Nanika the Southsides' Little Culinary Treasure Trove

The Southside of Glasgow is fast becoming a trendy bohemian vibrant social hub of alternative cuisine and party haunts. Nanika a cosy intimate noodle and Bao bun bar neatly located within the bottom of Victoria House delivers an authentic taste of South East Asian cuisine right below the yoga studio @studio70 which I attend daily.

It’s a beautiful symbiosis of eastern food and culture within the bottom part of Victoria road in Queens Park, one of my memorable childhood stomping grounds. I resonate strongly with the area and have watched it go through its lows and now as it undergoes a rebirth it is fast becoming one of the most sought after trendy areas for good food and party.

The Southside of Glasgow has always been deemed to be second rate to the West End of Glasgow, this may be the case yet Glasgow’s Southside is developing into a funky microcosm community of students, professionals, Southside natives and a vibrant fusion of many worldly cultures. Not to mention the beautiful Victorian flats and houses which are still affordable and not yet out priced unlike the West End of Glasgow.

The smells emanating from Nanika’s as you walk past are nothing less than tantalisingly mouth-watering, my mouth salivates every time I walk past after class. It was only a matter of time before I ventured in to explore their culinary delights to which I was not disappointed.  Not to mention the little discount deal they do with the yoga studio, you can imagine my delight. On entering Nanika, you are immediately transfixed by the busyness of happy chatter, sounds of delights being created in the kitchen and a mish mash of music young and old from a variety of musical genres.

The kitchen and the seating area are close and intimate, where you can watch your dish being professionally created. Waiting times are short and the food is piping hot and delectable. The menu has many dishes ranging from 3.50 for the smaller dishes and £8.50 for larger dishes. For starter we had Chinese soup which was fresh and tasty which quickly followed a salmon and sweet potato bowl, my friend had Sichuan noodle which I could've scoffed for her. Me, being a gannet had to try one of their Bao buns. I opted for one of their buns of the day, the prawn tempura bun with furikake, ponzu mayo and scallions. Amazing!!!!

It’s a B.Y.O.B policy, however teas are available as well as bottles of water per diner which is freely topped up when requested. They also offer a take away option, the thought of having such great food within close vicinity is beyond blissful. Take away has just gotten a whole lot better in the Southside. It’s very basic décor but worldly, there is a sense that the creators are well traveled

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So rating time……Cost 4.3 out of 5 servings are a tad small, but they taste freaking brilliant you’d happily pay for second helpings. Good marketing tactic, I feel .

Taste 5 out of 5…..I need not say anymore

Service 5 out of 5…. The waiter was lovely, chatty and very accommodating.

Ambiance….5 out of 5. I can’t wait till the spring summer months; this place will be my second home.

So would I go again? Absolutely…..would I recommend? Definitely. If you’ve not ventured down to Nanika 72 Victoria Road, Glasgow, G42 7AA  #nanika_glasgow, then get yourself down there this establishment is about to explode into a very special place to be.