The Grill on the Corner

Jun 27 2009 By Tam Cowan

THE flood of emails that I gratefully receive from readers - about 50 a week at the last count - can be split into two distinct categories.

1 Please review this restaurant, Tam, as it's really good, one of my all-time favourites and definitely deserves a great write-up.

2 Please review this restaurant, Tam, as it's absolutely honking and should be closed down by the Environmental Health Department with the owner and all the staff sentened to death by firing squad.

This week's port of call - The Grill On The Corner in Glasgow - definitely falls into the former category and I've been stunned by the amount of positive customer feedback that's dropped into my inbox.

Just the other day, for example, one reader wrote a 500-word love letter about The Grill On The Corner and, as a wheelchair-user, he was particularly impressed by the thoughtful nature of the very attentive staff.

On a similar note, I also heard a recent tale about the general manager offering to personally pop some coins in a parking meter so a customer wouldn't have to interrupt

his meal. How's that for service?

Talking of money, it has also come to my attention that The Grill On The Corner is proving popular with bargain hunters.

Apparently, if you access the company website (www.blackhouse.uk.com) you can pick up a member's dining card that entitles the user to 50 per cent off the food bill - whether it's a party of one or 101. How's that for value?

I checked out The Grill On The Corner just before my recent trip to Las Vegas and I can promise you it was just as good - perhaps even better - than any steakhouse the City Of Sin had to offer.

The so-happy-to-see-you welcome at the front door was very USA - ditto the stylish bar that all you ladies will love as it looks like the sort of lounge favoured by the girls in Sex And The City.

A bloke like myself also liked the bar - nope, not for the simple reason it sells drink - but because the young staff gave the impression they were total pros who enjoyed their job rather than surly students trying to grab a bit of pocket money.

The dining-room next door is fabulous and I loved the classy, leather horseshoe booths up the back. Again, harking back to Vegas, I half-expected The Rat Pack to entertain the crowd after dinner.

Although, in saying that, the crystal chandeliers suggested there was more chance of an appearance by Sydney Devine.

Even our server provided a wee touch of class - simply by being called (according to my receipt) Pedro Guedes. Sounds a lot cooler than Peter Geddes,eh?

The downstairs toilets have benefitted from a recent refurb but, apart from the fab food which I'll come to in a second, perhaps The Grill On The Corner's biggest asset is the huge floor-to-ceiling windows that look directly onto the hustle and bustle of Bothwell Street.

The sizzling smokiness that permeates this restaurant suggests the speciality steaks should always be the order of the day, but our starters were far from humdrum.

After some nibbly bowls of fiery hot wasabi peas and hot spiced almonds (both highly recommended) I kicked off properly with a duck spring roll - served with a thick and satisfying plum sauce - that would have been the envy of many a good Chinese restaurant.

My mate Gerry has some strange tastes. His all-time favourite dish, for example, is the stuff served up at his local Ralston Golf Club - black pudding soup!

I'm still not sure if that sounds utterly hideous or totally delicious.

At The Grill On The Corner, he settled for something more straightforward - a pot of freshly steamed mussels which he thought were tremendous.

Meanwhile, his wife Rae really liked the garlic mushrooms on properly toasted crusty bread. She then enjoyed chicken-something or-other. Sorry to sound disinterested, but this joint is all about steak and the two slabs of beef that arrived at our table were very memorable.

My 11oz fillet had a wonderful charcoal flavour and the meat was so tender I didn't really require the services of a steak knife.

Meanwhile, Gerry's hefty sirloin steak looked about two inches thick and the chef deserves a word of praise for ensuring that our pepper sauce was as devishly hot as requested.

We also enjoyed thechips.Proper homemade efforts with the crispy skins intact. Perfect.

No room for dessert - again, just like Vegas - so I settled the £120 bill and look forward to an even better priced meal when I become a member of this smart restaurant.

They should have a grill like this on every corner.

Baked amaretto ricotta cheesecake

By John Branagan

BAKED, or American, cheesecakes as they are also known, tend to use more cream cheese in their fillings than the un-cooked, refrigerator variety

Actually, Italian Ricotta isn't strictly a cheese as it is produced from whey, the liquid that remains after separating out the curds when making cheese.

It is, however, an extremely versatile ingredient and you will find it cropping up time and again in a variety of pasta sauces and Italian salads, as well as in desserts such as this one.

Its name, literally translated, means "re-cooked" and refers to the processes used during its manufacture. It makes a delicious filling when mixed with Amaretto liqueur.

This popular bitter-sweet almond flavoured drink also has a multitude of culinary uses; you will find it in savoury dishes too, Amaretto chicken is a popular example, however in this country it is most often used as a cocktail ingredient or served simply "on the rocks".

As the name implies, Amaretti biscuits also use this liqueur as an ingredient where it is mixed to a paste with egg whites, ground almonds and sugar before being baked.

This is a straightforward recipe that needs little further explanation, however if you use four standard teacups as moulds this will simplify matters further.

After dividing the mixture evenly between the cups, gently tap them on the worktop to expel any air: butterscotch pears make an excellent accompaniment.

Ingredients

140g crushed digestive biscuits

40g unsalted butter

280g ricotta

Three egg yolks

60g caster sugar

 160g whipped cream

 15g corn flour

 50g Amaretti biscuits

 4 tbs Amaretto 

Method

Crush the digestive biscuits and mix evenly with the melted butter.

Divide the mix into four and push firmly into the bottom of each mould.

Beat the cheese, cornflour and egg yolks together until light.

Add the sugar and fold in, then add the whipped cream and fold in.

Crush the Amaretti biscuits and fold into the mixture with the Amaretto.

Divide the mix between the four moulds and place into a pre-heated oven (200 to 250C) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Fillet steak with homemade béarnaise sauce

By John Branagan

BÉARNAISE sauce has a reputation for being difficult to make.

A true classic, it has been around since the 1830s, allegedly named after the province of Bearn, the birthplace of Royal Gourmet, King Henry IV.

Like hollandaise, it is an emulsion of butter in egg yolks. The difference between the two lies in the flavouring: Béarnaise uses tarragon while Hollandaise is flavoured with lemon juice. 

This sauce is a great accompaniment to fish and vegetables but is probably at its most irresistible when served with steak and chips.

Much of the beef on sale in supermarkets is aged for a maximum of seven days, whereas your local butcher should have steak available that has been aged for 21 days.

We are very fussy about our meat at The Grill; Blackhouse cattle are grass fed animals sourced responsibly from farms using traditional and sustainable husbandry methods. Our beef is aged for 24 days, allowing it to fully mature, thereby ensuring its tenderness and flavour.

Emulsion

The dangers to look out for when making the Béarnaise are: adding the butter too quickly, causing the emulsion to separate; curdling the egg yolks by using too much heat; or adding too much tarragon which would overpower the sauce.

A good tip, before adding the butter, is to check the thickness of the mixture by dragging a spoon through the mix, if the consistency is correct it should hold its own form.

I'm often asked why some herbs should be torn, as in this recipe, instead of being chopped. Tender herbs such as tarragon and basil bruise easily, leading to discolouration, so to minimise this tear them by hand or, if appropriate for the dish, add them whole.

Ingredients (serves two as a main course) 

 4 egg yolks

 30mls white wine

 500g unsalted butter

 60mls white wine vinegar

 Salt

 Pepper

 40 Tarragon leaves approx. Torn

 2 x 225g Fillet steaks

 10mls Olive oil

 Watercress

Method

Place the egg yolks, white wine and vinegar into a medium size metal mixing bowl.

Gently melt the butter in a pan until it separates and keep warm.

Bring a large pan, half filled with water, to the boil.

Place the medium bowl with its contents over the hot water pan and whisk the egg mixture vigorously until it doubles in volume.

Place the mixing bowl on a cloth and dribble the melted butter into the egg mix while whisking constantly.

Check the seasoning and add the torn tarragon leaves and keep warm.

Lightly oil the steaks and season well.

Place on a hot grill pan and cook the steaks to your liking turning during the process to mark the steaks with a criss-cross pattern.

Allow to rest, serve on a hot plate garnished with a sprig of cress accompanied by a ramekin of the Béarnaise sauce.

Miss out Grill on the Corner & you'll be making a mis-steak

Yeah OK, sorry about that. It ain't rare for folks to give me a grilling because of my tendency to use puns when talking about my favourite restaurants in Glasgow.

They just camembert it!

But to be honest, given that when I'm writing restaurant reviews the steaks are so high & there's little margerine for error, there's more to my punnery than meats the eye. It's because restaurants in Glasgow like this get me so blooming excited about food I just can't help it!

However, I'll try and keep a lid on it as much as I can - I wouldn't want you to think I just loaf around all day thinking up word-plays for the halibut.

STOP!!!

OK, so I'm pretty sure I've shaken it all off now. Where was I?

That's right, now, the Grill on the Corner Glasgow steakhouse - it's just so outstanding, I'm about one meal there away from wiping clean this entire site, and replacing it completely with poems, sonnets and fanmail only on this one restaurant, and that's taking into account all the other restaurants in Glasgow!

I love food. I'm a lover of food. It's what I do. Serve me a curry, Indian or Oriental, and I'll beam back at you with thankful delight. Plop an Italian dish on my table and it'll be gone in seconds. My love of food extends all around world cuisine, from the tang of haggis to the many distinct wonders of piri piri, and with the exception of liver (yeuch!), if it's put in front of me in any of the restaurants in Glasgow or elsewhere, you'll just watch open-mouthed in petrified silence as I tuck it all away without hesitation, as would, for example, a horse munching oats.

Quite the picture, I'm sure...

...However, when it comes to steak or barbeques, well, I'm nothing less than like a child at Christmas!

My first choice in dining will always be at a BBQ. I mean, when the sun comes out I'm drawn like a helpless moth to the flame of a grill, more than likely because there's this trenchant Neanderthal man rooted deep inside me, crouching eternally in my hungry soul, kindling forever that primal urge to cook meat & fish over a naked flame. So when the weather ain't pretty or Tracey's locked me away from the BBQ, if I get the chance I'll normally hot-foot it instead to a good steakhouse, the more refined brother of the barbie, and more often than not to the Grill on the Corner.

The reason for that is that this place knows steak like an old friend. Its menu is packed with reasonably-priced top quality cuisine you'd expect in only the very best restaurants in Glasgow, but for me, it stands well out from the crowd simply because of the love and expertise that's clearly been injected into every steak on offer here, including of course the mighty Kobe fillet I drool about below.

The truly shiny design of the restaurant, the dressed-down staff who've all sampled the menu and are more than happy to rave about it to you until you make a great choice, the attention to detail in the presentation of the food & everything around it, the jovial atmosphere, I'm constantly amazed by just how happy this place can make me be.

It's what every steakhouse should be, in my humble opinion nothing short of a masterpiece, and I thank my lucky, beef-filled stars that it's in Glasgow!

神戸ビーフ - So what's a Kobe Steak & is it worth the price?

What can I say about Kobe beef? Well, here's a wee line for starters - once you go Kobe, you'll never look back!

It really is the Daddy of all Steaks, and you'll be glad to know that the Grill on the Corner was the first of the restaurants in Glasgow (and I'm pretty sure in Scotland as well) to be brave enough to place it on the menu.

The cost. So, let's talk about price first. As I write this, for a Kobe steak here it'll cost you 50 smackers. Yes, that's £50 for a bit of meat. Now if, having read what I have to say here, you're not totally convinced that paying £50 for a steak is the greatest of ideas, then that's OK - not everyone likes the same thing, not everyone loves steak as much as I do, not everyone is happy to part with that much cash simply for a main course.

But if I tell you that in Vegas you'd expect to pay around $200 for it, and that in Japan where the whole Kobe legend began you'd be out over $300, then you might form the impression at least that this type of beef must be even just a little bit more special than the rest, and therefore maybe worth splashing out on one just for the sake of curiosity.

To be fair though, as with all restaurants in Glasgow, a City (wrongly) alleged to be packed with working class Scrooges, you'd still be laughed out of town if you charged anyone more than 50 quid for a steak, so given just how premium the Kobe fillet is, in my opinion it's a very reasonable price to pay for what you get.

And after tasting it, you'll likely end up adding a huge tip anyway!

The legend. If you've never heard of it, Kobe beef is thought to have originated from the black-haired Tajima-ushi breed of Kuroge Wagyu cattle, raised according to ancient traditional methods in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and specifically on Mount Rokko in its exotic capital city Kōbe-shi. The myth behind the legend is that the Wagyu cattle were raised on a daily diet of saké & beer, with regular massages to relieve muscle stiffness and even a little soothing music in the background. Not bad eh?

As a result of leading such relaxing lives, the Wagyu beef's long been recognised as being one of the most tender in the world, marbled so exquisitely with unsaturated fat it just melts like heaven in your mouth.

However, before you picture in your mind a whole herd of underage cows completely sloshed on Asahi beer, wolf-whistling the attractive tourists as they meander past & getting into boozy fights with each other before getting kicked out their favourite nightclub, quite disappointingly the truth about the Wagyu ain't that close to the legend!

In fact, no-one really knows the truth behind the legend. It's one of the most guarded secrets in global cuisine which every cattle-breeder & chef outside Kōbe-shi will lie and say they've worked out, so the Kobe beef you'll tuck into all around the world will vary a little in quality, but at the very least given how carefully the cattle will have been bred no matter the method used, anything even close to true Kobe beef will usually trump any other type of steak you've ever chewed into.

The closest understanding of the ancient method however, is that for a restaurant to be able to say that the beef on the menu is properly Kobe, you'll likely have to use the finest breed of cattle genetically predisposed to intense marbling (so for example, in Scotland you'd be talking about Angus cattle), allow them only the purest superior feed, a little Asahi or beer if their appetite comes and goes, and simply groom them with saké or something similar rather than feed them with it. Even if that's not the case, either way it's clear that the cattle will have to lead a fairly relaxed, less mechanical life, a life I wouldn't mind leading myself were it not for the Big Chop at the end of the day!

The Blackhouse Kobe. It's safe to say therefore, that even though the meat you'll have in the Grill on the Corner could be more accurately described as Kobe-style beef, having been reared in Scotland (one of the most-respected exporters of beef on the planet) as close to the legend as possible, you can rest assured that it'll still smack your usual steak into touch, and that it's definitely worth every penny.

The Grill on the Corner, one of the top restaurants in Glasgow, is run by Blackhouse Restaurants (don't let the fact it's a chain put you off!). On the menu it's stated that Blackhouse cattle are grass-fed, hormone-free British beasts sourced from local farms, and that they use traditional husbandry methods allowing the animals to mature naturally under stress-free conditions. Their beef's aged for 28 days to guarantee tenderness and a perfectly-matured flavour, so it's about as close you'll get to the quality of Kobe without travelling all the way to Japan yourself.

The traditional method of cooking a Kobe steak is by doing it teppan-yaki style, in other words seared in front of your dazzling eyes within a blurry matter of seconds, retaining the delicious fat in the beef as much as possible, and that's exactly how they cook it in this Glasgow steakhouse, even though instead of hearing 'hai shefu' when you pass the open kitchen you'll be more likely to hear Aye Chef, Naw Chef!

So before I drool onto my keyboard here, I'll stop rambling on and simply tell you that if you're feeling kind of free with your cash, and fancy celebrating the best of life with a good steak, just ignore all the other steak restaurants in Glasgow, come to the Grill on the Corner, order the Kobe & a good glass of red wine, and enjoy one of the most mouth-watering steaks you'll ever taste - even though I dream about food whether I'm asleep or awake and tend to enthuse about it more than most folks out there, I can guarantee that tucking into a Kobe will be an experience you'll never forget.

(it's too late, my keyboard's been drenched!)

What else is on the menu?

Don't you worry - it isn't all about the Kobe in this place. As with all the restaurants in Glasgow I rave about, you'll be faced with a brilliant selection on the menu and the Grill on the Corner isn't an exception to that.

What I will say however, is that when it comes to creating a desirable restaurant package, many other restaurants in Glasgow would struggle to present their food quite as impressively as they do here, and you might catch some of their expertise in a few of my dodgy photos.

The reason I mention presentation is that for me, it's not just about what's on the menu - my gut feeling for restaurants in Glasgow or anywhere else will depend also on how it's served, if it's served with a smile, and if the menu's big enough to cope with my wild tendency to change my mind at a minute's notice (boy Docherty, are you high maintenance?!!).

For example, for a starter you could order the garlic rub bread. Now, I know normally the thought of that won't exactly be overly-stimulating, but unlike any other restaurants in Glasgow, if you order it at the Grill on the Corner you'll be given two pieces of thick, perfectly char-grilled bread, a clove of garlic, a cute wee jug filled with olive oil, and a spreading knife, all presented old-style on a sturdy block of wood. The idea is that you drizzle your olive oil on the bread and spread as much garlic as you like on it (or if you like, the other way round), the result being bespoke garlic bread that's to die for!

If I'm headed for the steak as a main course, I usually opt for a surf & turf approach, so will order something fishy for a starter. This might be the carlingford irish rock oysters with chopped shallots in sherry vinegar, lemon & tabasco. Or it might be the smoked haddock chowder, the king scallop in hazelnut butter, or if I'm not feeling fishy that day, the chicken skewered on lemongrass sopped with thai red curry paste, or beef carpaccio with rocket & lemon. So as I say, it's a pretty extensive selection so you should find something you like for a starter.

For the mains, you'll have pretty much everything you'd expect in a good steakhouse, and as far as I'm concerned the range of the menu is more comprehensive than in any of the other steakhouse restaurants in Glasgow.

As I say, it's not just about the Kobe here. You'll be able to choose from varying sizes of premium grade Scottish rump, ribeye, sirloin and fillet steaks, each with or without one of the six alternative sauces (not sure if I mentioned before that in my humble, primal opinion, if you're going Kobe, you should think about doing that only as the Lord intended - that is, sauceless & medium rare - for me any other way would just be sacrilege!).

All the steaks are served with home cut chips, mash or jacket potatoes, but again if you were asking me, I'd always plump for the chips here, because even though that might sound like you'd be opting for the simple, boring choice (what's so great about chips? Aren't they all the same?), it really is worth it as they're without doubt the best chips I've ever tasted. They're cooked so perfectly here in their skins that they're crispy on the outside but nowhere near dried out on the inside. Even if I'm struggling through the meat I'll always end up picking at the chips until I do literally burst (yup, quite an embarrassment when that happens I tell you!).

Other than steak however, the Grill on the Corner has a varied selection of main courses that can stand proud amongst those of all the top restaurants in Glasgow. The seafood in particular is outstanding. Having in mind the protection of our globally renowned sealife, they ignore the easy option of the deep sea trawlers & endangered species, and rely instead on sustainable supplies.

As a result, without any shadow of guilt you'll be able to choose from a delicious selection of fresh fish dishes, including whole or half grilled lobster, organic shetland salmon with béarnaise sauce, and rope grown scottish mussels.

If you're up for sharing (yeah, good one Tracey - hands off!), then you might plump for the table-absorbing cold platters with lobster, crevites, oysters, atlantic prawns & smoked salmon or the hot platter with rope grown mussels in a white wine & cream sauce.

One final mention for the main courses however, is the burgers. You'll have the option of the 100% premium beef classic burger with either smoked bacon & emmental cheese, or caramelised onion & reduced balsamic, or alternatively just with some really nice blue cheese. However, if you'd prefer something a little more premium than 100% (if that's possible?!!), point your waiter or waitress to the kobe burger, and then loosen your clothing to make room for the most premiumest of premium burgers you're ever likely to find, whether it's in the top restaurants in Glasgow or elsewhere, and to explain exactly why that is, I'll refer you back up to my drool-filled section on Kobe beef above!

Also worth a mention though, is the chicken pot pie with a chive mash (and yes, it's actually served in a pot - unsurprisingly Tracey thinks it's so cute!), and the fajitas with all the works & trimmings that'll get everyone in the restaurant looking at you because of all the sizzling noise it makes as it nears your table!

As for desserts, there's a great choice on display but my personal favourite if I can find some room in my already satisfied stomach, is the peach melba mess, a crumbling mash of absolute delight that as far as I'm concerned, is one of the most succulent desserts you'll find in all the restaurants in Glasgow.

And you'll spend the entire evening working through the extensive book of wines, cocktails & beers, although if I'm steaking it I'll normally just plump for a good glass of red and a lynchburg lemonade.

So bearing in mind that I could go on and on and on about the menu of Grill on the Corner, I'll force myself to end this by saying that in answer to the emails I've received about how it is that I can pick out the top restaurants in Glasgow like this amongst all the myriad of other great restaurants in Glasgow that keep opening up seemingly on a weekly basis, well, I can only say that it's either because I've got absolutely nowhere near enough time, strength or cash to get around them all & keep up, or that it's maybe just because after I've eaten and been completely & utterly satisfied in a place like this, my stomach urges me like a one-track zombie to return to it again and again, to the exclusion of all the other restaurants in Glasgow.

A failing perhaps on my part as someone who loves writing about new places to dine, but hey, as long as I'm happy that's all that counts eh?

As for how to get to Grill on the Corner Glasgow steakhouse, my current favourite of all the best restaurants in Glasgow, it's located on the junction of Bothwell Street and Wellington Street in the City Centre. Bothwell Street's the one you come onto as you come off the M8 Motorway at Junction 19, and is just around the corner from Central Station.

So I hope you get a table there when you want, and enjoy a superb evening of indulgence at one of the best restaurants in Glasgow while you're in town.

After all that talking about food though, you'll have to beat me to it cause I'm absolutely starving!

http://www.top-ten-glasgow-guide.com/restaurants-in-glasgow.html 

Restaurant review: The Grill on the Corner

Published Date: 01 March 2009

By Richard Bath

THE chat in restaurant-land is that the number of casualties out there will be like a bad day on the culinary Somme. Many of the less feted proprietor-chefs in overstocked Edinburgh are looking over their shoulders. Reports are also filtering in of small-town restaurants circling the wagons to make sure they are able to see out 2009.

It was with some surprise, therefore, that when I turned up at the Grill on the Corner, in Glasgow, I found the restaurant doing a roaring trade on a Tuesday lunchtime. Sure, this is one of those places that doubles as a works canteen for Glasgow's pin stripe brigade, but with city-centre prices and barely 18 months under its belt, this is exactly the sort of place that is acting as an economic barometer throughout the county.

Maybe the brisk trade has something to do with the innovative offer of half-price lunches that was e-mailed to selected worthies earlier this month, and which plopped into my inbox just as I was making arrangements to review the place. The offer had initially run for the month of January but had been extended to take in February. Perfect timing for me in these cash-strapped days, but on reflection perhaps not the telling sign of a vibrant restaurant sector that you might envisage if you walked in off the street.

Tom knows the place well, as the site now occupied by the Grill on the Corner was once home to his kids' favourite branch of Est Est Est. Many lazy Sundays were passed in this very room with his family, he said, noting that very little has changed when it comes to décor and layout. Not that the place looks like a pizza joint: elaborate chandeliers, big picture windows and high ceilings are matched with a simple white colour scheme and strategically placed potted palms to give the place a whiff of Raffles.

Our fellow diners were an eclectic lot: there were suited-and-booted professionals doing business, a pair of tourists, several ladies lunching and a family with a couple of small children. The atmosphere was cheery, and general manager John Allison very keen to help – so much so that when I asked for change to feed the parking meter outside, he offered to do it for me. Happily, the rest of the staff follow his lead.

Looking over a menu that remains the same for lunch and dinner, we were relieved to be paying half-price for our meal. Tom started with half a dozen Irish rock oysters, which were great but we did wonder what was wrong with Cumbrae's finest – equally succulent but Scottish. We also wondered whether they would have had a smaller price tag than £9 had they been sourced closer to home.

I opted for garlic roasted Portobello mushrooms with tomato and pesto, which came on an almost-sizzling hotplate with a slice of ciabatta bread. This was good, honest comfort food – exactly what I needed.

The menu at the Grill on the Corner has a range of lunchtime winter warmers – bangers and mash, steak-and-ale pie, classic burgers, that sort of thing – not to mention a handful of elaborate salads and a dozen or so fish dishes, but if it is known for anything it is the steaks, which work their way from the humble steak frites to the Wagyu Kobe fillet (£50 – something to do with it being reared on beer and massaged daily).

Even with a 50% discount, that was still too costly for lunch, so instead Tom chose an 11oz rib-eye steak while I ordered ostrich. We were surprised to discover that my £17 slab of grilled ostrich came without chips or veg, adding another £6 to the dish – a naughty trick, and one that really irks me.

That was, however, our only complaint. Tom's thick slab of steak was cooked just as he asked for it, while my equally chunky portion of ostrich was, if anything, a little underdone – which is better that than overdone. Ostrich meat is like a lean, gamey version of beef. Although popular since Roman times, it is undergoing a renaissance – thanks in part to its taste, but mainly because it is so low in fat and cholesterol.

My meat was very tender, although Tom was more enamoured of the flavour than I was. Not that he was struggling with his steak and its accompanying honeyed carrots – the whole lot disappeared in no time.

Tom rounded off with melba mess, a fantastic concoction of peaches, meringue and cream. I was less overwhelmed with the affogato al caffe, a trio that included a small dish of ice-cream, a shot of Amaretto and an espresso.

We were left satisfied and sated by a meal that ticked all the boxes for a city-centre grill. If only it were half-price every day of the year.

Vital statistics

The Grill on the Corner

21 Bothwell Street, Glasgow (0141 248 6262, www.thegrillonthecorner.com)

Out of pocket

Starters £2.75–£16.95 Main courses £9.75–£50 Puddings £4.50–£5.50 Two-course children's menu £7.95

Rating

7.5/10

Roast sea bream with soy broth

By John Branagan

EVERY day at The Grill On The Alley you will find a Black Plate Special, a temptingly different dish that is usually available for a short spell only.

This recipe started out as one of those dishes but became so popular that it now appears on our current a la carte menu alongside a wide selection of other seafood dishes.

Whatever you choose you can be sure that all the produce we use will have been purchased from sustainable sources, as we don’t sell endangered stocks.

Sea bream, also known throughout Europe as dorade, is a wonderfully flavoursome fish and this method of cooking the fillets concentrates the flavour while ensuring that the delicate flesh remains moist and retains its texture.

Use a cartouche to cover the pan before bringing the contents to the boil, prior to transferring to the oven.

A cartouche is merely a circle, often cut out of baking parchment, foil or, in this case, silicon paper, that is used to form a loose fitting lid.

A cartouche has the effect of slowing evaporation during cooking, creating a steaming effect in the process and it also prevents the dish from browning too much. 

To serve each dish, arrange the vegetables in the centre of the plate and place the fillets, crossed over each other, on top.

Stir the marinade in the pan before carefully spooning around the fish.

Ingredients (serves two as a main course)

4 sea bream fillets

2 heads of pak choi

110g oriental vegetable mix

50g wild mushrooms

2 spring onions

4 sprigs of coriander

Large pinch of black pepper

For the marinade

110ml soy sauce

Half a tsp of five spice

10g grated ginger

1 pinch of chilli flakes

Half a small garlic clove

50g onion

110ml water

Method

Peel the onion and cut into quarters. Place the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix to a paste using a little of the soy sauce.

Add the rest of the soy sauce and the water, mix thoroughly then blend, with the onion, until the onion is pureed.

Ideally, leave for 24 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator, then strain through a fine sieve to remove the pulp.

Place the pak choi and the Oriental veg into a large pan and scatter the mushrooms and spring onions around them.

Lay the sea bream fillets over the pak choi, ensuring that the fillets do not touch each other.

Pour the marinade over the fillets, cover the pan and bring to the boil.

As soon as the marinade begins to boil, remove from the heat and transfer to the oven.

Bake the fish for six to eight minutes. Check that the fish is cooked BEFORE removing from the oven.

Published: Thu, 26 February, 2009

Cauliflower and three cheese pot pie

By John Branagan

Ingredients (serves four)

500ml Mornay sauce

60 small cauliflower florets

Gorgonzola cheese – diced into 32x1cm cubes

Puff pastry

Chopped parsley

Salt

Pepper

1 egg

For the mornay sauce

500ml Bechamel sauce

100g Mozzarella cheese

75g Parmesan cheese

1 tsp English mustard

5 tsp Worcester sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a saucepan, warm through the béchamel sauce over a moderate heat.

Add the mustard and Worcester sauce and mix in. Add both cheeses, melt thoroughly, then season to taste. Steam the cauliflower for three minutes until hot, lightly season.

Place the hot florets into a mixing bowl, add the hot mornay sauce, chopped parsley and check seasoning.

Add the Gorgonzola pieces and gently fold in.

Place the mixture into a 12cm pie dish, cover with pastry lid and seal well.

Brush the pastry with beaten egg, place on metal baking sheet and cook in a hot oven (200-250C) until crisp and golden.

Published: Thu, 19 February, 2009

Lemongrass chicken skewer with red curry paste

By John Branagan

1 / 1 imagesROMANTIC: Lemongrass chicken skewer with red curry paste

WITH Valentine’s day this weekend and as many of you will be planning a romantic meal for two, I’ve chosen, for my first recipe, a versatile starter that can easily be adapted to be served as a dinner party main course.

Make a start by preparing the red curry paste; you will be using this to baste the chicken as it cooks.

To make blending the paste easier, first chop the creamed coconut into small bite-size chunks before adding to the other ingredients.

Buy the coriander in a bunch if possible, rather than the small plants often sold in supermarkets.

Much of the essence of the herb is concentrated in the stalks and you will find that bunches sold in ethnic food-stores and on market stalls usually have thicker stems and therefore deliver much more flavour.

If you have time, you can allow the flavours to develop further by making the paste the day before, then store in the refrigerator until needed. 

At The Grill On The Alley, the quality of all of our produce is absolutely key, for example all of our chickens are British farm assured, freedom to roam birds and I’d encourage you to buy the best quality you can find when shopping for the ingredients for this dish.

Ideally, each breast should weigh in at around 170 grams.

To serve as a starter, simply follow the recipe as given and add a side order of dipping sauce prepared by mixing equal parts of red curry paste and coconut milk together.

To serve as a light main course, simply arrange each skewer on a bed of boiled rice scented with lime juice and sprinkled with a little finely chopped coriander.

Ingredients

(Serves four as a starter)

 4 chicken breasts

 4 lemongrass sticks

 2 Limes

 Olive oil

 Coriander to garnish

Red curry paste ingredients

200g coconut cream

 180ml sweet chilli sauce

 15g grated ginger

 15g garlic puree

 120ml water

 250g fresh coriander stalks

 1tsp lemon juice

Method

Blitz together all the curry paste ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Chop each chicken breast into eight equal size pieces and thread each diced breast onto a stick of lemongrass.

Lightly oil each skewer, place onto moderately hot grill pan.

Cook the skewers for four minutes on each side, basting with the red curry paste whilst turning.

When cooked remove from grill pan, lightly brush with a little more of the remaining paste and place on warm plates.

Serve garnished with half a fresh lime and a large coriander leaf. 

Published: Thu, 12 February, 2009

GET HOME EASILY AND SAFELY THIS NEW YEARS EVE!

Following the success of last year's free lift home initiative Living Ventures Restaurants are once again driving home the safety message this New Years Eve through offering all its customers of its non city centre locations a free lift home after the party celebrations.

New Years Eve is renowned for a shortage of taxis which makes it difficult to plan a celebration to remember. Trying to get home at the end of the night is the biggest problem for revellers which can lead to an increase in drink driving.

Tim Bacon, Managing Director of Living Ventures, parent company to GUSTO and Blackhouse  explained; "We had a great response last year to the initiative and we are more than happy to provide the same service this year as it was a real benefit to our guests.  Drink driving is an issue all year, an issue that all bar and restaurant operators should take seriously. With the more relaxed atmosphere during the festive season, the temptation to offend becomes greater.  At Living Ventures we are always looking at ways to help prevent this, therefore we are driving all our diners home. We always place a strong emphasis on ensuring our customers have a truly memorable time at New Year. By providing our diners with free transport home, it's a small gesture to thank our customers and ensure they get home safely."

The restaurants taking part this year are GUSTO; Knutsford, Didsbury, Alderley Edge, Cookridge and Heswall. The Hale Grill will also be offering a complimentary lift home.

ENDS

For further press information;

Anna Ryan - 01565 622 312/07917 058950 - annaryan@livingventures.com

Julie Dalton - 01565 622 312/ 07917 187277 - juliedalton@livingventures.com

www.gustorestaurants.uk.com

www.blackhouse.uk.com

Chester Rugby Union Football Club are celebrating a major new sponsorship deal with one of Chester's most stylish restaurants the Blackhouse Grill

The Blackhouse Grill, owned and operated by leading leisure operators Living Ventures, are delighted to have joined forces with one of Chester's longest standing sporting instututions. Chester Rugby Union Football Club was formed in 1925 and the Blackhouse Grill is proud to be supporting one of Chester's oldest and most distinguished Rugby Union Football Club's.

Living Ventures have agreed to pay an initial sponsorship sum which will go towards new changing facilities which are needed to accommodate the growing number of youth team members.

In addition to the additional sponsorship deal the Blackhouse Grill has also agreed to further support Chester RUFC by joining forces with Chester RUFC via their Gold Loyalty membership card, which all members of the Club are entitled to apply for. Members who sign up to the scheme will receive a discount from their total food bill at the Blackhouse Grill, with a contribution going directly to Chester RUFC.

"The Blackhouse Grill is delighted to announce the sponsorship agreement with Chester Rugby Union Football Club. The new agreement will bring exciting opportunities for the further development of facilities at Chester RUFC. The Club is an integral part of the city's heritage and we are pleased to be playing a small part in its development process, especially as the youth policy of the Club is such a strong one."

Jeremy Roberts, Commercial Director, Living Ventures

Local community groups are to benefit from a serving of extra funding thanks to an innovative new fundraising initiative from local charity and grant maker the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester and Manchester restaurant the Grill On The Alley.

The new membership scheme means regular diners can benefit from discounts and special offers at Grill on the Alley at the same time as donating to the Community Foundation when they dine out at the city centre restaurant.

Those who sign up for the dedicated Community Foundation membership card will benefit from 10% off their food bill at the Grill on the Alley. A further 10% will be matched and paid directly to the Community Foundation. Card holders will also be presented with a selection of monthly promotions available for diners to treat themselves at the restaurant.

Grill on the Alley selected to partner with the Community Foundation as it helps communities across the whole of the Greater Manchester area. To launch the scheme, Community Foundation beneficiary the Bolton Caribbean Elders Luncheon club were invited to make a trip to the city centre to be treated to lunch at the restaurant.

Alex Cardoso manager at Grill on the Alley said: "We chose to work alongside The Community Foundation as it is helping to change local peoples' lives for the better. Our card scheme means that people can have a great meal out and also be aware that they are helping to make a difference right here in Greater Manchester."

Nick Massey, chief executive from the Community Foundation added: "It is great to see a Manchester restaurant commit to its local community in this way. What's even better is that all the funds raised through this card will be matched £ for £ as part of a new government initiative we are running for the next 3 years."

The card will benefit those living in the region who dine regularly in the City Centre and are looking at innovative ways to give something back to the community.

On 4th September 2008 the SUPPER CLUB was launched. Bringing Live acoustic blues, soul and rock Manchester's dining scene.