Food: winter menu at Glasgow Malmaison Chez Mal

Winter Warming comforting food at Malmaison

Winter weather means hearty and comforting food and Chez Mal certainly seem to have this on their new winter menu. We joined a gaggle of Glasgow press who were lucky enough to try out ~~some~~ many of the dishes from the new Malmaison menu. Read on, or click here, for a look at some of these dishes.

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Food

Starters

Fried pickles (£4.50) to nibble on to begin our feast. Chunks of crisp vegetables with a vinegary tang coated in a tempura batter. We could have happily have nibbled on these all night.

Thai pumpkin and coconut soup (£5.50) next. Thick and creamy soup – it actually has rice and sour cream under the surface so it is very filling with a good kick, not too much that it blows your head off but enough for that warm tingle. Just what’s needed in this weather!

Sweet and sticky Korean tiger prawns (£11.50) with toasted sesame seeds, spring onion and a coriander salad. Thumbs up from both of us for this one. Large plump prawns, sweet and sticky indeed with the toasty sesame seeds adding a umami yum!

Main courses

Crab and sea scallop risotto (£18.50), carnaroli rice, white crab meat, crab bisque, samphire & pan seared scallops. A thick and creamy risotto. One to have if you are a seafood fan as the bisque is fishy and has lots of scallops. 😍

Lamb shank bhuna (£16.50). An impressive big hunk of meat on the bone served with pilaf rice, grilled Indian bread & yoghurt. Tender flaky lamb in a medium-hot sauce with pomegranate seeds.

We also sampled a version of the bhuna from the separate vegan menu, this time with Roast aubergine, winter squash and red pepper bhuna (£15). This was served alongside pilau rice and grilled Indian bread.

Pan-fried sea bass (£14.50) with winter ratatouille and chive butter sauce. Perfectly crisp skin and moist fish on top of a creamy lightly chive flavoured buttery sauce. Mrs Foodie would have preferred some mash instead of ratatouille (but that’s because she isn’t a huge fan of cooked carrot). Mr Foodie thought the veggies were cooked well and they and the fish went nicely with the buttery sauce.

Braised shin of beef & mushroom pie (£15), smoked mash & homemade gravy. Looking a bit like a large pork pie, this was a dense pie packed with beef and mushrooms and a good firm pastry too. Ideal with a glass of Rioja.
Valhrona dark chocolate mousse (£6.50), honeycomb, cocoa nib tuile & crème fraîche. A large indulgent portion of chocolate mousse topped with chunks of honeycomb and intense cocoa and a dollop of crème fraîche made this a desirable dessert.

Warm apple pie (£6.50) with Yorkshire rhubarb compote & custard. A ‘tart’ tart. Quite a ‘fluffy’ pastry texture, a bit like a frangipane. We enjoyed this a lot.

Mulled wine poached fruits & vanilla panna cotta (£6.50) with toasted almonds. A pudding ideal for Mrs Foodie. The pannacotta was clotted cream-like in texture. Smooth and luxurious, perfect not like a wobbly, tasteless jelly that we’ve had in other places. Wintery mulled fruits added a tang to the pannacotta.

Verdict

Like with previous Mal menu launches, the new dishes are impressive and filling. The menu covers a selection of tantalising choices to cater to all tastebuds, as there’s comfort food, seafood and French, Thai and Korean-inspired dishes. For vegan and gluten-intolerances there are separate menus and of course there is still steak, burgers and bar food. Good stuff. 😋