New pub “The Iron Duke” set to open in Glasgow’s Royal...
09 Sep 2024
09 Sep 2024
The first thing you need to know is that I’m a true Asian-food lover. I’ve arrived in Glasgow a few weeks ago and I’ve already tried many different Asian restaurants in town. I’m always very curious to discover new ones so I've decided to head to Lychee Oriental. Down a back alley in the city centre, Lychee Oriental is a Chinese restaurant that serves all kinds of authentic food. It has received many awards during the past few years and it's said to be one of Glasgow’s most iconic spots. So here was my experience:
When we arrived at Lychee Oriental, we were surprised to see the restaurant was pretty packed at only 6:30pm on a Tuesday night. That’s usually a good sign. The welcoming waitress took us to our table, we were happy to be seated on a corner table on a comfortable banquette seat.
The Venue
The venue has been recently refurbished and you can totally notice it. It’s very modern, intimate and cosy. It felt like a cool and trendy place. It’s great for any occasion, date night, family dinner or business lunch. We were instantly served with fresh water and Thai spicy crackers. The waitress brought us the set menu which consists in one starter and one main for $15.95. As soon as we were ready, the waitress took our order and a few minutes later came our starters…
The Starters
I ordered the spare ribs in Peking sauce. I love ribs and I usually eat them on a barbecue sauce so I was happy to try something new. The sauce was delicious, sticky and sweet, pretty similar to the barbecue one but you could definitely sense the Asian touch. My friend had the crispy prawns wontons with sweet chilli dip that was also very tasty although not the best option if you’re on a date – very garlicky.
The Mains
We barely waited two/three minutes before our main dishes arrived. I went for the Hong Kong sweet and sour chicken with a side of noodles. The chicken was crispy and tasty, the sauce met my expectations, and the noodles were fresh and hot. I was very satisfied, although If you love sauce, I would advise ordering rice instead to soak it all up. My friend ordered the Thai chilli king prawns (she does love prawns) with a side of rice. Extremely tasty, spicy but not too much, simply yummy. Both portions were pretty big and we could have stopped our dinner here, but we were too curious to try one of their mouthwatering desserts. And I’m happy we did!
The Desserts
I ordered the passion fruit sorbet which is perfect when you just want a light sweet taste to end your meal. It comes with two lychees (which I’m obsessed about) and a raspberry coulis, simply irresistible! (literally, you can see on the photo I couldn’t resist to have a bite before taking the picture). My friend had the cheesecake, and I was jealous. It was creamy, smooth, topped with red fruits and a delicious coulis, a slice of heaven. Lucky for me, she was too full and couldn’t have more bite so I got to eat her whole desert.
In conclusion, I truly had a great experience at Lychee Oriental. The food was tasty and arrived very fast, the staff was welcoming, and the atmosphere very pleasant. I left this place completely full but still wanting to try more. I would totally recommend any Asian-food lover to try this place, you certainly won’t be disappointed.
