Swadish by Ajay Kumar — Restaurant in Scotland

Have wanted to try Swedish for a long time, finally went and was underwhelmed. Initial impressions.. lovely decor, lots of staff and nice atmosphere. Sat down and were asked if we wanted water for the table. Water arrived and then waited a while to be asked what alcoholic/soft drinks we wanted. Ordered two different glasses of white wine, different prices then waited an age again to be asked the food order. Lots of staff buzzing about the restaurant floor too. Ah the floor…the floor is highly polished wood, looks nice but the chair constantly pushing back from the table annoyingly so as the floor was so slippy. Starters arrived, lovely presentation, nice flavours, and best course of the meal. Two fish mains then came out with overcooked fish, mine with the same sauce as my partners starter. Partners monkfish very overcooked, dry and chewy. My own slightly less overcooked but still a bit dry/chewy. Ordered another 2 of the same wines and when placed on the table the waitress indicated what one was what but clear from colour/taste she got them the wrong way round…there was a £4.25 difference in price between them and it wasn’t an issue to swap after a taste of each. Again waited ages for dessert to come out which for £10 each was the most bland tasteless desserts I remember ever having in a restaurant. They looked fab but genuinely parts of one had no flavour at all, the textures weren’t great and the sorbet on one was the smallest amount I’ve seen on a plate..must have used the smallest teaspoon to do the quenelle. I don’t grudge £10 for a dessert at all but I want it to be worth it for flavours not just how it looks. Staff were very pleasant but a level of inattentiveness and misplaced tasking to create the look of the place rather than add to the customer service experience, vibe was nice but as a restaurant underwhelming and overrated. Much better Indian restaurants in the area for flavours, but if you want prettier presentation over substance at a higher price then maybe this is more your place. Also not prone to heartburn but left with it from food that wasn’t overly spiced nor large portioned. Shame wanted to love this place too. Pretty looking place and food, but had...

Poor quality food and way overpriced.

Absolutely horrible Indian food. I am Indian (born and raised in India) and I have lived in Chicago, San Diego, Cambridge and now Glasgow. This is one of the worst restaurants I have had food in. The food does not taste good at all and is way overpriced for what it is. I read an article in Glasgow times that this restaurant has won some award and was excited to check it out. We picked a special date and went there only to be terribly disappointed. The awards are a scam. The name of the restaurant is made to sound as if a famous chef is in the kitchen (Six by Nico type). This is a great marketing strategy but in reality it is just that. This creates a certain level of expectation but in reality the food is terrible.

The papaddom came with Tesco kind chutney, this was a red flag. Then the Naan was raw, the chicken was hard suggesting it was precooked and just heated up again,so not fresh. Two people racked up a bill of 120 pounds for a starter, two main course, and wine. We were happy to pay 120 pounds but not for such low quality food. Then I noticed there was not a single Indian person in there. Why? Because the food is terrible! I even told the waiter we are very unhappy with the food, and no one came out to say anything to us. So basically these guys are promoting themselves as a fine dine Indian restaurant when in reality some Indian take-outs in Glasgow are better than this. If you want Indian food at a reasonable price go to Rishi or Dhabba in City Center, you will see a lot of Indian customers inside suggesting the genuine quality of food. Try and compare these other restaurants with respect to the food only not just the decorations. The food may be of an average quality (still a lot better than Swadish) but you will not be ripped off. I am still waiting for a fine dine Indian...

As a home chef and passionate foodie, I've been following Chef Ajay on Facebook for quite some time. His cooking videos, along with the vibrant flavors and spices he uses and the techniques he demonstrates, made me fall in love with his food long before I had the chance to taste it.

When I found myself in town, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to experience his cuisine firsthand. I'm delighted to share that the flavors I had imagined from his videos matched the reality perfectly.

We tried the Punjabi lamb shank, which was incredibly succulent and paired with a rich, heavenly gravy. The paneer tikka was bursting with flavor, and the Kashmiri lamb chops were infused with mouthwatering spices. However, the gosht rasa arrived cold, which was a bit disappointing. The roe deer korma didn’t quite suit my Punjabi palate, though it may appeal to non-Indian diners.

I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Ajay in person, and despite his busy schedule, he graciously took the time to visit our table. His humility is truly admirable. I mentioned that he’s on the path to earning a Michelin star, but he humbly replied that he is still learning.

Overall, it was an unforgettable dining experience, and I look forward to seeing Chef Ajay...