Thursday 10 March 2011

Restaurant Review: Glo Restaurant,Walton-on-Thames. A Fusion Eatery with that little bit more!

Situated in the leafy and affluent Surrey town of Walton-on-Thames, Glo Restaurant can be found on New Zealand Avenue, unit 6 of the Heart Shopping Centre.
Glo Restaurant, Walton-on-Thames
We visit on a sunny Friday afternoon between 1 and 2pm and are somewhat surprised by the quiet atmosphere in the restaurant.
We receive a warm welcome and are shown to our seats by a very professional and friendly Fareed Qaiser (Manager on Duty) who confirms our reservation.
The decor is very modern; walnut wooden floors and tables adorned with black leather placemats, chopsticks with hot and sweet chilli sauces in full view.
The entrance to the restaurant houses the bar area with its soft brown leather sofas and plump pink and brown cushions that you can collapse into after a long day at the office.Tables are also situated outside, for those of us who enjoy al fresco dining.
The restaurant has tables suitable for various numbers; the dining duo, tables of four and group tables for larger numbers i.e team lunches etc.
We have heard that Glo Restaurant has a super reputation for cocktails and as we peruse the menu it is no surprise! We are met with an extensive list of cocktails, all 22 of them, ranging from sparkling, to the signature Martinis. In the end we opt for two non-alcoholic cocktails; a Watermelon Cooler and a Ginger and Apple Cooler. It is only Friday afternoon after all!
Watermelon Cooler
 Ginger and Apple Cooler
It is evident that cocktails are their winning formula, they are beautifully presented and taste divine! Although I have to admit my favourite was the Watermelon cooler; just the right balance of freshness and juiciness to to quench your thirst.
The menu is extremely varied. I would describe the cuisine as Asian Fusion ; a celebration of east meets west ; Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, and Italian. Grills, curries and pizzas with an Asian twist.
Notable descriptions catching my eye are: “House Special curries served in an individual baked garlic loaf”
and the side order of “Pesto and Coriander Chips”
Prawn and Coriander Dumplings
We decide on Dim Sum to start and choose Chicken Siu Mai and Prawn and Coriander Dumplings.
While we wait, we are served Spicy Prawn Crackers. Ah! Just the ticket; delicious and crispy and just enough to keep hunger at bay while tantalizing the taste-buds!
Our Dim Sum arrive. Three dumplings per serving. The Chicken Siu Mai is Chicken with Mushroom which has quite a strong flavour. My preferred dumpling is the more fragrant Prawn and Coriander which is lighter in texture and fresher on the palate.
Next to order is the main, and we are helpfully recommended the House Speciality which is the Glo Manuka Rump Steak; a steak marinated for 24 hours in a Manuka honey, garlic and Soy sauce (Are you salivating yet?)
If I was feeling guilty about the calorie content, it didn't last long as I discovered that Manuka honey is renowned for its health benefits! We also order a new dish on the menu; Ginger Lamb chops.
Glo Manuka Rump Steak
When the main dishes arrive, they are served with a generous portion of house special chilli chips (v.guilty pleasure!), onion rings, grilled tomato and a crispy salad garnish. 
The steak is fantastic; we have asked for it rare and it is so succulent. The marinade plays its part beautifully by tenderising the meat and absorbing the sweet and savoury notes in the juice. Ah, I am in heaven ;-)
The Lamb Chops are very good. Again, very succulent (requested medium) and the charcoal flavour coming through the grilled meat, is complimented with the subtle ginger marinade. This dish is served with a yoghurt riata separately. If the ginger marinade was stronger and spicier, then it may warrant this accompaniment, but I felt on this occasion, it simply was not required. 
Ginger Lamb Chops
Feeling rather bloated and with our appetites waning, it is not long before we are presented with the dessert menu. Well, well, well, decisions, decisions. If two of you are undecided, it is a good idea to go for the "Sharing Dessert" option which gives the diners samples of the House Specials.
However, after our waiter delivers a hearty recommendation, our minds are set on one dessert and one dessert alone;
The Ice Cream Money Bags (House Speciality). I have already ranked up a gazillion calories -why stop there? And I can tell you that I am so not disappointed!
Ice Cream Money Bags
It is simply bliss! This is deep fried ice cream wrapped in oriental pastry.
Hot and crispy on the outside and creamy cold ice cream on the inside. All deliciously topped with warm honey. It sounds sinful but it is worth every mouthful! If you like baklava, there is a good chance you will like this; replace the nuts with the ice cream and serve it warm!
After devouring the plate, we feel that coffees are required to conclude the meal. Again, the range of hot drinks available is extensive; they include an original offering of Chinese Flower teas along with regular infusions. We opt for a Latte and an Espresso.

MeLikeyUK Review



Pros:

Menu Variety:
A wide selection of choice, varied enough to encourage you to come back and try something different next time. Something for each member of the family; kids can have pizza, mum can have a Malaysian curry while Dad can have a steak.

Service:
Excellent and attentive service without being obtrusive. Fareed and his team were very proactive; proposed house signature dishes or suggested alternatives when certain dishes were not available, continuously topped up our refreshments and ensured we had everything we needed during service. This was not restricted to our table, from looking around the restaurant, the team took great delight in engaging with customers and likewise, customers felt welcomed.

Presentation and taste:
Quite good. The dishes we had were certainly packing a punch in flavour!

Price and Promotions:
Very good value for money.The most expensive dish on the menu was Ginger Lamb Chops priced at £14.95. This comprised 3 meaty chops. Glo is very generous on portion sizes. We were so full we did not eat anything else that day!
Promotions are widespread. Notable offers include;
Food: Daily discounted special offers e.g. a selected curry, noodle or pizza for £5.95.
Drinks: Two for one Cocktails every day between 5 and 7pm & 10pm and 12 am on Friday and Saturday.

In addition, Toptable customers are currently taking advantage of a 2 for 1 main course and free cocktail offer. For further details, visit:
http://www.toptable.com/venue/?id=27437

Accessibility:
The restaurant is situated in the centre of town. It is a 15 minute walk from the train station. There is ample parking nearby.

Cons:

Ambience:
For what the restaurant had to offer, I was surprised that it was not busier especially during a Friday afternoon. It has competition from the big chains such as Pizza Express, Giraffe, Wagamama, Carluccio's and GBK but it should be able to compete on quality of food, value for money and service.
This is somewhat mitigated by a surge in business after office hours, when employees from local firms take advantage of the Happy Hour on cocktails.

Plates:
A very minor point. The grills were served on sizzle platters and while ticking the box on presentation, at times, made it cumbersome to eat the food owing to the generous portions served.

Presence:
There is one restaurant in Walton-On-Thames and the flagship restaurant is based in Reading. It would be ideal for Glo to have restaurants in Central London and the immediate suburbs. I think the concept would work well in places such as Canary Wharf, Putney,Wimbledon, Greenwich and Blackheath.
I know that if I was a local in Walton-on-Thames, I would be making regular visits to try a range of dishes from the menu.


Overall MeLikeyUK rating:

8/10

If you feel like treating your tastebuds to a touch of fusion cuisine, take a trip to Glo Restaurant in Walton-on-Thames where you will be spoilt for choice!

Take a sneaky peak at the menus below:
Food Menu
http://www.glohq.com/html/wotmenu.html

Drinks Menu

My thanks to Adele and Harriet from Woodthorpe Comms for introducing me to Glo Restaurants.

Disclaimer:

The contents of my blog are my opinions alone. It is important for me to uphold the integrity of the “MeLikeyUK” blog. When I am asked to review a product/service, I will only agree to refer to it in my blog if I genuinely like it and provide an associated rating. Those blog posts without a rating signify me sharing an experience with the audience directly. To avoid misleading the audience, and to save time, I will not review and publish products/services which I believe are not compatible with my blog.
Anything with a rating of 5/10 or above will be deemed acceptable and published on the MeLikeyUK Blog.

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