Yes the title was clickbait, no I did not eat curry while drinking coffee. But on this most miserable of Glasgow days the constant rain and gusty wind did make me crave warm, comforting fare.
It was Sunday again and with a day off and no plans, I didn’t let the weather interfere with making it a good food day. I set off for the west end with no real plan and after trudging around for 30 odd minutes in what felt like a ghost town, I knew I needed a coffee. So, looking like a drowned rat, I took refuge in one of my favourite coffee spots in the city, Hinba. They roast their own coffee and have a couple of Glasgow locations now. The vibe inside is always relaxed and friendly and they always take care to serve you a beautifully made coffee in one of their cool, handle-less mugs. I semi-dried off while savouring my oat flat white then bought a bag of their decaf coffee beans (for late afternoon coffees at home) before putting my hood up and going back out into the grey wetness.
Lunch time now and I’d decided while having my coffee what it was to be. As usual I had been influenced during the week while scrolling Instagram and because it was so close to where I already was it was the perfect option. Rickshaw and Co is a popular Indian nestled in a side street just within view from the bottom of Byres Road. Inside is bright and spacious with some cool and unique decor. Sometimes the issue with dining alone can be having to choose only one thing to try. But here this is no problem as Rickshaw’s lunchtime special tiffin option offers a taste of 3 dishes, bread, rice and sauces for a very reasonable price. I didn’t even ask my server what the 3 dishes were, I was ready for a surprise (and any hot food at this point after being soaked again in the 3 minute walk to the restaurant). What arrived was a 4-tiered stack of little metal dishes which were unveiled one by one. A tadka daal, lamb handi, fish pakora, and a rice/chapati combo. Now I was excited. The fish pakora was excellent, like really good. The lentil daal was lovely and well spiced and the lamb handi was the perfect contrast, rich and deep in flavour. The 3 sauces served with it were also great and meant every bite was different. The portions are much more generous than they look and it could easily feed 2 for a light lunch. At £13.50 this is amazing value. I scooped up every last bit of sauce and all that was left was a few spoonfuls of rice, staring out at the rain I was perfectly satisfied.
In the west end you’re never far away from a top class bakery, and the terrible thought of going home to spend the afternoon watching football without any good snack made my decision for me. There’s not many bakeries more well renowned and popular than the tiny Kaf located on Hyndland Street. Their newest addition was a Tiramisu Swirl and having saw it multiple times on Instagram in the last couple weeks it was living in my head rent free. I went in and there it was, the very last one. Fate, obviously. I took it home with great care and after an hour or so of trying to distract myself I got my decaf coffee on the go and plated up the pastry. It was all I hoped it to be. Textures were perfect, crisp, soft, chewy and moist all in one. With a sweet, coffee flavoured icing glaze running through it I tore it apart and dunked it in my drink to soak up more coffee flavour. What a life, I thought.
Yes, the weather was bleak, but once home and under a hot shower, you’re thankful you got out in it and experienced new things. Add Hinba to your go-to cafe list. If you fancy some Indian food, I would definitely throw Rickshaw and Co’s name into my recommendations for places to enjoy an authentic, flavourful meal. Kaf doesn’t need me to big it up, but they really do make great food, from savoury deli meals to sweet pastries, all of great quality. Get involved.
Tomorrow will consist of eating lots of fruit, vegetables and lean proteins, but it’ll all still be delicious.
