Usha’s

Another great meal at Usha’s. We were out for a family meal and were sat in a large booth. This time I had the aubergine bharta (smoky mashed aubergine with peas and soft potato chunks) and the chana masala (tender chickpeas in a creamy spicy sauce) with some aromatic and delicious hot garlic naan bread, rice and a pint of WEST St. Mungo (on tap here). We were advised that as one of our party was ordering a tandoori dish it would take 20 mins to prepare which was not a problem and we snacked on poppadoms and spiced onions while we waited. A couple of minor issues with drinks — one beer brought to the table was not what was ordered and another drink ordered later never materialised but no big deal and the service was quick and efficient otherwise.

Let me start by saying that Usha’s is currently one of our favourite curry houses in the West End; that’s an achievement given the prevalence of them! Funnily enough, as I’m typing this, Mrs G has just called to suggest a delivery from them tonight — done deal!
We love the food and the fact that the portion sizes are tapas-​style — we normally get 2 each and can just about finish (we have had a doggy bag on more than one occasion though!) them.
My bug bear with Usha’s lies with some of the customer service (not the waiting service per se) that we have experienced in the past. The one that sticks in my mind is when we had booked a Gourmet Society deal on the ‘phone — and the staff member had confirmed same — only to be told on arrival (with guests) that that member of staff should not have agreed the deal (apparently they had stopped the Gourmet Society deal very recently, albeit it was still be advertised online) and that they were not going to honour it. That sort of thing gets my back up as we, the customer, had done nothing wrong as we had verified on the ‘phone that very day! What made it more galling was a big advertisement on the menu they gave us advertising the same discount but for students only. I brought this up and asked them again that they honour the deal they had agreed on the ‘phone. An abrupt no.
The thing that annoyed me when we were in for dinner a couple of weeks ago was we asked for vegetable pakora along with our poppadoms and spiced onions; we were told this was not possible because they use a tablet ordering system and could not put the order through until they took our mains order. When the waitress returned with the poppadoms I asked if she could just ask for the pakora verbally — apparently not! We couldn’t order them for a good ten minutes until they came back to take the mains order! I’m all for technology but not when it overrides common sense!
The fact that we return despite these experiences is a testament to the quality of the food. I’ve certainly not returned to other places (with inferior food) due to lesser mishaps!
If they could sort out the basics it would be full marks.

Lovely staff and delicious food, what more could you want!

Since when has a 3 been a bad review?
A Scouser, a Manc, a Cockney and a mutt Dundonian walk into a formerly veggie, but now omnivore friendly Indian restaurant and ordered pakora, samosas, some chaat, a couple of chicken curry’s of some description, aloo gobi, and a railway lamb curry. The Scouser enjoyed the aloo gobi, The Manc loved the samosa, The Cockney loved the lamb curry and The Mutt Dundonian felt everything was tasty enough not to offend, but always had a backhanded compliment about something or another.
So, what is the moral of the story? Don’t bring a Dundonian to a fairly decent Indian restaurant, because while it was all very tasty, there was «too much cardamom in the samosas, the chapati served with the lamb curry was too chewy and the chicken completely out of place. Other than that, the lamb curry was tender, and the aloo gobi delightful. Oh, and the ambiance is good.» Well, thanks for that you odd person. I’m surprised he liked the company he kept…

This was my first visit here I was impressed with the table we got a booth which made our group like private diners. The menu was good with plenty of choices. We optedfor poppadoms and spiced onions whilst deciding on the meal itself.
We had two portions of Chicken Pakora and two of Haddock Pakora both were delicious. I like the tapas style menu and I had Lamb with okra and Buttered Chicken, one of our party is vegetarian and he had Seabass with sauce and chapatis.
Rice and garlic Nans completed the meal all presented very well and served piping hot.
The one thing that lets Usha down is there Bar Tennants on tap Corona or Peroni if it wad in stock. There are do many Indian beers out there get some of these in stock.
I would give this place another go if only to try and finish all my food next time.

As a vegetarian I was a little disappointed to find Usha’s is no longer exclusively meat-​free — they dropped this a few months ago and now also offer a meat menu. While I was looking forward to going out for curry and being able to order absolutely anything from the menu, I wasn’t too disappointed because the vegetarian and vegan options were plentiful (just as many as the meat options!) and were clearly marked on a separate side of the menu.
We visited on a Sunday evening and were quickly seated in a quiet booth. I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea which was strong and delicious — and I like to think the black and orange straws were a little nod to Halloween! With another vegetarian and a vegan in the party, the only meat eater admitted defeat and we ordered a selection of breads, pakoras, rice and mains to choose from. The food was absolutely delicious without exception and even writing this review is making me want to go back for more! I will warn you though, they’re not messing around with the chilli pakora — this looked literally like whole chillies wrapped in batter and were so hot that they required two jugs of water to wash them down with!
I particularly love the street food element to Usha’s — I’ve never tried small plates of Indian food before, but it works really well. It was great to have so many sides and mains to choose from, as it stopped me from ever feeling overwhelmed by one flavour and meant I didn’t have to worry that someone else had made a better choice of curry than me!
I will definitely be back — there are still so many other dishes to try!

My boyfriend and I went to Usha’s for dinner last week which was totally unplanned but I had wanted to try it for ages and we both love Indian food.
The interior is lovely, also bigger than I expected — we were seated on a mezzanine level. Our waitress was really friendly and recommended flavours of lassi which were more interesting than the usual mango.
We ordered the bullet chilli pakora to start which were really good, literally just chillies in pakora batter. I overheard a lady at another table say they were quite spicy cos they have seeds so I noted this and removed them before eating!
For main we had 4 tapas to share, although my boyfriend got a chicken dish which I didn’t try. The dishes were okra dopiaza which was tasty but a little bit oily, roast indian veg which was nice but not all that exciting, and dal makhini which was really good. Along with these we had a garlic and coriander naan which was delicious, and 2 parathas which I thought were bland and unexciting.
4 tapas, naan and the two parathas were plenty between both of us, I was a bit worried it might not be enough!
Overall I did enjoy it but the food took a while to come — hopefully it was because they were making it fresh! I would definitely go back, it has brilliant choice for vegetarians but I’d try some different dishes next time.

We had been meaning to try this place ever since it opened, as vegetarian Indian restaurants are not that common in Glasgow.
However, we’ve clearly left it a bit late as Usha’s is no longer purely vegetarian! They have one side of the menu that is all veggie dishes, and the other side includes meat and fish dishes.
The ‘pod’ seating arrangement is fine if you can get one to yourselves, but having another couple practically right next to you makes it slightly difficult to have a private conversation. I thought just a little more space between the two tables would have made things easier all round (slightly bigger tables would not go amiss either!).
As neither of us is completely veggie, we both opted for fish dishes. I had Tandoori Sea Bass, which came wrapped in tinfoil on a bed of peppers and onions — which I only discovered half-​way through eating it when I lifted the tinfoil! It was spicy but not overly so, and very tasty. I had rice and a plain nan to go with it, and a side dish of garlic & chilli sauce in case I needed some extra oomph.
Herself chose the ‘tapas’ style option, with a small dish of Goan sea bass curry with Anda Aloo accompaniment (egg and masala potatoes — very nice!) and a chapati on the side. We’d shared a foil-​baked spiced haddock starter between us, and that was a good call because it was a nice size between two people.
Overall, a pretty good meal and quite reasonably priced. the food arrived in a slightly staggered fashion, which meant I was waiting for what seemed quite a long time for my sea bass, but other than that we both thought it was great and would happily return.

Looks like I’m one of the first Unilocalers to try out the new meat offerings (okay, offering, as I was with a vegetarian so wanted to share a starter!)
We started with paneer pakora, which is basically the Indian version of mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce. The simple cheese, the lightly spiced, crispy batter and the almost salsa-​like dipping sauce were a heavenly combination. This coming from someone who doesn’t usually enjoy Indian food.
For mains, this is where it got confusing. Some of their dishes (like curries) are tapas-​sized, while others (sizzlers) are full on meals. I got the new chicken tikka, which was a huge meal for a decent price. It included a plate of tasty chicken chunks over sauteed onions and peppers, a side bowl of rice and a little yoghurt sauce on the side. I also ordered the one gluten-​free bread option, some kind of roti. The bread was not my favourite, but the chicken was really nice.
My partner ordered paneer makhani; more cheese, this time in a red, creamy sauce. I tried a little bit and it was really delicious. It came in a kind of small serving (tapas-​like) but he ended up eating it with my bowl of rice so it worked out. He also ordered fenugreek paratha — after asking the waitress if they used whole grain flour (don’t think she understood the question) he ordered it and sure enough, weird brown flour was used. He said it was terrible after one bite and didn’t end up touching it; I was surprised to see that when clearing the table, the waiter didn’t ask about it at all!
I shouldn’t have been surprised, though, because the service throughout the experience was just off. The waitress who took our order seemed totally unfamiliar with the menu; when our food arrived, brought by different men, one of them used a plate to shove my fork and napkin across the table (hey buddy, I’m left-​handed, I wanted that there!) It took forever to get someone to notice we were done and our check took even longer, delivered once with errors and had to be corrected.
I think if I were to eat Usha’s food again, I’d just order it through Deliveroo (available as of July 2015) — all the deliciousness without any of the service issues that several reviewers have mentioned.

Good food and menu selection. At present there is 4 pages of vegetarian food to experience however I am told that meat is appearing shortly on the menu. I
spotted Mac who was front of house in Mother India for many year who now appears to be doing the same job in Usha, s and will be a great asset. We ate Dosa, s which are Indian pancakes made from rice flour and eaten with coconut chutney .
We had Paneer which is an Indian curd cheese in a curry sauce and pilau rice
I have never had a bad meal here and it’s good to see Mac as front of house.

Let me preface this by saying that neither myself nor my boyfriend are vegetarians. Let me also say that if there’s one thing my boyfriend and I will never agree on, that’s Indian food. He would dive face first in to an Indian meal in half a heartbeat, whereas, I’d rather starve than eat it. Ok, I’m not THAT dramatic, but it’s a pretty fair description.
The one thing I have noticed when it comes to my love hate relationship with Indian food is that I find that I like it a lot more when we actually go to a sit down restaurant versus ordering a takeaway. I find that more love and attention is given to the actual dishes, rather than a load of sludge and chicken piled in to takeaway containers and delivered to our door. Blah!
The other day, my boyfriend and I were out and about in the went end and were pretty hungry having had breakfast quite early that morning. We were wanting to go to a restaurant across the street, but I realised it’s not open on a Sunday. So there we were, literally leaning up against the railing at the cross walk trying to decide where to go. I jokingly suggested Usha’s as it was right across from where we were standing but half knowing my boyfriend isn’t one for going for vegetarian dishes ever really. The only time he has any, is when I order them (which is more often than not, as I really do love vegetarian foods). Anyway, to my surprise, he said sure, let’s give it a go. He knows I’ve been talking about it for a while, so why not now?!
Boy, am I sure glad we decided to eat here. It ranks up there with the best of the best Indians I’ve ever eaten and I’m going to say this now: if you haven’t been in here, please do yourself a favour and go. Now!
We were sat in a cute little booth for two by who seemed to have been the manager. Really friendly guy, very personable. He mentioned to us that the menu might say it’s tapas style, but they’re actually a bit bigger than a tapas style. He also mentioned that although they are currently vegetarian and vegan only, they’re changing up the menu very soon to incorporate meat dishes. I guarantee, my boyfriend ears perked up at the sound of that! The staff that we encountered (actually just the manager and who I named the mad scientist brought out the food) were lovely. Fast, friendly and eager to serve.
We started with two lovely starters of cauliflower pakora and the samosa chaat. They were both goreously laid out on a plate, very much into presentation. The pakora came with a side salad of fresh greens as well as a dipping sauce that almost tasted a bit mexican. We loved it! The samosas came in a bowl, two of them, covered with a lovely chick pea sauce and salad on top. Basically in heaven and we were only eating the starters.
For our main meals, I ordered the Okra dopiaza and he ordered the Chana masala. Both amazing little dishes (by no means little) with loads of flavour. The Okra dopiaza was the favourite out of the two, which is almost unheard of because I chose it. I usually choose the least favourite item. Ha! Anyway, with these two dishes, we were able to each have a large serving and my boyfriend was able to have a full second helping. We also ordered boiled basmati rice and a garlic corriander naan. Um, that thing was massive, freshly made and delicious.
Basically, I’m hoping this review speaks for itself but let me reiterate the fact that this place, even though we’re not vegetarians, has quickly become a favourite. Please, all my veggie friends and veggie readers, don’t boycott this place once they add meat dishes to their menu, and all my non-​veggie friends and non-​veggie readers, please go check this place out before they add meat to their menu. It’s so delicious, you won’t even realise meat isn’t in the dish.

A brief review update for Usha’s: it’s been open for a while now, and while the food is still delicious, the service definitely needs improvement.
We visited for an early evening Saturday dinner and got a seat without any trouble. The downside of the seats were that they were in a small pod-​like arrangement with another couple seated to the right of us which meant it felt like having an intimate dinner with three people which wasn’t ideal.
We ordered a selection of dishes, all of which impressed — I love the dal mahkani and highly recommend getting a portion of that even if you think you don’t like dal. You’re wrong. We also tried gobi manchurian which was interesting for something a little different.
However, the overall experience was let down by the staff who seem disorganised, slow and a little unfriendly. It’s a real shame as I really enjoy the food here, and would like to return, but I definitely left feeling a little disappointed.

I’ve been here twice in the last few months, both times with non-​vegetarians, and my pals have been very happy with the wide choice on offer, and have left with full tummies, saying that they’d definitely be back.
We ate here last Saturday and it was packed. We had to wait a few minutes for our table, but that was fine.
We skipped the starters, as we’d had nibbles beforehand, and went straight to mains. Myself and a friend shared some tapas-​sized dishes — Aloo Palak and Aloo Matar, both of which were just the right side of gently spicy and warming, and I had a Tarka Dal. We also shared some Naan bread and a huge dosa — so delicious, and such a treat for me to have vegan Naan. My other half had tandoori stuffed mushrooms with a sambar sauce and a mushroom rice.
The menu is extensive, and full of unusual dishes that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in Glasgow, with a great selection of street food, which makes a refreshing change. You’re certainly not restricted to the usual 4 or 5 veggie dishes that you’d get at any standard Indian restaurant, and even the most carnivorous are bound to find something they’ll really enjoy. Brucie Bonus is that they sell West beer.
The staff were very friendly, there’s a pleasant, buzzing atmosphere, and we really enjoyed our meal here, leaving nicely full, but not overly stuffed.
Now, I don’t normally point out the carpets in restaurants, but when you pay Usha’s a visit make sure you check out the floorboard pattern carpet upstairs. Seeing is believing.

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. The food is AMAZING. We ordered all the gluten free and vegan options on the menu — yes really. The flavours were incredible, and the service is quick and friendly.
I have one issue though, we found a bit of plastic in one of the dips. I was the lucky one to find it (while I tried to chew it and realised it was not for human consumption), I pulled it out of my mouth and it was plastic! We told one of the staff and he just shrugged, cleared the plates and that was it. It was slightly alarming how they didn’t seem to care there was plastic in the food, like A HARD BIT OF PLASTIC.
With that said, it was probably just a one off and I’ll definitely be back because the food was too good not to.

Took me a little longer than usual to get here. Briony’s review spurred me on a wee bit to try this place out.
Popped in at 6:30pm. Took 10 minutes to get an order in for drinks/​food. Bunty came over as we sat to advise that the quorn meat samosas and other dishes were no longer on the menu. Not really an issue, as I couldn’t see the point of a fake keema samosa. There was a vegetable samosa on instead, which makes more sense to me.
Ordered aubergine pakora, veg samosa and puni puri as a starter. Biriyani, Chana dhal, Aloo Saag and Okra. Side of aloo paratha and roti.
Now, I’m being picky, but I don’t like tablet iPad devices in restaurants. It took our lovely well dressed server easily 3 times longer to take the order than just remembering or writing it down. Seemingly, it doesn’t mean your order arrives correct either.
Our starters arrived just after 7pm, not bad I hear you say… only that we were still waiting for our drinks. Our server came back a few minutes later to ask how the food was and I mentioned that it would be nicer with the drinks. Another 10 minutes later, they finally arrived. Thats 40 minutes after arriving and only four other tables were in the restaurant, so not busy at all.
Samosas were delicious, as were the aubergine pakoras. I just didn’t get the puni puri. It’s served cold and really didn’t wow me.
Mains arrived shortly after, but the roti was a tandoori, not tava as we asked for. Still arrived despite correcting the chap and it still made it’s way on the bill, despite not being eaten.
Best standout dish — the biriyani. One of the best we’ve had for a long time. The Chana Dhal and Saag were nice and the okra could have done with being fried first to get it crispy & put some taste to it. Just bland and limb.
Got some complimentary Gulab Jaman, which was AMAZING! Fed our feedback to our server & she happily accepted the feedback, which is great for a new place wanting to learn & get there. New dishes being added next week, so I do get the feel of a bit of trial and testing going on.
My only concern here, was that the bill came to £40. I know that I can order the same amount of food/​portions at Mother India’s Café & it will be a good £10 less minimum.
We’ll pop back again, just for the Biriyani if nothing else. It’s new and finding it’s feet. Whilst our servers were super friendly & lovely (refreshing change!), need to get on top of noticing little things like drinks not arriving for over 30 minutes. No excuse when there is only 4 tables in the restaurant.
I’m hopeful that this place will find its way & establish itself as a stable vegetarian offering in Glasgow. I was pleasantly surprised and I think most others will too. Just rethink some of the prices to portions and get attentive on the service.
You Gotta Eat Here — For Sure! :-D