old father foodie Malmaison’s Chez Mal introduces new summer menu
Summer is here with the introduction of the new Summer Menu at Malmaison and we were invited along to preview the new dishes.
Start off with a drink in the bar…
We made sure to sample two of the new cocktails. Below, we have a Tang Dynasty (£9), with Kwai Feh lychee liqueur, Chambord, lime juice, orange juice, blueberries and raspberries.
We also got to try the Italicus Spritz (£12), a mix of Italicus, prosecco and soda water. Italicus, in case you don’t know, is an Italian aperitif made from bergamot and botanicals so it’s lighter and more floral than the likes of Aperol. They also sell jugs of Aperol for £19.50!
Then we made our way through to the Chez Mal restaurant next door.
Main menu
Click each for bigger!
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Vegan menu
Gluten-Free (no gluten-containing ingredients) menu
Nibbles to begin!
A simple snack of Inspector Montalbano’s favourite snack, with a truffle mayo dip, to start us on our food feast.
Are you ready? Unbuckle that belt now, and get the peppermint tea brewing….
Starters
A very pleasant balance of smoked and unsmoked hock. Good veggies. Fresh flavoured, nicely cooked and balanced. A light broth, rich ham but not at all salty. A tasty summer take on a winter soup. Ideal for Scottish weather.
A lovely light tuna sashimi dish. The sesame seeds were full of so much flavour while the wasabi and chilli was surprisingly subtle. It actually reminded me very much of being back in Japan, ah, happy days! This can also be ordered as a main course.
Nice and light, the guacamole and a touch of chilli gives it a little kick. Gluten free, so no taco. Instead a crunchy little gem leaf. These would be great as finger food.
Who says salad is boring? Big chunks of chorizo and gorgonzola-style cheese from the southwest of England with avocado (of course!) and a tangy, creamy ranch dressing make this a more eventful option than your typical salad.
Main courses
Mediterranean-inspired rustic fare now, with North African spices flavouring the lamb sausages spiced with cumin and chilli. The beans provided a lovely base. This is a filling dish for a not so summery day.
A big portion as there were also crackers, a dip and a mound of rice on the side but this was perhaps the only disappointing dish of the evening as I’m a big fan of Thai curries and this was just a little too tame. If your curry of preference is a korma, or something not too spicy then this is fairly easy-going but if I’m in the mood next time I’m in Chez Mal I’ll be asking for extra chilli!
28-day aged and you can tell by the flavour. The thing about cote de boeuf is the fat. You need just the right amount, cooked medium so that it melts just right and imparts a buttery sweet flavour to the beef. At 450g this was a generous portion. I struggled, but I never considered giving up!
A generous portion of tender, delicious chicken with a melting slice of Reblochon.
Desserts
And the night still wasn’t over…
It’s huge. And better still it’s Valrona. Probably the best chocolate in the world! The chef says it’s gluten-free sponge. I believe him. But this is about the C word…chocolate mmm! Great, another genrous portion so one that’s perfect for sharing!
A little trifle now with layers of strawberry and Champagne. Light, fruity and ideal for when Wimbledon comes!
A lighter dessert of roast pineapple on a creamy coconut base. This was REALLY delicious and our favourite dessert of the evening but still light enough if you were a little indulgent earlier in the evening (like we were!).
A lovely light almond tart to end our mammoth meal and remind us of holidays to Italy and Portugal.
So there you have it, enough new dishes to keep you interested on a few trips to your local Chez Mal, Malmaison hotel restaurant.
Where
Malmaison Brasserie 278 West George Street, Glasgow
Opening Times
Lunch:
Wednesday to Saturday 12pm to 2.30pm
Sunday lunch:
Sunday only 12.30pm to 4pm
Dinner:
Monday to Thursday 5.30pm to 10pm
Friday to Saturday 5pm to 10pm
Sunday 6pm to 10pm
Contact
Telephone: 0141 572 1001
Email: Brasserie.glasgow@malmaison.com
Website: www.malmaison.com
Disclamier: we were kindly invited in to try each of the dishes above and what a hardship it was! Fred says that despite not bringing home a doggy catty bag of steak he still trusts our words above.
