New to The Glasgow Veggie Diaries? This series is where you’ll find me sharing the most awesome meat-free food options around town, so whether you or a member of your posse are vegetarian, feel free to use this as your official guide to who is doing it right!
You can also catch up with all of my previous Glasgow Veggie Diaries entries here.
Today’s edition of my Veggie Diaries series is a little bit different! Instead of reviewing one restaurant or cafe in town, I’m going to talk a little bit about a newly-launched Glasgow street food initiative that features a range of really cool vendors.
The Venue
Platform at Argyle Street Arches opened earlier this month, repurposing the legendary space under Central Station that had been empty for some time. Boasting eleven street food names, a ton of seating areas and a family / dog-friendly atmosphere, it’s a huge shift from the venue’s old clubbing days. Glasgow certainly loves street food and I do too, so I went along to see the exciting new venture for myself!
The Vendors
As I mentioned, Platform currently has eleven unique food and drink businesses under its curved roof; some of them instantly recognisable from previous pop-ups and festivals. Food-wise, Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, ShrimpWreck and Sunshine Tea Lounge are already big hits amongst Glasgow foodies, and they are joined by Ginger & Chilli (mouthwatering Hanoi Vietnamese noodle soups served with toppings suck as tofu, prawns and Arbroath smoakies), Freddy & Hicks (veggie burgers and loaded fries - more on them later!), Chick + Pea (Mediterranean-meets-Middle Eastern flavours like delicately spiced falafels and slow-cooked lamb), Tiny Dancers Slider Pantry (tiny burgers with an ever-changing menu of specials) and The Rosehip (this Edinburgh-based business’ flair and dedication to quality ingredients will keep your carnivorous pals very happy!).
If you have a sweet tooth (and I think we’ve established a long time ago that I certainly DO!), there are some awesome options at Platform. The Crema Caravan grabbed my attention right away with their adorable vintage-style caravan, serving a menu of yummy creme brûlée burned to order. Next to Crema Caravan, Chunk’s Ice Cream are set up with their show stopping ice cream tacos… I’m gonna let that sink in for a moment. Yep: Ice. Cream. Tacos. If you’re booking a taxi to get you there right now I don’t blame you…
And finally, along with a fully-stocked bar there are two specialist drinks vendors at Platform. Thomson’s Coffee Roasters have taken up residency in the cafe bar area of Argyle Street Arches, bringing their freshly roasted coffee and a range of baked treats. In addition, Rapscallion are an independent drinks company who specialise in handmade raw soda; free from refined sugars. As a non-drinker, I always have a lot of appreciation for anyone who brings a fun soft drink option to the party!
What I Ate
Even with my stretchy clothes on (!), there was no way I was going to be able to try something from every counter in one visit, so I chose very carefully!
Dumplings are a big weakness of mine, so I was very excited to visit Sunshine Tea Lounge’s booth and pick up some of their rainbow vegan dumplings. Inside the vibrant green spinach dumplings I found a flavoursome mix of sweetcorn, red and green peppers, spring onion, carrot and spinach. The ‘skin’ of the dumplings was the best I’ve ever tried, holding their shape and flavour perfectly. It might not sound like a big deal but there’s nothing worse than eating a flimsy dumpling that falls apart! I absolutely adored this dish.
I also tried some of the loaded sweet potato fries over at Freddy & Hicks. These are a meal all on their own and come topped with red onion, coriander, sesame seeds, tomato, jalapeño and spiced mayo. I think next time I would try them without the jalapeño, but that’s just down to personal taste - if you like your food with a kick then you will probably enjoy them as they are. I can’t wait to give one of their veggie burgers a try next time as they looked amazing too!
Chick + Pea serve halloumi fries, but at the risk of this fast becoming a fry review column, I decided to try out their falafel instead! This vendor has a lot of brilliant veggie options, such as courgette fritters and a halloumi ‘steak’ bun. I tasted some of their falafel, which comes with fresh crunchy vegetables on the side and a creamy dressing. Ideal if you’re after a lighter street food dish.
I tried one of Rapscallion’s soda offerings too - a tropical concoction of coconut and pineapple. This was lovely and refreshing with a light fizz.
And finally, I couldn’t pass up the chance to try one of those epic ice cream tacos (and surely you don’t blame me, right?) so I ordered one of the S’mores ones. After being scooped into a sugar waffle shell, the ice cream was topped with crushed Oreos and marshmallows. The finishing touch? Being torched and toasted before serving. Perfection!
Final Thoughts
With the recent closure of Taste Buchanan (RIP!), it’s good to see another um, platform for talented independent food vendors to be showcased and made accessible in the city centre. I think my favourite thing about Platform is the variety of food available - I felt spoiled for choice and I still have a list of dishes to try next time.
You can find Platform at Argyle Street Arches every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Catch them over on Instagram to keep up to date with events and special offers!
Have you been along to try the street food at Platform yet?
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