ever had because the outside is a bit hard but the inside is still warm and gooey.

You can tell from the carnage we had a great meal, right? The staff were all extremely welcoming and helpful. I always worry about set menus with a food allergy but they were so accommodating to my coriander allergy that it was pretty much a non-issue. You can join their loyalty club for discounts as well as money-off vouchers on your birthday and anniversary, how sweet is that? They are also now deliver via Deliveroo, too!

We will definitely be coming back again soon!

Chop Chop

41 Mitchell Street

Glasgow G1 3LN

0141 248 5705

Opening Hours:

Monday- Thursday 12.00 - 14:00 and 18:00-22:00 Friday & Saturday 12.00-22.00 Sunday 12.30 - 22.00

@eatatchopchop

facebook.com/chopchopedinburgh

Côte Brasserie, Glasgow

The lassies were in dire need of a catch up and we decided on Glasgow's newest brasserie, Cote.

The 68th in the country, the restaurant is also looking to expand to Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews over the next year, but Glasgow is Côte's first Scottish location. While we all love to gorge ourselves on French food on holiday we don't often have French food in the city so we were excited to have a bit of our holiday favourites at home.

 

The menu is full of so many options to choose from and it's fair to say we are all notoriously indecisive when it comes to food so we took a while to order. So much so we were kindly given a pissaladière with caramelised onions and reblochon cheese as well as some olives to munch on while we contemplated our choices.

After making light work of the flatbread and with some help from the staff, we finally decided on the calamari, chicken liver parfait and charcuterie board to start. 

They were wise choices.

Even though I am not the biggest fan of seafood, I couldn't stop digging into (and reluctantly shared) the crispy squid with garlic, lemon and tartare sauce. 

The parfait with toasted brioche and apple chutney was equally delicious and was quickly polished off by us all. The chutney was warmly spiced and made the perfect counter point to the pâté. 

For the main I chose (again, with help from the waiter) chargrilled chicken with a mushroom, creme fraiche and thyme soon and potato gratin. 

I hate to say I left a a little on my plate. However this is because I work in an office where there is an allocated shelf for biscuits and cake only and I have no willpower. It could also be because I didn't stick to my own plate, sorry girls!

It's safe to say I had major food envy when Blondie's fillet steak was served. Vegetarians look away now:

In her words, it was perfectly cooked and melt in the mouth. I'll vouch for that as I had a 'couple' of bites. The bearnaise sauce was perfectly creamy, but if we are honest the fillet was so good on its own so we didn't use much!

Wee Lorz opted for a healthy option of haddock wrapped in bacon with pea purée which she said tasted very fresh and firm. Again, I'll agree with that after having a forkful...

The choice of healthy eating was quickly ruined with some wine as Wee Lorz explains: 

"We were given a choice of wine. Poor Blondie was driving so Steph handed the privilege to me, and I was more than happy to oblige. As we were both having chicken and fish, I headed straight to the whites. Now, some of my favourite white wine is French, a Chablis or a Sancerre. With a little persuasion from the excellent staff I opted for the Chablis - crisp with citrus notes and a mineral finish. This wine did not disappoint and went perfectly with our dishes."

The dessert menu was presented with immediate reactions of rubbing our stomachs and shaking our heads declaring we were too full, knowing full well we would cave and at least share one. 

The lemon tart was amazing - extremely citrusy with a slight crispy topping. Tarte au Citron is clearly a French classic and Côte paired it with Normandy Cream and fresh raspberries to make it absolutely perfect.

We wiped the plate clean.

I'll definitely be making another trip here. Working on George Sqaure means I can take full advantage of the lunch and pre-theatre menu which seems like a steal at £9.95 for two course and £11.90 for three. Côte also have a breakfast club that comes with a super cute croissant keychain that gets you a free hot drink with any breakfast on a weekday. Croque Madame anyone?

Staff at Côte could not have looked after us more. The lassies left extremely happy, not just because of the overdue reunion but also because of the fantastic service and delicious food. If you are looking for French food in Glasgow, Côte is the place to go! 

Côte

41-43 West Nile Street 

Glasgow, G1 2PT 

0141 248 1022

Opening Hours:

Monday- Friday 08.00 - 23:00 and 18:00-22:00 Saturday 09.00-23.00 Sunday 09:00 - 22.30

The Lassies were provided a meal by Côte for review but all opinions are our own.

Gordon Street Coffee, Glasgow

As an honorary ‘laddie’ I was invited to Glasgow’s latest artisan coffee place; Gordon Street Coffee (GSC).

Situated right at the station entrance and next door to its sister restaurant Alston Bar & Beef, it appears to have the ideal spot. Thousands of commuters flow past every morning and if they can tempt folks away from Costa and Starbucks they shouldn't struggle for business any time soon.

GSC is one of a growing number of coffee houses in Glasgow roasting their own beans on the premises. They have gone one further and created a unique blend, aptly titled the ‘Glasgow Roast’. I was lucky enough to try the house espresso and the fully roasted espresso (more on the differences in a sec) and I can certainly vouch for the fresh flavour.

The purpose of my night however, was to see the roasting process in action. Master roaster John Gartly invites Glasgow’s burgeoning population of coffee experts to join him twice a week for free demonstrations. Luckily, there wasn’t a huge crowd on the first floor where the compact Diedriech roasting machine was situated. John (we swapped business cards so I can use his first name) told me about the relatively small size of this unit compared to previous jobs. It does the trick mind you and services an already healthy customer base. He also took care in explaining the differences in how the coffee growing regions of the world impact on the various tastes of each bean. His knowledge of not only the growing, farming and trading process but the livelihood of the growers is astounding. Happy to chat about his craft and how he has learned his trade, it was refreshing to hear real passion and not a textbook run-through of the roasting process.

Following our lesson on the quality of beans, the roasting process began. I’m not going to go into the full process but it was quite hypnotising. The beans are turned and tossed over burning hot plates and begin to crack. The genius of the roaster is to disregard gadgets or timers to determine progress. He measures the roast by the first crack (the expansion of the bean – much like a popcorn effect), which produces the house blend, and the second crack; producing the full Glasgow Roast. The house blend will suit those who like their coffee to kick them in the face with a pleasantly bitter taste. The full roast is far smoother and is to be enjoyed over the morning paper. My personal preference is the harsher wake up call. Relying on smell, he then opens the hatch and drops the smoking, heavenly smelling beans out of the roaster to be turned, buffered and cooled. The super fresh cargo is then bagged and tagged for sale to the public.

I asked how fresh one might expect coffee beans to be in the larger chain stores around the city. And while not condemning them, he simply made the valid point that by the time beans are roasted, processed, bagged and transported from the roasting plant in the south of England; the shelf life will have naturally diminished.

Of course, in addition to the beans being roasted upstairs, the baristas on the ground floor are serving up the usual selection of Lattes, Cappuccinos and herbal teas along with food and cold drinks. The shop also has a drinks license, which means travellers can enjoy a wee beverage while they watch the in-house departure board.

Gordon Street Coffee

79 Gordon Street

Glasgow G1 3SQ

0141 221 1367

Opening Hours:

Mon­day to Sat­ur­day — 6am to 10pm Sun­day — 9am to 10pm

@gordonstcoffee

facebook.com/gordonstcoffee

HARD ROCK CELEBRATES ITS BIRTHDAY WITH ORIGINAL 1971 PRICES

On Saturday, June 14, 2014, Hard Rock will celebrate its 43rd birthday by turning back the clock to June 14th 1971 and will offer guests the opportunity to sample the original 1971 menu at the original 1971 prices for one hour between 11am-12pm!

Guests can enjoy the original menu of HRC Burger for 50p, Roadhouse Ribs for 80p and the Original BLT for 60p. For dessert those lucky enough to dine in the first hour can enjoy ice cream for 25p and the original Sundae for 40p!

What: Hard Rock Cafe celebrates 43 years with original 1971 menu

When: Saturday, June 14, 2014

Event begins 11am and ends at 12 midday

Where: Hard Rock Cafe Glasgow

179 Buchanan Street

Glasgow

0141-353-8790

Original 1971 Menu

*To avail of the special-priced 1971 priced menu on June 14 2014, all guests must be seated by the door host by 12 midday in the restaurant. The offer is valid only for dining-in at participating Hard Rock Cafe locations, limited to one item per person and restrictions apply. Not valid with any other offers, based on first come first served basis, drinks at regular prices. The original 1971 menu will be offered at Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Cologne, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Florence, Glasgow, London, Lisbon, Madrid, Manchester, Munich, Nice, Paris, Prague, Rome and Venice.

For more information, visit www.hardrock.com.

Cupcakes for You, Glasgow

Having started out as a cake shop, Cupcakes for You is now a quaint, vintage tearoom that is like a throwback to the 1940's.

Situated on Dumbarton Road it will soon be temporarily closing in order to expand the premises to meet the demand.

And it's no surprise why.

One of my lovely 'besties', Kirsteen, kindly offered to take me to afternoon tea and after not long returning from a fortnight in rural Ghana living on noodles, sweet bread and powdered milk, how could I resist?

Before I even tasted the cakes I instantly loved the place. It is very small, squeezing in three tables at most, but yet there is so much to look at when you arrive. There is a wireless, a gramophone, fine china to eat and drink from and also books about what Glasgow looked like back in the day which I always love.
               

Another thing I love is you are surrounded by cakes and I mean literally surrounded as there are lots of little cupcakes dotted around the shop. 

After being warmly welcomed we were shown to our table and our afternoon tea quickly arrived. There was a good selection of sandwiches ranging from beef, egg, ham and tuna as well as some sausage rolls but more importantly there was a great mix of amazing looking treats.

                                       

The first one I jumped for and reluctantly halved was the crispy cake. Anyone who knows me also knows I have a weird obsession with these and this one did not disappoint with chewy oats, flakes and chunks of chocolate throughout. 

I'd say the meringue was my favourite though; surely nothing can beat it when there is a chewy center and raspberry coulis on top. The lemon cupcake was definitely a close second but if I'm honest everything tasted great. I even scoffed a piece of gingerbread which I'm not usually a fan of.

It's safe to say after all this we were burst and I deliberated with myself whether it was socially acceptable to undo the tie belt around my waist... Kirst had wisely opted for a loose top, she's clearly been in this predicament before.

                      

But we were told there was still more to come (!) in the form of scones straight out the oven. Purely down to feeling my dress was about to rip in two I could only manage half.

Cupcakes for You was definitely good value for money, not just because Kirst paid! The food was a delight and the voucher deal we had was £20 per couple which included bottomless tea and a glass of fizz. I  like that the tearoom also makes cakes to takeaway as well as for events and weddings. Looking online I also see the gramophone and the crockery are available to hire out which is a great idea for anyone looking to host a vintage themed party.

It was by far a Sunday well spent; listening to old songs on the wireless, being provided with excellence service from Wendi, eating some lovely homebaked treats and drinking strong, warm tea... without powdered milk (Hooray!).

Cupcakes for You

1251 Dumbarton Road

Whiteinch

Glasgow

G14 9UU

07983 553 738

Opening Hours:

Tue - Sun: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

@cupcakes4youx

facebook.com/cupcakes4you

anCnoc Scotch Whisky

I was actually really looking forward to going along to the anCnoc event last night. Having been brought up with a dad who loves whisky I'm always looking for a nice new brand for him to try. He's very much a lover of a peat smoked whisky which made this event perfect. 
I brought along the other half, who has recently acquired a palate for a good quality whisky, as a 'lassie's' stand in.
The event, ran by jelly and gin, was held in The Arches and as soon as you walked into arch 2 the smell of peat just hit you! My family who are from the Isle of Harris and having spent many a summer there as a kid, this is a smell that is very close to my heart and brings back many memories. So straight away I was excited to see what was on offer and knew my dad would love this!! 

There were 3 whiskies being showcased flaughter, tushkar and rutter!
The first table we came to was the 'flaughter' and stand in lassie 'rawsco' was straight in for a sample of this peaty whisky. 


Tasting notes - pale gold with an initial smoky and ashy aroma. Underneath that, fresh vanilla with a sharper hint of sticky toffee sweetness. An intensely smokey, peaty smooth finish.
Not only was there a sample of 3 whiskies, each has some accompaniments to go alongside. Personally, the ones at this table where the best....macaroons! They were delicious, with a slight hint of the peaty whisky! 
Next up was the edible peat bog: edible soil made with dried olives and malted barley, containing a smoky aubergine dip, planted with micro-herbs. 
Yes, this sounded like a very strange concoction, that actually worked very well and was very tasty.
'tushkar' was the next delight to sample. This particular whisky had an interesting story in that it will only be sold in Sweden. The Swede's supposedly go mad for the 'peaty' blends!
Tasting notes - polished gold in appearance with a rich sweet honey and vanilla heart is wrapped in a veil of warm peat smoke and pierced by overtones of fresh green apples, orange peel and cut spring flowers. Rich and full-bodied, the taste is bursting with powerful wood smoke. Opens up to exotic spices, honey, delightful toffee sweetness and a hint of freshly squeezed lemons. Waves of peat smoke accompanied by a distant reminder of warm leather.
Last by not least, 'rutter', which was accompanied by canapés served under smoke filled domes using the tastes of the anCnoc collection.

anCnoc whisky and treacle cured salmon, crowdie mousse and squid ink pasta rolls topped with salmon roe
Venison carpaccio smoked over whisky soaked hickory chips with celeriac remoulade on walnut crostini
Dunsyre blue shortbreads and mousse with spice beetroot and pear pickle
Wakame and hijiki seaweed salad
Squid ink crostini, black sesame and poppy seed crackers and tarator almond dip


The first thing you notice when you came to this table was the smell, the peaty aroma instantly tickled your senses. I can practically smell it again writing this, wafting from the smoke filled domes.



This was Rawsco's least favourite whisky though.

Tasting notes - sparkling gold, initially very smoky, quickly unveiling the unmistakable anCnoc character with delicate spices, juicy pineapple, peardrops and gentle vanillla. Full bodied, bursting with peaty richness. Soft undertones of honey, creamy vanilla, toffee and leather are punctuated by the freshness of green apples.

All in all I thought this was a very well organised event and I'll certainly be purchasing a bottle for Father's Day for TK! (And no doubt Rawsco will be wanting one for the drinks cabinet now too).













anCnoc

visits to Knockdhu Distillery on appointment only

01466 771223

twitter.com/anCnoc_whisky

facebook.com/ancnoc-single-malt-whisky

Las Iguanas, Glasgow

Blondie always seems to know when a new restaurant in town is going to open (probably before the owners do themselves) so when she mentioned a new South American style restaurant would be opening we knew the lassies had to have a much needed get together and go.

When we arrived at Las Iguanas it was fairly quiet but I am sure on a busy night it would have a great atmosphere. With the interior you can tell it is part of a franchise but I still really liked it. 

Wee Lorz and I ordered the Cana Royale which is Magnifica cachaça, raspberry liqueur & elderflower, topped with Cava. The waitress warned us on two occasions the drinks were quite strong and suggesting that for this reason we might not enjoy them. This was met with a confused look from myself and wee Lorz and I'm sure it comes as no surprise to most that we could have happily had a second.

I definitely can't fault the staff on their friendliness as well as their willingness to help Blondie with her coriander allergy. However the time to take orders was a little too long and no one wants to be sitting across from wee Lorz when she's hungry... "I'm going to eat the table!"

We finally got to order our food and Blondie decided on the cayenne chicken and avocado torta. Myself and wee Lorz went for the cayenne coated fried chicken flatbread served with salad or fries.. I nearly made the mistake of ordering chips until I realised you could get curly fries (!). Luckily we didn't have to wait too much longer for all of this to arrive on our table.

The chicken had a lovely crispy coating with a nice kick from the cumin and mustard that it is tossed in and the creamy cayenne mayonnaise in the flatbread was a delight; so much so we ordered more to dip our curly fries into. We definitely made light work of the curly fries as well since you can't really go wrong with them.

There was a of eating in this meal, we were told the lunch portions are the same size as the a la carte, but I still felt it was on the pricey side. Especially when so many places in town offer good lunchtime deals. I would always rather have a cheaper, lighter option that doesn't make me want to put my head on my desk and have a quick, sneaky snooze. Most of the cocktails are reduced to £5 on the lunch menu but again I don't feel is that much of a steal since I expect to pay roughly that amount regardless of the time. 

I'm not sure if this restaurant is the first place that would spring to my mind for South American food, right now that place is still held for Viva Brazil on Bothwell Street and Las Iguanas stood out to me as more of a Mexican cuisine.  However you know you've been given a decent meal when the smallest of the three lassies literally wipes her plate clean and the remnants of mine...

                                       

Las Iguanas

16-20 West Nile Street

Glasgow G1 2PW

0141 248 5705

Opening Hours:

Monday- Thursday 12.00 - 23.00 Friday & Saturday 12.00-23.30 Sunday 12.00 - 22.30

@lasiguanasglag

facebook.com/iguanasglasgow