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Glasgow Times
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
I ate at Glasgow's University Cafe 10 years after TV fame
A kitsch callback to a simpler time, it's leading them indoors where stainless steel buckets filled with sweet ice cream lie in subzero temperatures beneath the counter. Kudos to them for finding the perfect antidote to the balmy Spring weather, but I'm here in search of a dish that will stretch the limits of my appetite far further than a scoop of stracciatella. 'I'm pretty sure god is against this,' late chef and beloved TV personality Anthony Bourdain said of his dinner eaten in this spot for a Scotland-focused episode of Parts Unknown, which first aired on May 10, 10 years ago. READ NEXT: Is Ho Lee Fook the best street food in Glasgow? READ NEXT: The inside story of Glickman's - Glasgow's oldest sweet shop (Image: Newsquest) He delivered this one of signature, razor-sharp one-liners while reaching for another chip, swimming in curry sauce and topped with a blanket of melted cheese so thick that you could almost feel the weight of it through your screen as it cooled and congealed. Of course, this was just a side order to his main event of deep-fried haggis (served here in 'tube form') and a portion of crispy battered haddock. A decade later, looking for a way to acknowledge the milestone, I've decided to risk a spike in cholesterol levels for the chance to experience the same meal which the Kitchen Confidential star ultimately hailed as 'one of life's great pleasures'. Outside of a star feature in Bourdain's celebrated CNN travel series, The University Café is an institution in its own right. Run by the Verrechia family, there's over 100 years' worth of history packed into these walls, and the interiors remain delightfully unchanged as one of the West End's busiest streets morphs and evolves around them. Pictured: Chips, cheese and curry sauce is just the beginning (Image: Newsquest) I sit towards the back of the space, where I'm caught off guard by leather seats which fold down just the same as those you'd find at a theatre. It's snug, but the perfect spot to survey the comings and goings of the café. Aside from swarms of students buzzing in and out with queries about today's ice cream flavours, there's only one other solo diner occupying the sit-in dining area. I eye his can of Irn Bru from across the room and wonder if he too has chosen the Bourdain Special, a repeat of the chef's Frankenstein order which has become a permanent fixture on their menu due to its popularity with fans. With my back to the wall shared with the kitchen, I can hear, but not see, my own single serving of the special being prepared. Crackle. Pop. Bubble. It all comes to a crescendo fuelled by blistering hot oil as each component of this gut-busting feast is plunged into a fryer. Having already dropped off the fizzy drink included in the Bourdain Special, the waitress almost catches me in the act of self-filming a video for our social channels when returning with the rest of the order. Pictured: The Bourdain Special at the University Cafe (Image: Newsquest) Thankfully, there's little time to agonise over whether the main man himself would have dubbed this blatant quest for content creation lame, because there's food here to be eaten. And a lot of it. The curry sauce goes first, poured at a height from a small white milk jug with a chip in its lip and falling in an uneven, gloopy stream. Foodie Room 101 though it may be to some, I find curry sauce to be the ultimate companion to any meal that feels just a little bit 'dirty'. There's a perverse pleasure in ordering this yellow-tinged condiment from a Chinese takeaway or chippy, knowing that that these sweet and spicy flavours don't quite belong but doing it anyway. I know this slathering of the good stuff will turn the batter of that freshly fried haddock into an instant mush, but I don't care, and continue to pour until the last drop. Of all of the items that complete Bourdain's god-offending order, I'll find that the haggis is the best. Whichever brand they use is of a high enough quality that there's decent texture even after being exposed to intense heat, and the richness of meat described in the TV segment as 'sinister sheep parts' shines through any greasiness. Take this from someone who compared six variations of our national dish, including one packed into a can, in honour of Burn's Night earlier this year. Is the haddock as good as the stuff they serve at say, the Fish Works in Largs, or the Anstruther Fish Bar? The short answer is no. But I'm not here for any kind of upmarket experience. It's salty, oily and the white flesh flakes just as well when released from a cocoon of heavy batter. A colleague later describes the meal as looking appetising in an 'after four pints' kind of way, and I understand his point. This is the type of food that can only be fully enjoyed when any notion of calorie counting or refined dining left at the door. Something that we should all surrender to now and again, whether sober or far from it. When I arise from the table, leaving the red leather seat to snap back it its original position behind me, I overhear a couple who have plonked themselves down with an impressive collection of backpacks asking the waiter about the Bourdain Special in unfamiliar accents, a reminder that his fans can be found all across the wide world he once travelled. 'It's funny, a lot of them seem to have sold today,' I'm told when approaching the counter to pay my bill. Before I have the chance to decide if I should reveal my journalistic motives for visiting, the long-serving member of the team offers up an anecdote from Bourdain's visit without any prompt. 'I had the place spotless,' she says, 'and then a child sat at the booth next to where they were filming and smeared their hands right across the glass.' I'm here to write about that very day, I tell her, in the hopes that she'll share more of what it was like to host a man whose work I found myself engrossed in as soon as I started to develop an interest in food and world cuisine. In all of the fun of the afternoon, her response is a sincere yet sobering reminder of the issues which plagued the chef when the cameras stopped rolling and would later develop into something much darker. He wasn't rude by any means, she stresses, but when she approached him to make conversation, the chef seemed somewhat disconnected and closed off. 'You can tell with some people, when something's not quite right.' (Image: Newsquest) Rewatching the Parts Unknown episode in the years following Bourdain's death in 2018 has a bittersweet effect. There's a sense of pride in the moment's when he highlights the city's true spirit rather than leaning into the stereotype of a gritty place plagued by violence and crime. But we now return to those soundbites, knowing that he will never walk its streets again. "A happy place from my past where once I frolicked young and carefree in the field of friolated arts. The University Cafe, where I learned at the foot of the masters the doa of hot fat and crispy batter." 10 years since we first tagged along with him for the ride, his name permanently printed on the menus at a place he returned to time and time again serves as a reminder of the seismic impact this troubled, yet brilliant chef and reluctant celebrity figure has left behind.
Glasgow Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Is Ho Lee Fook the best street food in Glasgow?
There, over a counter filled with a rainbow of raspberry bonbons, soor plums, and cola bottles divvied up into cellophane pouches, the team had a lot to say about the changes they've witnessed over the past few years. "Glasgow's food scene is just incredible," enthused Julie from the dynamic mother-daughter duo at Glickkman's on London Road. "I mean, look at that street food place around the corner. "They're smaller than we are, and when they got the roof put on, we thought it might just be an extra storage unit for the pub next door. "Next thing we knew, they were serving Chinese food from a hatch, and there were queues right down the street. They've done so well." Pictured: Ho Lee Fook in Glasgow's East End (Image: Newsquest) If you've not already guessed which pintsized powerhouse of 'streetfood from the east served with love on the streets of Glasgow' they were talking about, let me introduce you to Ho Lee Fook with this week's lunch review. Husband-and-wife team Lee and Johnny Chung spent much of their teenage years behind the counters of their parents' takeaway restaurants, learning the trade inside out and surrounded by traditional Asian cooking. "Our friends might have been eating sandwiches, but we were eating dim sum, noodles and dishes that felt like home to us," they explain on their webpage. Fast forward a few years, which included time spent travelling Southeast Asia as well as running an award-winning chippy named Off the Hook in Airdrie, and the pair eventually took the plunge and opened up Ho Lee Fook in the shadow of the world famous Barrowland Ballroom in the summer of 2023. Phew. What a backstory that is. Spurred on by my chat at Glickman's and some internet research, I feel silly for not having visited this place before. Though I have on occasion come close. There have been lazy Saturday afternoons at The Barras where that constant queue simply seemed too much to tackle, or last month, where a proper attempt to review was a total failure. Stopping by just half an hour before closing time, I was regretfully informed that both the pork and chicken tonkatsu sandwiches had sold out for the day. A hard learned lesson on just how popular Ho Lee Fook's food is, even on a weekday. READ NEXT: The story behind the Barras new street food spot Ho Lee Fook So this time I'm here bright and early, walking towards McFarlane Street full of hope that this will finally be my chance to sink my teeth into the full menu. There's an interesting mix of people taking up a scattering of outdoor seating on this small corner of The Barras, like the family of four with a pram by their table, two girls at a narrow counter, and a solo diner who seems to be chatting to the owners about their time at Off the Hook between mouthfuls of handstretched noodles. Any dishes which can pull in this eclectic demographic on a sunny day must be good. Though the menu is an impressive length for the size of the unit, my heart is set on the Pork Tonkatsu sandwich which, judging by social media, has been the star performer since Ho Lee Fook first opened. I add on a portion of Biang Biang noodles too, influenced by fellow customers who are fervently plunging wooden chopsticks into bowls to capture thick ribbons of starch, a coating of slick chilli oil catching the sun with each repeat motion. Service is calm, collected and friendly, and there's a sense that this would be the case even on their busiest of days. Stress and disorganisation are luxuries afforded only to kitchens much bigger than this, and more likely to plague chefs without the years of experience shared between Lee and Johnny. Pictured: Biang Biang noodles and a Tonkatsu Sando (Image: Newsquest) Just five minutes later, I clutch two rounded containers full of my first ever Ho Lee Fook in my hands, a promising glow of heat radiating through recyclable material. If we were to try and pinpoint what makes a perfect street food dish, on looks alone the Tonaktsu Sando would be right up there. A thick, panko crumb-coated wedge of meat dominates the shallow bowl, flavourful juices dribbling from where this unbelievably tender meat has been sliced through the middle. Brined, braised and breaded, this generous serving of pork belly is described on the menu as a 'three-day labour of love', and not a second of that time has been wasted. The varying textures of firm, salty meat and soft white fat all the better for being contained between two slices of pillowy white sandwich bread to soak up any excess grease. I now understand exactly why these sell out fast. I can only imagine this would be a near-transcendental experience after a couple of pints at the bar over the road. Though the Taiwanese hand-cut noodles have a lot to live up to after that, they too benefit greatly from the fact that you rarely find street food like this in the city. At £8.50, it's an explosion of fresh flavours and slurpy, spicy goodness, heavy on Lee's signature garlic chilli oil. Crunchy carrot, mixed cabbage, cucumber and a liberal sprinkling of fresh coriander, chilli and crispy onion make this a hearty dish on its own, but next time I'd be tempted to accept the offer of additional chicken or egg to really make a meal of this comforting carb load. Just as the ladies at Glickman's had mused the week before, Ho Lee Fook is one of the many fabulous places in Glasgow which catches you by surprise. A tiny street food spot, at The Barras, serving dishes full of Asian flavours: it's almost as if the concept has been constructed during a game of Ad Libs. And yet, it is utterly brilliant. "This corner of the city is a true melting pot, filled with people from all walks of life, and we love the energy, warmth, and diversity of our neighbourhood," Lee and Johnny go on to state on their website." "Every day, we're excited to share our passion, meet new faces, and hopefully bring a bit of joy through our food." The couple should be in no doubt that they've achieved that goal. Price: £8.50 for the Biang Biang 'noodz' and £10.50 for the show-stopping Tonkatsu Sando Time: Five minutes Score: 4.5/5. Without a doubt, some of the best street food you'll find in Glasgow. Ho Lee Fook is located at 1 McFarlane Street in Glasgow.
South China Morning Post
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
7 of Hong Kong's top chefs share tips on their Lunar New Year favourites
Published: 1:05pm, 30 Jan 2025 Lunar New Year is here and it's the season for joyful gatherings with friends and family, sharing blessings with red packets and the most important part – indulging in delicious festive treats. There's even a saying: eat well during the New Year , and prosperity will follow! Many families love making their own traditional New Year delicacies, and so do the pros. That's why we've asked top chefs from some of Hong Kong's best restaurants for their auspicious dishes and snacks of the season, insider tips and treasured recipes. From traditional must-haves to modern takes on classic flavours, these festive gastronomic offerings are not only delicious but also filled with symbolic significance, and sure to inspire your Chinese New Year feast. 1. ArChan Chan, executive chef, Ho Lee Fook Chef ArChan Chan, executive chef of Ho Lee Fook. Photo: Handout Our family has a tradition of eating vegetarian on the first day of Chinese New Year inspired by my parents' Buddhist beliefs. One of our favourite dishes to make is black moss seaweed with braised dried oyster. The dish carries a symbolic meaning of bringing wealth and fortune as black moss seaweed, known as fa cai in Cantonese, sounds like the word for 'fortune'. The dish features a few traditional Chinese ingredients, including black moss seaweed, braised dry oyster, bean curd skin and red fermented bean curd. Although it's a vegetarian dish, it offers a very rich umami flavour and delightful crunch from the black moss seaweed. It goes perfectly with rice and it's incredibly comforting and warming to enjoy during winter. As for the tips to make it right, use the freshest ingredients and cook it with love. It might sound a little cheesy to say, but I truly cherish the time spent cooking for my family and being with them since returning to Hong Kong from Singapore. Sharing meals and laughter together during festivities has made me realise how precious these moments are, and it's something I'll always hold close to my heart. 2. Chan Hon-cheong, executive Chinese chef, One Harbour Road Chan Hon-cheong, executive Chinese chef of One Harbour Road at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
