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No hurry curry
A venerable curryhouse has finally opened a sister restaurant after 32 years. Jay Thundercliffe discovers it has been worth the wait.
A fter keeping Southsiders happy for decades at its Paisley Road West original, Punjabi have brought their quality North Indian cuisine to Charing Cross. The new restaurant is in a rather tricky spot, teetering on the edge of the M8, where various pubs have come and gone recently – although being adjacent to ale-house Bon Accord is a huge plus. Inside are remnants of past lives with the fraternal co-owners retaining the old pub’s dark wood bar (well stocked, with Cobra on tap) and gent’s club-style seating while adding warm colours and decorative flourishes creating a comfortable setting, bolstered by friendly, helpful service. To start there are various pakora – deliciously done, light and plump – and pooris, tandoori snacks and specialities such as the impressive malai chicken, marinated in mild spices, mustard and coconut. The main dishes – split into popular, tandoori and specials – can be
prepared with various meats, fish or vegetables, and include bhoona, dansak and a nicely spiced rogan josh. Meat on the bone is recommended as the lamb mulaidhar is a triumphant blend of lean succulent lamb in a rich spinach sauce enlivened with lime, coriander and chunky chilli pieces. Prices are favourably comparable with the curryhouses nearby and there are great value three-course lunch and pre-theatre deals.
PUNJABI CHARING CROSS 157-159 North St, City Centre, Glasgow, G3 7DA
0141 221 3926, punjabicharingcross.co.uk Mon–Wed & Sat/Sun 4.30pm–midnight; Thu/Fri
noon–2.30pm, 4.30pm–midnight.
Ave. two-course meal: £5.95 (set lunch)/ £15 (dinner)
The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh 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 Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.
WHISKI ROOMS
whisky shop – bar – restaurant – bistro
Fresh local Scottish produce served all day Extensive wine, drinks and whisky list
Regular Whisky Tastings
Iconic views over the Mound Regular live Scottish music
4 - 7 North Bank Street
Edinburgh EH1 2LP 0131 225 7224
www.whiskirooms.co.uk
Ramsay's Best French Restaurant Come and visit us at 14 Eyre Place, Edinburgh EH3 5EP T: 0131 558 1608 E: reservations@ lagarrigueinthenewtown.co.uk
Also at 31 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DH T: 0131 557 3032 E: reservations@ lagarrigue.co.uk
www.lagarrigue.co.uk 74 THE LIST 25 Aug–22 Sep 2011
2AA Rosettes
Glasgow MIA CAFE CAFES
31 Gibson Street, West End, G12 8NU, 07594 772969, miacafe.co.uk, £5 Capitalising on any summer sun we may get is this small café dispensing a wide range of ice-creams, smoothies, juices and shakes – both healthy and downright dangerous. The tagline ‘Indulge Yourself’ hits home as you wander in to this mini Wonkaesque world full of brightly coloured sweets, sauces, toppings and other sugary paraphenalia – not to mention the large sherbet dispenser in the corner. There are only a handful of stools at bars, but why hang around when you could be in the park diving into a choco shake concoction with your choice of branded confection from Starburst chews and Jammie Dodgers to the über-classy Ferrero Rocher.
[ANOTHER] PIECE CAFES 387 Great Western Road, West End, G4 9HY, laucknerandmoore.com, £7 Sandwich virtuosos Tom Lauckner and John Moore now have a second outlet for their justifiably popular gourmet pieces. There are only a couple of chairs in the new place – less if it is raining – but the extra kitchen space is the ideal testbed for more deli creations. Whether going for an ‘off-the-peg piece’ – such as the Surf and Turf with beef and sweet chilli prawns or Ham Old Skool with roast ham, hand-cut slaw and basil mayo – or a ‘made-to-measure piece’ where you DIY, you can be sure of the dedication to sourcing and devising top-quality fillings, from roasting the meats in-house to making all the chutneys, relishes and mayonnaises.
Edinburgh
RISTORANTE FERARRI ITALIAN 1 Merchiston Place, Bruntsfield, EH10 4NP, 0131 622 0108, ristoranteferrari.co.uk, £22 (dinner) The former Bruntsfield Post Office has been throughly transformed into a sleek, uncluttered, modern Italian restaurant. Roberto Ferrari runs the place alongside his daughter Annalisa, with the aim of bringing traditional home-cooked dishes from northern Italy. At the moment they are serving dinner only and keep the menu short, with a brief selection of antipasti and Ligurian savoury cakes to start. Local organic vegetables give the cooking a fresh, seasonal slant – the home-made pesto, for one, is light and full of fresh summer flavours.
THE SUBURBAN PANTRY BISTROS & BRASSERIES 212 Hillhouse Road, Blackhall, EH4 2AG, 0131 332 2289, thesuburbanpantry.co.uk, ` £12.50 (lunch) / £15.50 (dinner) A family-run suburban bistro on the main road out of town towards the Forth bridges and the north, the Suburban Pantry boasts a simple but well- executed menu which could hold its own were it on offer in the centre of the city. Its modern interior is crisp and welcoming, the walls lined with deli produce and wines. The menus are similarly well-stocked, but don’t overstretch themselves with light lunches and more substantial dinners (Thu–Sat only) including a warm duck, black pudding and spinach salad or a tuna steak served with pak choi, vegetables and lemon salsa. With weekend brunches also available, this is a local diner worthy of wider recognition.