Find out where Tec and Moll have been...

Starters

Tofu and vegetable tempura x 2 £10.50

Mains

Vegan fish and chips £9.95

Small fish and chips £9.95

Kids’ meal £6.95

Portion of mushy peas x 2 £5

Drinks

2 glasses of Prosecco £11.50

1 Lemonade £2.50

Total

£56.35

THE larder and liquor cupboards were as empty as Al Capone’s Christmas card list.

To add to the gloom, Toots was minding her sister’s 10-year-old ankle-biter for the weekend. She aint got a maternal bone in her body, that one and patience was wearing thin.

“Have you been messin’ around with my jewellery again Patti June?” she screeched, slurping the last of the left-over festive brandy as she searched for her favourite Tiffany replica ring.

Swift action was required before that kid saw the sharp end of Blondie’s tongue.

I’d been tipped off that a new fish and chip cafe had finally opened its doors on the west side of the city after a series of mysterious delays. I was just about ready to start an inquiry when the Gibson Street diner announced it was finally opening.

I shoe-horned Toots into the front seat of the passion wagon, with the kid buckled up in the back and we motored on to Catch West End, which my contacts had already informed me runs two other restaurants, south of the River Clyde in Giffnock and Netherlee and specialises in ‘real fish and

chips.’ Our mouths were soon watering when we arrived at the brightly lit but cosy eaterie and taken upstairs to a table by a friendly waitress. As well as the standard fish and chips and fancier versions such as smoke haddock suppers, the menu also includes lobster, halibut, langoustine tails, beef burgers and old fashioned fish finger butties as well as comfort staples including mac and cheese.

Blondie’s head was turned by the tofu and vegetable tempura with sriracha mayonnaise and I decided to join her. Service was swift and the starter was delicious. The batter light and crispy with the spicy mayonnaise giving a good kick to the tofu and mixed veg inside.

I was pleased to see Catch catered for kids. The children’s menu offers a meal, drink and ice cream for £6.95 as well as colouring in pens and menus to keep them amused.

For main, the good lady plumped for the vegan ‘fish’ and chips. She’d heard that Betty Jane Driver, from the upper West Side, was doing Veganuary so fish was firmly were off the menu. It turned out to be Asian Tofu with Nori seaweed dipped in a special Catch batter and served with vegan tartare and she was in fat city.

I’d eaten a big lunch with a contact sniffing out a new lead on another diner so I went for the small fish supper. It certainly was on the small side and a shade pricey at £9.95 but taste wise was the cat’s pyjamas. Turns out Catch was worth the wait