Why Embargo is our new favourite Asian restaurant in Glasgow

The Asian street food restaurant and cocktail bar is located toward the Partick end of Byres Road. The buzz from Embargo spills out onto the pavement, where drinkers and diners can be spotted at tables under the canopy year-round. Indeed, the inside comes outside and the outside comes in at Embargo, with an abundance of artificial greenery hanging from the ceiling, accompanied by the friendly glow of industrial chic lighting and paper lanterns. This on-trend cosiness is aided by the genuine welcome provided by staff. Move onto the menu and you’ll discover a range of Japanese, Malaysian, Korean and Southeast Asian inspired scran, with plenty of options for veggies, vegans and meat-eaters alike.

Pick your plate

Choose from small plates, large plates (curries, ramen and burgers), bao buns, loaded fries, a range of sides and desserts. And like any good street food establishment, you can order as little or as much as you wish. That might be a cocktail and a generous helping of Thai style prawn crackers with sweet chilli dipping sauce. Or it could be a feast of courses like dill cured salmon with cucumber kimchi; corn and chilli fritters with lime and tamarind sauce; a bowl of Korean fried chicken ramen; a moving mountains burger with chilli BBQ sauce, togarashi spiced onion rings, lettuce and tomato; a side of wok-fried Brussel sprouts with lime and tamarind glaze, crispy shallots and pickled ginger; and some crispy pork burnt end fries with gochujang ketchup, cheddar cheese, crispy shallot, sesame crunch and sriracha mayo.

And what about the sweet stuff? Embargo has developed an Asian take on some of your favourite international puds, like the chocolate brownie with sesame and chilli buttercream, fried apple gyoza with ginger crumble and coconut ice cream, as well as the affogato Vietnamese style with condensed milk, espresso and vanilla ice cream.

Deals for lunching and brunching

Prices per plate range from £3 up to £13, so it’s pretty pocket-friendly. And if you want to save, a midweek lunch deal consisting of any rice bowl and a soft drink comes in at just a fiver. During the weekend, for five times that amount, you can get any brunch dish (such as a full Scottish, breakfast bao and a soft shell crab benedict) plus five drinks — house Bloody Mary anyone?

Students receive a hefty discount Sunday through to Wednesday, and if you fancy pairing your dinner plans with something a little more interactive, there’s a smartphone quiz, with a cash prize, held on Wednesdays. A DJ plays on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, which combined with late-night opening and a great West End location (Hillhead underground is a hop, skip and a jump away) make it a place to party. Stay and chat, eat, dance and drink till 12am at weekends and on weekday nights.

Spicy spirits

Of course, we couldn’t talk about Embargo without going into more than a little detail on the cocktails. They’re beautiful. And you won’t be surprised to hear that (as with the food menu) there’s plenty of heat and spice included in the recipes. You’ll find plenty of classics being shaken and stirred behind the bar too, such as the Pornstar Martini, The Zombie, Aperol Spritz and Singapore Sling. But Embargo’s Eastern influence is found in its Yuzu Negroni, a Mai Tai spiced with Tabasco and a Whisky Sour made with a Japanese malt.

Particularly notable is the Pear and Ginger Daiquiri (Havana Especial with citrus, pear and ginger), the Watermelon and Togarashi Margarita (Olmeca tequila with watermelon, citrus and Togarashi spiced salt), Endo Aki (Maker’s Mark, Aperol, Amaro, Montenegro, citrus and star anise). But it doesn’t have to be an Embargo cocktail that passes your lips; champers can be ordered by the bottle with wine and prosecco available by the bottle or per glass.

Looking good

Both cocktails and food dishes are served with attention to visual detail, so they look, as well as taste, great. Proving its aesthetic credentials even further, Embargo also has a small range of clothing and accessories that can be purchased. Plus there’s a really cool street art mural outside too.

If you can’t make it to Byres Road in person, the venue’s food is available for delivery and you can gift loved ones vouchers for a Bottomless Brunch or a set monetary value.