Ka Pao Glasgow — Restaurant in Great Britain

Glasgow. Not a place you'd typically associate with an honest to goodness, south-east Asian eatery. But there it was, Kao Pao, standing tall and proud amid the characteristic drizzle of the Scottish summer. Inside, the decor was distinctly oriental, albeit peppered with an engaging postmodern flair.

Entering in cellar property at Kao Pao, you're first greeted by the open kitchen, a hub of sizzling sounds and whirl of motion - chefs stirring, chopping, and tossing ingredients with panache, like an orchestra in full flow. The dining area, a seamless blend of rustic charm and urban chic, tells you that this isn't your typical Chinese joint - this is something different.

The menu is a poetic piece of gastronomic scripture - the dish names just exotic enough to tantalise and terrify in equal measure. Yet, the friendly staff deftly guide you through the culinary minefield, transforming what could be a gastronomic Waterloo into an overture of flavour. This flings me back to proper South-East Asian flavours, but with a Gaggan Anand twist.

What can I say about the Fried Caramel Chicken? Imagine being a guitar, and each bite is like Jimmy Page plucking your strings, playing 'Stairway to Heaven'. It was transcendent, a perfect fusion of sweet and savoury, each bite a revelation, demanding attention and contemplation. The fish sauce gave the dish a flair of authenticity!

Then there were the oyster mushrooms. In a dish where you'd normally expect them to be the backing singers, here they stepped into the spotlight and performed a show-stopping solo. These were no ordinary funghi but rich, earthy titans that burst with flavour and crispy textures. The humble mushroom was reimagined, and I was left questioning everything I thought I knew about this underestimated fungi.

The desserts... well, let's just say they didn't quite hit the same high notes. The ice cream was fresh but lacked a certain joie de vivre. Like a moped in a motorcycle rally, they couldn't keep up with the rest.

Drinks were a solid performance with cocktails being so vibrant and refreshing that they should come with their own summer soundtrack. The wine list, too, did not disappoint, offering a medley of options for even the most discerning of oenophiles.

Service was spot on. Our waiter moved around the floor like a ballerina, graceful and efficient, appearing at just the right moment, only to vanish when privacy was called for.

In the end, Kao Pao was a surprise, the Fried Caramel Chicken alone is worth the trip. And the oyster mushrooms? Well, they were a plot twist in a meal that was already a...

My partner and I visited Ka Pao on Christmas Eve. We had a reservation booked. There were a couple of large parties, but overall it was not a full house.

We were sat in the middle of the dining hall, which is an awkward seat. It was also unnecessary because there were several booths that were open right behind us and that remained so the entire duration of our meal. When we were sat, our candle was unlit, which surprisingly made a big difference in the overall dimly lit dining hall. No-one bothered to turn it on for us or swap it out. When my partner asked a passing waitress, it seemed as though we were bothering her. This is how the rest of the service felt.

We placed our order, and were not warned of anything on the menu. Seeing as the menu is very descriptive of "most" things, e.g. the bottom is an entire allergen list, we just ordered whatever sounded good to us. That was a mistake. Every dish we started with was incredibly spicy (specifically the tomato aubergine dip and the crispy pork belly). How do you dedicate the time to list if things have sulphites and mustard BUT not spice? It makes absolutely no sense and almost ruined our entire dinner. This wasn't a light spice - it was all you could taste. Thankfully, the corn ribs and fried chicken contained little to no spice and by then we had ordered some additional rice (although it took nearly half hour to come out).

Drinks were subpar, and when I asked the waitress if they could make a house/classic margarita, she denied saying the bar only makes the drinks on the menu - that's weird seeing as there was an orange margarita and all you need to do to make a house margarita is ... withhold the orange. This isn't the case at Ox+Finch, and so it was even more surprising.

Standouts: corn ribs, fried chicken and the crispy pork belly (minus whatever dressing tastes like you're just eating straight chillies), almond and cardamom sponge dessert.

Fails: aubergine dip, stir-fried cod cheeks, and the mango calamansi soft serve (tart, yes, but also extremely...

I was really looking forward to visiting Ka Pao since I had a great experience a few years ago and was hoping for the same or even better this time. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Positives: The team was very attentive to food allergies, which was much appreciated. We received a warm welcome from both the reception staff and our waiter, who greeted us, explained the menu, and recommended a few options. A special mention to the food runners as well—they ensured that every dish they delivered was free of the allergen we had previously mentioned.

Yellow curry hake -  Absolutely delicious! The hake was cooked beautifully.

Crispy duck leg - Neither crispy nor soft. The receipt described it as "confit duck," but while some parts were soft and flavorful, other parts were overcooked and dry.

Fried chicken: Overcooked. The batter was too crispy, and the chicken itself was quite tough, tasted like it was in the oil for too long.

Milk buns - Disappointing. The top was too hard, whereas we expected them to be soft given they were milk buns.

Service: After the first few dishes arrived, it felt like we were a forgotten table. The waiter didn’t check on us for quite a while, and although 3 out of 4 dishes (except the curry) had been served, the milk buns and rice were still missing. When the waiter finally came over, we asked about the sides, and they mentioned they are usually served later. This was confusing, as a significant portion of our food had already arrived.

Once we finished our meal, it took quite a long time for the table to be cleared. I was looking forward to trying their soft serve, but the long wait and being forgotten really put us off, and we ultimately decided to ask for the bill instead.

All my friends rate this place highly, and I have in the past as well. I hope this was just a...