The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Ron Mackenna’s restaurant review
ASUNDAY evening along Glasgow’s Great Western Road then. Few cars but pavements stowed with happy steamers still partying like it’s 1999 or the unofficial end of Prohibition. Right opposite us four women joyously sing – one of them while lying down – as this grand old thoroughfare rocks to the thrumity-thrum of open-air drinkers defying the May cold just to be together.
And it is chilly. From where we sit outside Bar Brett, two patio burners struggle to warm even my bald spot and get nowhere near a cooling BBQ monkfish tail and charred oyster in umami broth.
But good stuff first. A bold and brilliant aged raw beef with soy cured egg yolk, horseradish, nori (aka prawn) crackers, all sweet, super-tender meat and saucy sesame undertones.
A plate of grilled squid came too. It may not have looked very grilled, a common issue tonight, but was tender and moreish in a sauce of coriander, lemon and chilli that was hand-smoked or curated or whatever the waiter was earnestly explaining before I became somewhat distracted by far more vibrant street scenes.
Anyway, we’re not even halfway through our dinner yet, an order I impatiently placed for both of us while Gordon was wandering round Bar Brel (you’re correct: nowhere near) calling my name.
I stopped ordering when I got to the point where I thought the amount of food coming was embarrassing – only to realise that, not only did the waiter genuinely think I had not ordered enough, but he then genuinely advised me I could always order more.
Gulp.
They’re really not kidding when they say small plates. And yet, if we hadn’t eaten our way through our whole first order and I hadn’t suddenly asked for an, erm, half grilled chicken, chilli and lime salt, Vietnamese soft herbs, I would have left with a very different impression of Bar
Brett.
That chicken? Wow. The usual superlatives don’t do its salty, sour, tangy, charred and marvellously spicy herb crust justice.
Nor can they explain just how juicy, fullflavoured and superbly tender it was.
I’m not kidding when I say that from now on all other restaurant chicken will be looked upon very, very differently. And yet I’ve got to say Bar Brett is still a bit of a mixed bag.
Operated by the Michelin-starred Cail Bruich people just up the road and with menus fairy dusted by those very same folk, sometimes it can come over as just a teensy, weensy bit pretentious.
I suppose they’ve got to be when those squid, and that raw beef, say – both light dishes – are rolling in at £12 a pop.
We had a lamb shoulder with black pepper and alexander seed glaze, confit garlic.
That sounded wonderful on paper but was to me a glorified lamb chop in a fairly bland and soupy broth that split opinions at this table until I pointed out it cost £14. No, was Gordon’s instant reaction.
And he wasn’t even paying.
There was £7 worth of charred leeks on an excellent romanescu sauce but I had similar leeks years ago at Le Cols in Spain and kinda think that for this stunt to work the whole leek has to be charred to a sticky sweetness – not just the outer.
A word about that charring. I had booked a table inside (no drink but no problem) at one of those screened-off Covid horsebox booths everyone has to install these days and momentarily was eyeball to eyeball with the charcoal grill. But was then kindly
IT’S World Whisky Day next Saturday. A few weeks ago, I had the rare privilege of tasting Glendifiddich’s stunning Grand Couronne and not only is it world class, only Scotland is capable of producing whiskies to that level of complexity. Here’s a few more cracking options to mark the day.
Glenallachie 12 year old
This one has mellowed in three different types of cask, virgin oak, PX sherry and Oloroso sherry which explains the wonderful array of aromas and flavours including caramel, butterscotch and honey. Its a very clever and rather complex malt and a must for any collector’s range. Royal Mile Whiskies £42.95
Lagavulin 16 year old
Surely a masterclass when it comes to smoky malts. It literally reeks of smoke but in a classy way with hints of vanilla on the nose. The palate is more of the same with warming spices and a waft of fruit occasionally peering through the haze.
The Whisky Shop £65
House of Hazelwood 18 year old blended Scotch
I tasted this a few months ago and was blown away for the price. Creamy vanilla on the nose with yet more on the palate, backed up by gorgeous hints of toffee. This is a blend of real class and the presentation is impressive.
The Whisky Exchange £64.95
Macallan 12 year old triple cask
I was always going to like this... the more wood the merrier for me. They use a combination of ex-sherry and bourbon casks to produce a very stylish whisky with citrus, vanilla and gentle spices. I’m a sucker for anything Macallan and I’m hoping one day they may be daft enough to offer samples of their legendary 25 year old sherry cask version. Macallan.com £60