On a gloomy Friday evening in Glasgow’s Southside, the fragrance of sweet and spicy marinated skewers hitting a sizzling grill is the first clue as to where to find the Japanese-inspired Yakitori Shack.
Feeling adventurous, we follow our noses (and stomachs) to a small lane on Pollokshaws Road in search of the latest venture from the team behind Ramen Dayo.
Owner Paul Beveridge said: “I’d always wanted to take Ramen Dayo to the Southside.
“Within the space of a few months, it’s gone from an idea to a reality.
"We're taking things slowly and making sure we've got it right but we've had great feedback.
“One girl told us that it was the best Japanese food she’s ever eaten."
The shack finds its home at the bottom of Park Lane, a space that has become well known within the community for its bustling bi-monthly markets.
It’s a quirky set-up, adorned with Japanese lanterns, leafy green plants and bamboo that’s sure to delight the city’s food blogger types.
But, far from a gimmick, the Yakitori Shack stems from a love affair with Japanese food and culture that has taken Paul from developing recipes in his East End tenement kitchen to opening multiple restaurants in Glasgow.
He said: “I was living in Japan for 12 years before moving back to Scotland in 2014.
“I found that there was nowhere at the time that you could buy ramen and spent almost every weekend making my own at home.
“After a few years, I felt that I had managed to get to a level that I was happy with and opened the first Ramen Dayo.”
These days you’ll find Ramen Dayo overlooking the cobles of Ashton Lane, a far cry from the original city centre spot that served ramen from a hand-built ‘Yatai’.
Harking back to those humble street food origins the Yakitori Shack is built around a bespoke ‘Robata’ BBQ grill kept piping hot with specially imported ‘Binchotan’ charcoal.
Paul said: “When the space in the lane I wanted to build something new and fresh which is why I decided on the shack.
“Like Ramen, I missed Yakitori, which translates to grilled chicken, and couldn’t find any restaurants dedicated to it in Glasgow.
“Around 80% of our food is cooked on the grill with coal that’s low smoke and burns over a long time.
“Our menu has a mix of meat, vegetarian and vegan-friendly skewers with sides as well.
“One of the most important parts of it all is the 'Tare' dipping sauce which is used for all of our skewers and gives a really delicious flavour.
“I spent a long time sourcing a traditional ceramic pot for the Tare like they use in Japan.
“Seeing that first skewer dipped into the pot at the shack was a great moment.”
A long search for his traditional ‘Tsubo’ pot is just one example of the astonishing attention to detail that Paul has maintained throughout all of his projects, from headhunting the best chefs in the country to carefully curating a signature aesthetic.
He explained: “I did a lot of research to make sure that the shack looked as authentic as possible.
“I’m very passionate about the actual building process of the restaurants, the whole interior of the Asthon Lane Ramen Dayo was done by hand.
“I approached an artist, Solid Blackline, who I’ve admired for a long time to design our new logo which is now etched into the timber above the kitchen.
“My mum was an interior designer before she passed away and I like to think that I’ve inherited a wee bit of her eye.
“I’m really happy with the way it looks.”
It’s early days for the Yakitori Shack, but with an expert team manning the grill and plenty of long summer nights ahead of us, we foresee the eatery becoming a key part of the thriving Shawlands food scene.
Paul said: “There are so many elements to consider with the shack from getting the grill right to the logistics of working from a lane, but I think it’s taken things to a whole new level.
“Over the coming months our menu will continue to evolve but the reception so far has been amazing.
“I hope that we can keep it up.”
The Yakitori Shack can be found at 974 Pollokshaws Road.
For more information on the Yakitori Shack click here.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here