Welcome to the 5pm blog

Tomorrow’s kitchen

No, you tell him the steak is over cooked

Scotland on Sunday recently ran a story, originally from the New York Times, about robot chefs and how, in the not so distant future, there will be restaurants which are staffed entirely by robots. Naturally, there are loads of cracking robochef clips on YouTube along with a few, er, quirky spoofs.

Just to put it all in perspective, you might want to click through to the British Pathe web archive and check out this 1945 clip about the kitchen of tomorrow. It looks a wonderful place in which modern conveniences such as electricity, a mangle and a pot with a steam attachment mean that the kitchen will never again be a place of domestic drudgery.

Friday Restaurant Round-up

Nando's: now on Lothian Road

If I had enough new restaurants to tell you about than I would do these in the form of a Top of the Pops Top Ten countdown, perhaps in the style of Jimmy Saville. Something along the lines of 'Now then, now then, now then. I have a letter here from a lovely Italian restaurant owner who wants me to fixit for his new trattoria to open on schedule'.

Fortunately for all concerned, that ain't gonna happen. So, in rather more sober fashion, we'll start with the news that the Lothian Road premises which once housed the Great Wall of China has been revamped and is now called Restaurant Club India. It looks fairly close to opening and once it starts popping out the pakora I will report back.

Sticking with Lothian Road, a Nando's has opened up in the former government publications shop opposite the Usher Hall. I've never been in one. Is it a cause for celebration?

Not too far away on Broughham Street is a new Thai place called Passorn. Gaby Soutar, writing in The Scotsman, seemed to like it a lot.

Also of interest, especially if you have a sweet tooth, is Iman's savoury and sweet shop which opened this week diagonally across from the King's Theatre. An offshoot of the Iman's Punjabi restaurant, it sells a huge range of Indian snacks and sweetmeats. From dosas to chai via idlis and lassi, they've got the lot.

Glasgow seems fairly quiet on the new opening front at the moment although I enjoyed Ron Mackenna's review of the new Dubai Grill in Tradeston. Our friends over at the Trampy and the Tramp curry blog have a more quirky take on eating there.

In other news, we hear that the massive revamp of the Corinthian in Glasgow is taking longer than first expected and that it's relaunch may not take place until September.

Michelin: does it matter?

Chefs love the tubby tire guy

There's a good piece in The Times today by the Edinburgh based writer Alex Renton. It's hooked on a TV program called Michelin Madness which goes out tonight on BBC2 at 9pm. Some chefs hate Michelin. Some are indifferent. Most would kill their sous chef to get a star. The program and Renton's piece ask why.

Doing the Dhu

The Ghillie Dhu bar

The new Ghillie Dhu bar and entertainment venue in Edinburgh doesn't open fully to the public until Monday but 5pm had a sneak preview last night.

In short, there is nothing else quite like it in Edinburgh. Formerly a church and then a casino, the Rutland Place premises take their name from the Scots for a tree spirit and the Caledonian theme runs all the way through the place, from the Ghillie Dhu ale which is made for them by the Inveralmond Brewery to the trad bands that play there seven nights a week. It will be a hit with tourists but, while it does wear its plaid on its sleeve, it doesn't look like a shortbread tin. It's not an easy balancing act but I reckon they have it about right.

Ghillie Dhu splits into two parts. The downstairs bar is a cosy, rustic space with lots of rough-hewn timbers and chunky leather furniture. Around the back of the bar is a series of small booths with little windows that open onto the bar. When your glasses are empty, you simply flick the service switch and the staff will take fresh orders and pass them through. There are also a couple of snugs which are not dissimilar to those in the Crown Liquor Salon in Belfast. Ghillie Dhu's owners reckon they will be handy for groups of friends, music sessions and even book readings. The bar even loans out musical instruments if you fancy bashing out a jig or a sea shanty.

The food is decent pub grub. So the starters range from the soup of the day to buckets of West Coast mussels and clams, potted prawns and, of course, haggis with neeps and mash. As well as a range of sandwiches, salads and baked spuds, the main courses include a steak and cask ale pie, fish 'n' chips, mac 'n' cheese, burgers and a baked ham that comes with a clove and apple gravy.

It's open until a startling 3am seven days a week.

Thr gothic good looks of the Auditorium

Upstairs is the Auditorium which is really quite spectacular. The vaulted ceiling is dimly lit by massive chandeliers. Candleholders flicker on the walls and reflect off a series of brass panels which cover one wall. I've no idea where it came from but a huge pipe organ dominates one wall. As well as operating as a venue during the Fringe, the Auditorium will also be the setting for The Burly Ceilidh Club which kicks off every Friday night. On Thursdays, comedy acts will bring gags to the Ghillie while on Saturday nights the space will host Ghillie gigs.

Mothers’ Day

My mother is in the middle of a four day visit to my younger brother as I write this and, judging by the anguished text messages he is sending out, it is quite possible that one of them won't actually be breathing come Sunday. If Hallmark did a line of cards in which the poetry was powered by sarcasm, frustration and misunderstanding then I suspect that my family would not be the only loyal customers.

For those of you with a less fraught relationship with your mothers, time is fast running out and, if you want to spoil her, it's time to get booking.

I liked the Scissor Sisters style PR pitch from the Cafe Andaluz restaurants which implored dutiful sons and daughters to 'Take your Mama out' this Mothers' Day. It didn't mention getting her jacked up on cheap champagne but it did offer three tapas dishes and a dessert for £14.95 per person with a complimentary glass of sangria. The offer runs at the Cafe Andaluz in Edinburgh and the branches in Glasgow's city centre and West End.

Sticking with the Spanish theme, Igg's in Edinburg is running a Mothers' Day afternoon tea on Sunday. There will be cava on arrival followed by posh sarnies and enough cakes, pastries and chocolates to make all concerned feel guilty for weeks afterwards.

Liz was not amused when Chaz bought her a new apron for Mothers' Day. Don't make the same mistake.

Moving back to Glasgow, both Amarone and L'Ariosto are both runing set Mothers' Day menus at £19.95 which include a glass of prosecco. If you're unsure which would suit your Ma best then L'Ariosto does old school Italian charm while Amarone tends more towards contemporary Italian style.

Alternatively, the Di Maggio's group of restaurants are running a two course £12.95 menu with the emphasis on celebrating the day as a family.

So, get booking or face the naughty step.

Mad Hatter Tea Party

One sugar or two?

Restaurateurs are a resourceful bunch and they are seldom short of ideas for promoting their business. The Carlton George Hotel, whose Windows restaurant is a 5pm member, has launched a Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea to tie in with the release of Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland. The menu includes Queen of Hearts Jam Triangles, Crispy Chocolate Cheshire Cat Bites, White Rabbit Vanilla Cupcakes, Eat Me Shortcake Biscuit and Wonderland Fresh Fruit Jelly.

Available every afternoon from 2pm to 4pm, the Wonderland-themed tea runs until 30 April. The cost is £15.95 for an adult and £7.95 for children.

Obviously, the Carlton George is not the only establishment to apply a little lateral thinking to its marketing. Not content with hosting regular stand-up comedy nights, Charan Gill has been encouraging customers into his Slumdog Bar and Kitchen not only by offering World Cup curry and football boxes but also with the launch of his Paragon Club business networking events.

Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, French restaurateur and Chewing the fat contributor Jean Michel Gauffre is hosting two wine dinners. Catherine Roque of Domaine De Clovallon will be presenting the estate's finest wines at La Garrigue on Monday 15 March and at L'Artichaut on the 16th.

Cheese wheeze Mastermind

Following on from last week's blog about Phoebe Weller and her cheese masterclass, did anyone see The Sun on Friday? It appears that the Roving Fromagiere will be appearing on Mastermind with cheese as her specialist subject. You can see the piece here. Be warned, it contains so many cheese related puns that just reading it could add inches to your wasitline.

Monkey Mob at Blind Pig

Monkey Shoulder Whisky and poker are on the cards at the Blind Pig

Whisky cocktails are on the menu at 5pm member bar The Blind Pig on Thursday night. The Monkey Mob, courtesy of Monkey Shoulder Triple Malt Scotch Whisky, will be running the show at the speakeasy drinking hole on Glasgow's Byres Road.

Whisky cocktails from the Prohibition Era are the name of the game along with poker tables, safe-cracking masterclasses and hot jazz on the gramophone. As well as promoting Whisky Shoulder, the idea is to celebrate the creativity of the Prohibition barmen. The period cocktails on offer will include the Monkey Manhattan, the Monkey Flip, the Ginger Monkey and the Smokey Monkey.

In the coming months, there will be further Monkey Shoulder nights themed around the evolution of whisky cocktails. The next stop is the Fifties and then, presumably after a spot crystal ball gazing, the future.
Entry is free and if you pre-register at www.monkeyshoulder.com, you get two complimentary cocktails on the night.

It sounds rather suave compared to some of the drinks promo nights that your correspondent has been to. Almost twenty years on, I still remember, vaguely, a tequila promo event at a student union. In order to win a T-shirt, drinkers had to knock back a shot of tequila, put the empty glass on the end of broom handle and then lift the broom above your head. You then had to spin around twenty times while looking up at the glass. If you hadn't fallen over by this point then the final challenge was to down another shot of tequila.

I imagine that health and safety regulations would frown on that sort of thing these days. By comparison, the Monkey Mob's night at the Blind Pig sounds like the last word in adult sophistication.

New openings in Edinburgh

This artist's impression of the Ghillie Dhu shows a spectacular interior

Edinburgh's bar scene is buzzing at the moment with a fistful of new places either just opened or on the cusp of serving their first customers.

The one most likely to make the biggest splash is the Ghillie Dhu. A new Scottish themed bar and entertainment venue from the G1 Group, it opens next week on Rutland Place. It is already a 5pm member and promises a menu of decent bar food with a strong Scottish identity. I'll be poking my nose around the door shortly and then I'll report back then with more details.

Perhaps the most intrguing new opening on the horizon is the Radical Road which is coming together out in the 'burbs of Willowbrae. It aims to be a 150 cover contemporary pub dining room with a separate real ale pub. The plan is for it to open this month. More here soon.

To these, we can add Koko which has taken over the former Native State site on Potterrow and Malone's Irish bar which is finding its feet in the old Fat Cow premises on Forrest Road.

We can also look forward to Below Stairs. Scheduled to open next weekend, it's the nightclub wing of the stylish 5pm member Hawke and Hunter. As a nightclub, it's a little out of this blog's remit but I was tickled to hear that they will be serving their cocktails in hip flasks and teapots. Apparently, they will also offer shisha pipes in their Secret Garden.

Eat like an Oscar winner

Will the makers of Avatar be chowing down on mini Kobe burgers on sunday night?

Thanks to the Daily Beast site which has ferreted out the official menu for Sunday's Oscars after-party. I always thought that film stars ate nothing for fear of looking porky on screen but if this menu is anything to go by then they can scoff like troopers.

Chef Wolfgang Puck along with Chef Partner Matt Bencivenga and Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard, great name by the way, have devised the following:

Tempura Shrimp and Lobster
Mini Kobe Burgers with Aged Cheddar and Remoulade
Wasabi Pea-Crusted Crab Cake with Mango and Thai Basil
Smoked Salmon Pizza with Caviar and Dill Creme
Black Truffle & Ricotta Cheese Pizza
Vegetable Spring Rolls with Sweet & Spicy Dipping Sauce
Chicken Pot Stickers with Ginger Black Vinegar Dipping Sauce
House Smoked Salmon, Potato Galette, Crème Fraiche and Baby Greens with Butler-Passed Warm Brioche
Chicken Pot Pie with Yukon Gold Potatoes, Baby Heirloom Vegetables and Homemade Pastry Crust
“L’Etoile de Oscar”
Baked Alaska with Espresso Glace, Guittard L’Etoile du Nord Chocolate Sorbet and Toasted Meringue

I'm a bit confused as to what butler-passed warm brioche is but otherwise it all looks super yum. Naturally, drooling over the menu is about as close as us mere mortals will ever get to the Osacrs after-party but I did like The Beast's suggestion for an Oscars meal that you can cook at home. It starts here.