Mother India at Westminster Terrace, which has been established in the city since 1996 and specialises in spiced Scottish fish and shellfish, took the top prize at the inaugural Glasgow Restaurant Awards in a glittering ceremony hosted by singer Michelle McManus at the Citizens’ Theatre.
Best-selling dishes such as ginger and green chilli fish pakora, seasoned Scottish haddock with Puy lentils, and Delhi-style Scottish lamb, all cooked fresh to order, reflect Mother India owner Monir Mohammed’s commitment to bringing quality Indian food to Glasgow without pandering to the British taste for inauthentic korma or masala.
The strategy has been hugely popular, allowing expansion to five outlets, including tapas, takeaways and a Mother India Cafe in Edinburgh. Mother India is regularly ranked in Herald restaurant critic Ron MacKenna’s top 10 Scottish restaurants.
Cafe Gandolfi in the Merchant City, which first introduced European cafe culture to the city with cappuccino and croissants, and last year celebrated its 30th birthday, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery received the Posh Nosh award.
In a mark of the Glasgow Restaurant Association’s renewed commitment to promoting the city’s burgeoning dining-out scene, last night’s ceremony was the first of its kind since 2005.
The Glasgow Restaurant Association, which changed its name earlier this year from the Glasgow Restaurateurs’ Association, is a not-for-profit organisation that has over 70 members.
The 2010 Awards included 16 categories, which attracted almost 18,000 votes from the public through 5pm.co.uk, the online booking site which managed the voting process.
The judging panel included Steven Doherty of Braehead Cook School; Graham Gibson, general manager of the Radisson hotel; Liz Buchanan of VisitScotland; Hilary Harris of the En Croute catering company; Ronnie Somerville of 5pm.co.uk; Fraser Alexander of Alexander Wines; and David Reid of estate agents Knight Frank.
“The restaurant awards highlight the very best of the industry in Glasgow,” said Scott Taylor, chief executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
“The city’s vibrant restaurant scene is a major draw for visitors and provides much-valued employment opportunities for its citizens. We’re spoiled for choice, quality and variety.”
Ryan James, chef-patron of the Two Fat Ladies group, who took over the chair of the Glasgow Restaurant Association earlier this year, said: “Mother India is a completely unique concept, where fresh new flavours simply dance on the plate. Chef-patron Monir Mohammed and his team are exemplary in their use of good Scottish produce in such new and exciting ways that they can compete at the very top level.”
Yet Glasgow has been without a Michelin-starred restaurant since 2001, when Andrew Fairlie left One Devonshire Gardens in the city’s west end to open at the Gleneagles Hotel.
Asked whether he hoped the GRA awards would eventually lead to Glasgow once again getting a star, Mr James replied: “A Michelin-starred restaurant is all about the chef, it’s not about you, and I’m not sure Glaswegians want that.
“The whole focus of the GRA awards is to get Glasgow’s message out there.
“This is about Glasgow celebrating her own successes -- and if that leads to Michelin stars for the city, so be it.”
The winners
Posh Nosh: Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery
Smart But Casual: Number 16
Casual: Cafe Gandolfi
Maw, Paw and the Weans: Di Maggio’s City Centre
Best Non-European: Mother India
Best Newcomer: The Butcher Shop Bar & Grill
Best In-House Marketing Initiative: Hotel du Vin
Best Kitchen Porter: Ali Karim of Alla Turca
The Extra Mile: Mike Donald and the team at Biadh
Best Design Re-fit: The Corinthian Club
Lifetime Achievement: Cafe Gandolfi
5pm Users: Cafe Andaluz West End
Best Supplier: The Fish People
Entrepreneurial Spirit: Mario Gizzi
Overall Best Restaurant of the Year: Mother India
Best Critic: Tam Cowan
