Trendy Glasgow restaurant eyes Edinburgh expansion
Combining Cantonese, Hunan and Sichuan influences, it has since served more than 34,000 portions of egg fried rice, poured more than 20,000 pints of Hong Ba lager, and shaken thousands of Lychee and Oolong Martinis, the venue's most popular cocktail.
Read More:
After 12 months of operation, the brand is looking to expand to Edinburgh.
Paul Sloan, co-founder of Hunky Dory Dining Group, said: 'A restaurant like Zhima belongs in major cities. Edinburgh is definitely on our radar, and we can see it happening in the not so distant future.
'What we've proven here is that the appetite exists for this kind of elevated, late-night Chinese dining. We set out to create something special, and when you see how hard it is to get a booking most nights, you know it's struck a chord. That's the kind of excitement we want to build on.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Is this the best Chinese food in Glasgow? I'm not so sure
Twenty minutes on the treadmill is surely a free pass for noodles and rice, right? I was a fan of this spot's previous incarnation as Salt & Chilli Oriental (also run by Lee), which had a relaxed street food feel and enormous portion sizes that would explain the pre-emptive exercise. The menu was short but sweet and no doubt driven by the city's enduring love affair with all things salt and chilli seasoning that sees restaurants and cafes sprinkle the stuff on everything from hash browns to 'haggis baws'. But Lychee is a different beast, vying to bring the cooler, more sophisticated vibes of its older sister restaurant, first established on Mitchell Street in 2015, to the Southside. While the interiors of the split-level venue on Kilmarnock Road have barely changed, the food offering is now hugely expanded, drawing inspiration from Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisines. On a Wednesday evening, the place is busy with a mix of families, larger groups and couples. We're shown upstairs, where a tight fit between tables is just on the right side of cosy rather than cramped, before ordering a couple of soft drinks. On another occasion, I'd have been drawn to the cocktail section of Singapore Slings or Lychee Cosmos, which sit at a reasonable £8.50 each. There's a selection of salt and chilli dishes available at Lychee, so we're going for a portion of the squid starter (£7.50) to see if they've still got it, as well as Yuk Sung, spicy minced pork and chicken served with little gem lettuce leaves (£8.50). Though we've not requested them, a small bowl of prawn crackers arrives to munch on as we wait. Some early bonus points there. But, oh dear, that squid is looking awful peely-wally against cubes of green pepper and fiery chilli as our server approaches with the starters. Pictured: Starters of Salt and Chilli squid and Yuk Sung (Image: Newsquest) Close up, it's not much better. Whatever has happened between the journey from the kitchen to our table, there's not a hint of crunch left in these chunky strips of battered seafood slick with oil. There's a good hit of salt and chilli from a surface dusting of dry seasoning, but otherwise the spicy, moreish flavour fails to carry through to the rest of the plate. The Yuk Sung is more appealing. Mixed mince is firm and meaty, holding up in a bowl of soupy sauce that's to be spooned onto boats of lettuce leaves and eaten by hand. With the addition of pickled red cabbage, it's fun and fresh, if nothing more. My confidence in Lychee has been shaken slightly by the time the half-finished plates are cleared, but there's a lot of hope reserved for the main dishes. Pictured: Main dishes selected from the Specialities section of the menu at Lychee Oriental (Image: Newsquest) Both selected from the 'Specialities' section of the menu, the chicken claypot (£14.50) and roast duck (£18.50) are served in identical ceramic dishes. They won't win any prizes for presentation, but with this kind of food, looks don't matter all that much. It's all about the big, punchy flavours that emerge as you get stuck in. After a few spoonfuls of each, I'm still searching. Slices of duck are served with oyster sauce and mushrooms, while the claypot chicken, which sounded like the most adventurous of options on the menu, shares its red beancurd base with cloud fungus and Chinese sausage. The latter is my favourite of the pair, the delicate mushroom caps of cloud fungus and slivers of sausage adding intrigue and layers of texture where bland chicken pieces fall short. But there's not an awful lot that differentiates the taste of these two seemingly contrasting dishes aside from a hint of sweet nuttiness from the redbean. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that in a blind taste test they would be all that distinguishable from the sauce in the Yuk Sung starter either. Eaten with side dishes of wok noodles (£4.50) and egg-fried rice (£4.00), this trio could be from any local takeaway I've tried over the years, rather than a sit-down spot that aims to serve 'the very best Chinese food in Glasgow'. I wonder if we would have had more luck choosing from the crowd pleasers, like Hong Kong sweet and sour or crispy lemon chicken while picking out the best bits of mangetout and tofu skin from the leftovers. Read more: We'll remain seated a while after admitting defeat, but with no offer of a dessert menu, decide to forgo any sweets this time round rather than catching a server's attention. They've been incredibly attentive all night, so this feels like a small oversight rather than a real inconvenience, and we're keen to give them the table back as the restaurant starts to fill up. A quick check on social media later indicates that banana fritters could be the star of their sweet selection, so if that's your thing, be sure to hang around for pudding. I'm not sure what prompted chef Jimmy Lee's decision to transform his Salt & Chilli restaurant into a second Lychee branch, but as we leave, I feel a small pang of sorrow for the demise of a failsafe favourite. I suppose you never really do appreciate what you have until it's gone. Menu: It's a tantalising selection of dishes ranging from crowd pleasers like crispy lemon chicken to more adventurous claypot dishes. Plenty to choose from. 4/5 Service: Aside from a slight hiccup with the lack of dessert menu at the end, the team here is amiable and attentive. 4/5 Atmosphere: The upstairs of the restaurant is cosy, but there's not much room as bigger tables start to arrive. We never quite settle in before feeling we should vacate our seats. 3/5 Price: Lack of wow factor means £18.50 for the roast duck feels steep, but overall prices here aren't bad. They also run a set menu and lunch deals if you're watching your budget. 3/5 Food: I fully expected a knockout meal from Lychee Oriental, but found nothing to rave about in any of our dishes. 5/10 Total: 19/30 Lychee Oriental is located at 67 Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow.
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Time Out
Two Hong Kong restaurants have ranked in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025
Calling all foodies: Two of our city's best restaurants have been named in the annual World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list! This year's rankings were announced during a live awards ceremony held in Turin, Italy on June 19, featuring restaurants from 22 countries across five continents, with 10 new dining venues debuting on the list. This year, two Hong Kong fine-dining stalwarts made the prestigious list, both placing higher than their 2024 rankings. Following its entry as number 24 on the 2024 list, modern Cantonese restaurant Wing landed at number 11 this year and took home the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality award. As for The Chairman, one of our city's top refined Cantonese dining venues, the restaurant climbed up seven spots and is now ranked at number 19. Going by the World's 50 Best list, Hong Kong has Asia's third-best restaurant, only outranked by Bangkok's Gaggan at number 6 and Tokyo's Sézanne at number 7. Looking at entries from the rest of the world, Maido in Peru jumped four places from 2024's rankings and clinched the top spot on the list, followed by Asador Etxebarri from Spain's Atxondo region at number two and Quintonil from Mexico City at number three. This year's special mentions include Bangkok's chef Pichaya 'Pam' Soontornyanakij taking home the Best Female Chef award and her restaurant, Potong, being recognised with the Highest New Entry award; London-based Ikoyi securing the Highest Climber award after moving up 27 spots from the 2024 list; Albert Adrià from Barcelona's Enigma presented with the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice award; as well as chef-restauranteur Massimo Bottura and partner Lara Gilmore being jointly awarded with the Woodford Reserve Icon Award. Other noteworthy special awards include Maxime Frédéric from Paris' Plénitude securing the World's Best Pastry Chef award; Cartagena's Celele taking home the Sustainable Restaurant Award for its environmentally friendly initiatives; Khufu in Cairo picking up the One To Watch award; and Mohamed Benabdalla from Spain's Asador Etxebarri honoured with the World's Best Sommelier award. Here's the complete list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025: Maido, Peru Asado Etxebarri, Atxondo Quintonil, Mexico City Diverxo, Madrid Alchemist, Copenhagen Gaggan, Bangkok Sézanne, Tokyo Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris Kjolle, Lima Don Julio, Buenos Aires Wing, Hong Kong Atomix, New York Potong, Bangkok Plénitude, Paris Iyoki, London Lido 84, Gardone Riviera Sorn, Bangkok Reale, Castel di Sangro The Chairman, Hong Kong Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico Narisawa, Tokyo Sühring, Bangkok Boragó, Santiago Elkano, Getaria Odette, Singapore Mérito, Lima Trèsind Studio, Dubai Lasai, Rio de Janeiro Mingles, Seoul Le Du, Bangkok Le Calandre, Rubano Piazza Duomo, Alba Steirereck, Vienna Enigma, Barcelona Nusara, Bangkok Florilège, Tokyo Orfali Bros, Dubai Frantzén, Stockholm Mayta, Lima Septime, Paris Kadeau, Copenhagen Belcanto, Lisbon Uliassi, Senigallia Le Cime, Osaka Arpège, Paris Rosetta, Mexico City Vyn, Skillinge Celele, Cartagena Kol, London Restaurant Jan, Munich For more information, visit Relive the moments of the World's 50 Best Restaurants ceremony on this link.
Time Out
18-06-2025
- Time Out
Chinese Opera Festival
Photograph: Chinese Opera Ensemble The inaugural Chinese Opera Festival 2025 is your chance to experience the richness of traditional Chinese opera, right here in Singapore. The event runs from June 21, 2025 to July 26, 2025 at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, showcasing five local Chinese opera troupes: Chinese Opera Studio, Chinese Opera Ensemble, OperaWorks, Tian Yun Beijing Opera Society and Tang Renaissance. Each troupe will perform in a different dialect, including Teochew, Cantonese, Peking and Hainanese. There are five shows in total, including The Mistake of Justice Bao on June 21, The Peacocks Flying Southeast on July 5, and Marshal Lim Bo Seng on July 26, all showing at 7pm. Tickets are priced at $30 each, but if you plan to catch all five shows, you can get a bundle for $120. Tickets can be purchased here . Show more By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. 🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed! Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Discover Time Out original video
