The Japanese Place: Wagamama

One of my favourite japanese inspired restaurant that I continually go to is Wagamama. This restaurant chain can be found in Glasgow city centre, Glasgow Fort and Glasgow Silverburn.

Wagamama's is an oriental cuisine offers a Japanese bench-style seating serving up a wide range of sides or starters, omakase (chef's specials), ramen (noodle soup based dish), teppanyaki (sizzling stir fried noodles on a griddle), doburi (rice dishes), curry and salads. Kids menu is also available as well as drinks, fresh juices, desserts and any extras such as rice, noodles, egg, kimchee, japanese pickles or miso soup.

I have been to Wagamama restaurant many times and is yet to be disappointed. The found I feel is amazing. I have tried many dishes including the noodles (yaki udon) and curry (chicken raisukaree and surendra's curry). One of my favourite dishes that I am rrally into at the moment is a rice dish called terriyaki chicken donburi. This is chicken in a terriyaki sauce with sticky white steamed rice, shredded carrots, pea shoots and onions garnished with sesame seeds and served up with a side of kimchee. I absolutely love this rice dish as it is full of flavour and very filling. It tastes really good and you just mix it altogether in the bowl and get straight into. If you put add the kimchee into it also I think makes the dish even better.

I highly recommend anyone and everyone to visit this place although I would be very surprised if you haven't tried this place already. I have visited the restaurant in the city city and in Glasgow Silverburn and the food is just as great in both places. I am overdue another visit from Wagamama.




Wagamama
-97-103 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 1PB
-The Fort Retail Park, 745 Proven Walk, Glasgow, G53 9DY
-Silverburn Shopping Centre, Barrhead Road, Glasgow, G53 6AF

http://www.wagamama.com/

The Italian Place: ASK Italian

One of the most popular type of restaurants in Glasgow is Italian. When I choose to go to an Italian restaurant I always end up going to the same ones. One I haven't tried before is ASK Italian. Located in the city centre just across from the Cineworld cinema it looks very modern and open feel to it.

Serving up a range of bread and nibbles, starters, pizzas (prima, calzone and classic), pasta (pasta fresca, classic, alforno), risotto and meat, fish and salads. ASK Italian also serves up specials, kids menus and usual drinks and desserts,

When I went to ASK Italian, I went for lunch of a group of 6. We ordered starters of 2 types of garlic bread, normal and the speciale which the special was just with different cheese folded in between the bread, fontal cheese and chilli baked dough balls and also calamari. First thoughts on when the food arrived is that we ordered too much as we expected the portion sizes to be smaller so it was perfect as we all shared. Both the garlic breads were really good, not too much garlic and the cheese in the speciale was not too much. The dough balls were also nice and better when dipped with balsamic vinegar. The calamari on the other hand was ok. I personally could only taste the batter that was around the calamari. For the mains, 5 of us got pasta and one got a calzone. The mains included: argosta e gamberoni, fettuccine bolognese, linguine con frutti di mare, penne al pollo della casa and calzone carne piccante. The presentation of the food was well presented. I ordered the fettuccine bolognese. After the starter I was pretty much full which may be the reason why I was a little disappointed with my main. I was hoping that the bolognese would be full of flavor but mines lacked. The pasta itself was also overcooked in my opinion and others felt the same.

Overall, the service we got was very good. This Italian restaurant itself also looks good with nice interior and open space. The food was ok. I have been to other Italian restaurants that I feel are a lot better and would recommend other places to go to than ASK Italian.

3 Port Dundas Place
Glasgow
G2 3LD

askitalian.co.uk

The Steak Place: CAU Argentinian Restaurant

CAU is an Argentinian restaurant with restaurants in the top cities of England. CAU is located in the Glasgow city centre which only opened in November is located on Ingram Street. The first look at CAU is that it looks very stylish and modern feel to it.

Being a steakhouse, their steak is said to be "Aberdeen Angus, grass fed, straight from the Pampas, richly flavoured and wonderfully tender". They offer a range of steaks from the classic cuts to speciality. A good thing about this restaurant is not only are there a wide range of cuts, they also offer it in different sizes to 220g to larger speciality cuts of 500g and even larger on request. If you don't fancy a steak at that moment in time they also offer small plates, big plates, burgers, sandwiches and salads. If the main is not enough you can add sides and of course dessert afterwards. Another positive thing about this is they also have a kids menu available. For drinks they offer a wide range of drinks from cocktails, wines, beers and ciders, shakes and smoothies to teas and coffees, speciality drinks and of course the usual soft drinks.

My first visit was with a friend. For starters we ordered a small plate of salt and pepper squid. It was really good and not to hard or chewy. We both opted mains of ribeye steak, both at 260g and medium rare. We both got sides of thin chips (chunky chips also available or salad). For sauces, we chose the chipotle butter and the pepper sauce. The steak was a good size and more than enough even if you are hungry. The steak was cooked perfectly and exactly how we wanted it and tasted amazing even without the sauces we got.

Overall, I would recommend anyone to go to CAU. It has a wide selection to choose from and suits everyone's needs. Good customer service. Good food, good steak at a reasonable price. You may have to book a table as when I visited during dinner time is was quite busy. Good stylish restaurant which I will be visiting again myself.

CAU Glasgow
Unit 1, 222-224 Ingram St,
Glasgow
G1 3BX
0141 2216 272

http://www.caurestaurants.com/

The Thai Place: Chaophraya

Chaophraya is a Thai restaurant located right in the heart of Buchanan Street in The Townhouse building. As you walk in it does not look like restaurant. It is very grand stairway with stunning interior of Buddhas and elephants.

Chaophraya serves a wide range of Thai food to accommodate everyone. This includes mains of soup, salads, curry, stir fried dishes, noodles and rice, from the grill and seafood and also vegetarians dishes. Also if mains are not enough it also serves a range of appetisers, sides and desserts. For drinks there is a good selection of wines, cocktails and the usual soft drinks and coffees.

I have only visited this restaurant once with a friend even though I have walked past this restaurant many times as it is right in the middle of the city centre. I don't know why I haven't been more than once as I highly recommend to anyone. For starters, I had grilled pork skewers which were really good and perfect for an appetiser. For main we opted for the crispy duck salad which is one of the chefs signature dish and spicy seafood udon noodles. The salad was really nice and the dressing went really well with the salad and crispy duck. Even though the crispy duck makes the salad not so healthy, I would still definitely recommend you try it. the spicy seafood udon noodles were also delicious. the udon noodles were cooked perfectly and the seafood and flavour mixed well with the noodles with good flavour and again worth a try!

Overall, I would definitely recommend Chaophraya to anyone especially if you want to go somewhere fancy to eat. The restaurant looks stunning and the food is really good. The customer service is also good. Having only been to the restaurant once, I have not yet got bad views on the restaurant.

The Townhouse
Nelson Mandela Place
Glasgow
G1 2LL

http://chaophraya.co.uk/

The Chinese Place: Dim Sum Restaurant

There has been lots of new restaurant openings recently in the city centre which means more places to pick and choose from. One new restaurant opening is Dim Sum restaurant which has only been opened for a few months is located on West Nile Street in the city centre. It has a rather small downstairs with additional seating upstairs. There is a nice layout with bench-style seating and an oriental design.

The restaurant focuses on oriental cuisine. It offers a selection of mains of rice bowls, noodle bowls, bao wraps (Hong Style filled flat breads) and of course dumplings either fried or steamed. If the mains are not enough there are also sides and desserts to choose from.
Having only tried out this restaurant twice, both during lunch hours, my most recent visit was with a friend. We both chose the noodles bowls with chicken broth and a side of chilli, garlic and parmesan fries. The noodles bowls are very tasty and filling as they are large in size. For the noodles bowls you get to choose the broth and type of noodles and 3 fillings. The fillings have a good selection of meats (chicken, duck and pork), vegetables and also seafood (mussels and scallops). The fries were also delicious but it lacked a little in the garlic. During my first visit, I opted for the rice bowl with aromatic 1/4 duck which was full of flavour and dumplings which one included the steamed pork dumbling which I highly recommend to try.

Overall, I would recommend Dim Sum to anyone. It is a very easy lunch or dinner option. The only downside is that the food could be brought out a little quicker as we waited a while which means that this restaurant wouldn't be my choice if I wanted something quickly.

Dim Sum Restaurant
69 West Nile Street
Glasgow
G1 2QB
Tel: 0141 328 0800

dimsumglasgow.com

The Healthy Place: Prep Fitness Kitchen

If you are trying to find a healthy option to eat in the city centre then Prep Fitness Kitchen might be an option to visit. Located on Bath Street, it offers a range of Buddha bowls, wholegrain wraps, healthy meals, lean protein burgers and protein pancakes. There is also a range of drinks available that includes sports teas, bullet proof coffee, protein shakes, fresh juices and super food cocktails. If you are up early enough, Prep Fitness Kitchen also serves up breakfast between 7:30am and 11:30am.

 

Prep Fitness Kitchen has the option to sit-in or takeaway. When you first walk in, you help yourself to a table of your choice and the menus are situated at the side of the table.  Once you know what you are having you go up to the counter and order your food. You then get a handheld buzzer that alerts you when your food is ready. Once the buzzer goes off, you then go back up to the kitchen counter and collect your food.

On my first visit with a friend, for drinks we had the ’50 Shades of Green’ juice and the ‘Not Even Cheatin’’ protein shake. For mains, we opted for the wholegrain wraps which were the pulled chilli beef and the peanut satay chicken which was ok but super healthy. The wrap was a little bland which is understandable as it is supposed to be healthy but not the best. The side salad of kale that was with the wrap was really good and tasty. The dressing with it went well with the kale which helped as I am not usually a kale fan but this time I ate it all.

Overall, Prep Fitness Kitchen is a healthy alternative in the city centre as it is hard not to go to a convenient fast food restaurant if you are hungry. I would definitely recommend the protein shakes and the fresh juices but the food when I visited was quite bland which I may go back and try and something else to see if it is the same but overall good.  

Prep Fitness Kitchen

22 Bath Street 

Buchanan Street 

Glasgow 

G2 1HB 

0141 332 3763

The Coffee Shop: Montgomerys Cafe

Montgomerys is located in the West End of Glasgow and provides a respected alternative to popular cafe chains. Small in size but large in reputation, Montgomerys serves breakfast and lunch to locals with the option of sitting in or taking away. They provide a variety of foods from sandwiches to burgers and salads to cakes and of course coffee.They bake all their cakes and breads daily using the best ingredients available. All foods are freshly made which explains why this small cafe has received 5 star ratings from customers and critics alike.


Unlike the big chain coffee shops that provide coffee flavored through syrups. Montgomerys has a wide selection of different flavored coffee beans and specialty coffees. Tea lovers can also get in on the action with a variety of brews from London Fog to Earl Grey.




This Cafe was recommended by a fellow coffee lover. I've only visited this place once but I definitely will recommend it. On our visit, I decided to try their Montgomery's meatloaf burger and Warm Stornoway Black Pudding salad. Their homemade Strawberry BBQ sauce was great and added an extra kick to the succulent beef burger. The combination of black pudding and salad was fresh and light. For drinks, we decided to try their Vietnamese drip coffee. The coffee was rich and smooth in comparison to coffee served at Costa & Starbucks - you can really taste the difference!


Overall, this cafe provides great food and drinks in a peaceful setting. I definitely will recommend this place. In my opinion, it is as their website states, it truly is "Glasgow's best coffee shop and bakery."!

9 Radnor St, Charing Cross, Glasgow G3 7UA
0141 357 1666

http://montgomeryscafe.co.uk/

The Burger Place: Bread Meats Bread

Bread Meats Bread is one of Glasgow's top burger joints. Despite it being surrounded by many other popular burger chains in the heart of Glasgow City Centre, this independent burger chain is only located in Glasgow and Edinburgh which makes it stand out from the crowd.

Bread Meats Bread provides a truly American style selection of burgers, sandwiches, grilled cheese and sides- all of these being reasonably priced. There is a variety of burgers and sandwiches, and the sides which include: cheese curds, poutine, onion rings and various fries. Numerous drinks and shakes are also offered- sticking to this wholesomely American style theme. Having been to this place to eat a few times myself, my opinions is that the food is amazing! The portion sizes are more than enough- both mains and sides providing a cheap and tasty meal. Every time I have visited, I have always ended up ordering too much food as you feel like you got to try all the burgers and fries (especially the bacon chips)!

Having visited this place there are two downsides to this restaurant, the size and layout. This establishment is nowhere near as big enough for its customers and its demand. The bench-style seating can quite easily and usually have you eating next to strangers. Also adding to the fact that Bread Meats Bread does not offer bookings, this place is always busy and you may have to wait for a while. To accomodate the demand, Bread Meats Bread offers customers to order and then takeaway. In addition this restaurant is not a place where you can relax and eat your food slowly. It is very fast paced and people move in and out all the time.

Final thoughts are: Great food but in a cramped environment.

104 St Vincent Street
Glasgow

G2 5UB

0141 249 98 98

http://breadmeatsbread.com/

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