Photo of
March 7, 2014
[Las Iguanas lit up West Nile Street with their official launch party.][1]
Las Iguanas lit up West Nile Street with their official launch party.

The 5pm Dining blog was at the official launch of Las Iguanas on Glasgow’s West Nile Street last night.

And what a party it was.

In keeping with the restaurant’s Latin American flavour, there was muchos salsa, copious caipirinhas and bundles of Brahma Brazilian beer.

After sipping a caipirinha or two, your blogger was tempted to hit the dance floor and demonstrate the moves for Shakira’s hit These Hips Don’t Lie.

Fortunately for all concerned, we were distracted by another passing tray of burritos.

On a more serious note, we met the head chef Anshul Gurung who leads a team of fourteen in the kitchen.

Unlike many other chain restaurants, Las Iguanas don’t use a centralised kitchen which sends out pre-prepped ingredients to all the branches.

Dishes cooked to order

Instead, the chefs make all the dishes to order as well as whipping up the thirty or so different sauces and salsas which are used in the dishes.

After extensive sampling, we can heartily recommend the garlicky mushroom quesadillas; the honey and chilli chicken skewers and the chunky guac.

Empanada heaven

We also confess to a fondness for the smoky turkey empanadas they serve at Las Iguanas.

Obviously, empanadas are South America’s answer to the pie so it is not a complete surprise that this scribbler feels a certain affinity with them.

What we didn’t know before last night is that the front windows at Las Iguanas can be opened out onto the street.

Not ideal yesterday, when it was raining cats and dogs, but perfect for balmy summer evenings.

[Your 5pm blogger and some old bloke in a cardie.][4]
Your 5pm blogger and some old bloke in a cardie.