by Amy Glasgow @theglasgowdiet
Although it has been a fixture of Dumbarton Road for some time now, 88, previously home to Two Fat Ladies, has recently brought something new and exciting to the table: a sharing tasting menu for just £25 per person.
It’s only available on a Monday, but when the weather is drab and you really don’t want to cook, heading along to this cosy little spot can really improve your start to the week. It certainly did mine.
The best part is, the dishes on the tasting menu change regularly, reflecting 88’s ethos of cooking seasonal, local and sustainable food. So, even though I’ve technically already tried the tasting menu, I could go back in a few weeks time and be met with a set of completely new dishes.
The tasting menu consists of 9 sharing plates served over five courses, for £25 per person. If you like, you can add matching drinks for a further £25, so you can enjoy 5 courses and 5 drinks for £50. That’s pretty decent value in my book.
Now, some of the dishes I’m about to share with you are no longer on the menu, as I mentioned above, but it gives you a real sense of the kind of food to expect from this stellar establishment. My absolute standout plate of the menu was the fillet of hake, with salsify, surf clams and cafe de paris butter. It packed so much flavour alongside fish that was perfectly cooked – and it’s nice to see lesser-used, seasonal vegetables like salsify getting a mention.
Also a big hit was their tagliatelle with truffle pecorino. The pasta is handmade in the kitchen each day and can often be seen hanging to dry in the restaurant window – so you know it’s fresh. Cooked slightly al dente, as it should be, to retain the perfect bite and scattered with plenty of aromatic truffle pecorino, this is the kind of plate you won’t want to share.
The chocolate cremeaux, which is often featured on their menus, just paired with different elements, is a must-try. It is velvety smooth and perfect in its simplicity. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, there is a full vegetarian tasting menu as well, and dishes can be easily adapted to suit a vegan diet if you give the chefs a heads up.
I can’t wait to go back and improve another dreary Monday.
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