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25/30

STATION KITCHEN, 120 DUMBARTON ROAD, GLASGOW. TEL: 0141 339 6837

“The chicken comes in light, crisped, deliciously moist nuggets, dotted with Szechuan peppercorns, leaving that mouthtingling signature sensation, with heaps of dried fried chillis tumbling off with every mouthful. “

Menu: There’s a menu for safe diners at the back, but up to then it’s much focused on the Chinese community. 4/5

Atmosphere: I was drawn in by it being mobbed on a cold Tuesday with young cool people from the Chinese community. Nicely lit, comfortable. 4/5

Service: There were language issues mainly down to my poor Cantonese but very pleasant and helpful staff. 4/5

Price: It looks pricey until you realise these are often huge sharing platters of food. Hot and sour soup, £3.80; mains around £10.

4/5

Food: Some dishes are clearly for the more seasoned palate but there’s plenty to like in that pork in scoop and the chicken cubes.

8/10 24/30 STRAVAGIN, 28 GIBSON STREET, GLASGOW. TEL: 0141 334 2665.

“At £22, the roast pollock (remember when this was a humble fish?) is salted properly, seared correctly and flakes lightly on a semiartistic scattering of ingredients that includes grapes, fennel, new potato halves and, apparently, shellfish sauce.”

Menu: Pig’s head croquettes, Borders ox cheek, pollock, confit leeks. This institution is owned by a pub chain but could still work harder. 4/5

Atmosphere: Surely one of Glasgow’s nicest dining rooms? Like a comfy old sofa. 4/5

Service: It’s a big old barn of a place with a lot of ground to cover for the staff, which they do with a brisk, efficient charm. 5/5

Price: Those peanuts were £3.50, the croquettes £6.50, small plates £8 to £15, our pollock £22. All fair in Glasgow’s west end. 3/5

Food: Loved the confit leeks, enjoyed the pollock and even the dangerous-in-a-pubchain curry. Overall, a pleasant meal. 8/10

24/30

SHAWRAMA KING, KING ST, GLASGOW TEL: 0141 258 1870. LAZORD HOWARD STREET GLASGOW 07379 315533

“Fresh, meaty, savoury, occasional lemony, yoghurty sensations. But one thing stands out. Those super fresh pittas. Hard to detail exactly why; perhaps the occasional elasticky then deliciously doughy mouth action signalling that this is not the usual pitta from-aplastic-bag affair.”

Menu: They’re both the kings of kebabs but not as we normally know them; food made with pride, delivered with style whether

Syrian or Kurdish. 3/5

Atmosphere: You’ll need to love a queue if you try Shawarma King. Lazord at least has seats but it’s no-frills, fend for yourself. Both have the buzz. 5/5

Service: Though the queues never seem to stop, service is slick in Shawarma King; Lazord’s is a bit more harem scarem, but guys are pleasant. 4/5

Price: Shawarma King wraps run from £5 to £8, Lazord is priced pretty much the same. 4/5 Food: The Arabic kebab in Lazord is a delicate, finely sliced affair; the breads, naans, pittas ... everything in Shawarma King is just made. 9/10

INDIAN BY NATURE, 34 MOSS STREET, PAISLEY. TEL: 0141 887 3032

“By now we’ve eaten the marinated lamb chops, three for a fiver, not bad either; the fish pakora, £6 for three of those too. Now they’re award-winners they’ll be disappointed in themselves at these pakora: the fish is too soft, the batter too hard, some sections of the pakora mix are still at the ugh, goo stage.”

Menu: Fish pakora, lamb chops, handis, bhindis, karahis and all the other stuff you would have expected in an Indian restaurant a few years ago. 3/5

Atmosphere: Did there used to be a carpet in here, is the decor re-done? Those and other questions we didn’t get answered. People are friendly. 4/5

Service: Pleasant, efficient, too busy to chat but that’s a good thing. 4/5

Price: Strange mix of very reasonable starters mainly hitting the fiver mark, but sometimes less, and 10-quid curries with rice, £2 on top. 4/5

Food: They may just have invented refried chips though they call them chilli potatoes. They’re damn good; the rest of the food is average. 6/10 21/30 AUGUST HOUSE, 43 MITCHELL STREET, GLASGOW. TEL: 0141 729 7979.

“Whoever prepared that togarashi spiced edamame bean hummus has the hands and the mind of an artist. It is beautiful. All crimsons and deep reds, whole edamame glistening, a flower-head crowning things, and just waiting to pop, star-bursty dustings of spice.”

Menu: Eastern vibe in disco-land: edamames, soft-shell-crab tacos, mini lobster rolls, much better than it sounds or looks on the menu. 4/5

Atmosphere: Louder than a nightclub in hell and that’s with nobody actually there, but it’s not aimed at mad old geezers so you may like it. 3/5

Service: Hard to tell when you’re largely lipreading but certainly pleasant, professional and they brought the food fast. 4/5

Price: Edamame hummus, £6, fries £4, Thai prawn cakes, £8, mini lobster and prawn roll, £10, soft shell crab tacos £11.3/5

Food: Some of it is surprisingly beautiful, some is delicious, certainly much, much better than I expected given the setting.

7/10 21/30 RAMON DAYO!, 1126 ARGYLE STREET, GLASGOW. TEL: 0141 406 4010

“Their chicken katsu sauce is indeed aromatic, possibly fruity though I’m not sure about that, but the Fukujinzune pickles cut sharply and sweetly across the whole shooting match. OK, if you read the PR blurb, and it’s on every menu, they’ll have you believe that their secret sauce is the Ramen broth, lovingly poured over, years of research, trial and error. Yawn. Frankly, they all say that.”

Menu: Togarashi fries, Edamame Pumpkin Korokke, lots of Ramen with their special broth, Katsu Dayo and ... you’ve seen this movie already? 3/5

Atmosphere: Forget the lovingly prepared broth hoop-la their secret sauce is actually the atmosphere, with illuminated signs, paper lanterns, tight corners. 5/5

Service: Fast, friendly, a bit over-enthusiastic at times but all good. 4/5

Price: Hey, nobody does starters any more: sides hover around £5.50, snacks £3 and up, Ramen are firmly in Ramen land at £11 to £12. 4/5

Food: The cooking is clean, crisp and while it’s hard for me to get excited about Ramen and broth, or another chicken katsu, it didn’t disappoint. 6/10