Spiced Onions
Ashoka Southside

Ashoka Southside

United Kingdom, G44 3EA, Glasgow City

Asian • Balti • Indian • Vegetarian


"Ashoka South Side was a disappointment. I booked a table for Christmas Day with the promise of a glass of fizz on arrival, only to be offered a mocktail instead. It wasn't until I questioned this and showed my own copy of the menu that the promised fizz was granted. Two weeks before Christmas, we were asked to pay in full for our meal, but I was asked to pay in cash even though I preferred to use my card. On Christmas Day, despite enjoying the food, the restaurant had overbooked and took my dad's seat away, leaving us cramped on a couch against the wall. The food at Ashoka is nice, but usually lukewarm. I had to ask for my chicken to be reheated on Christmas Day. We received a voucher for £10 off our next meal, but when we tried to use it in January, the staff member was confused about the terms and conditions. The voucher stated a minimum of 2 people, but the staff member insisted it was for a maximum of 2 people. The staff member also failed to mention that the voucher couldn't be used with the pre-theatre menu until we tried to pay. When I asked to see the terms and conditions on the voucher, none were provided. Our bill came to £87, so with the voucher it would have been £77, but the staff member refused to honor it. As someone with a background in International Business Law, I know that failing to clearly state the terms and conditions of a voucher is breaking the law. The staff member's insistence on not providing the discount has led me to decide not to return to Ashoka. The food is good, but not exceptional, and I would rather dine at a place that values customer loyalty. It's a shame, as Ashoka is a local restaurant with potential, but the lack of transparency and customer care has left a sour taste in my mouth."

The Rupee Room

The Rupee Room

26a Wellington Square Ayr, South Ayrshire KA7 1HH, United Kingdom

Cafés • Indian • European • Pakistani


"I'm delighted to see The Rupee Room is already on Yelp! I grew up in Ayrshire and still take an annual holiday to visit the family there. Indian meals were always an occasional treat for the family, but I always felt we had something of an uneasy relationship with Indian places and never really settled on a favourite. Now, however, The Rupee Room is firmly established as our family's go to place for Indian. Most recently, mother and I took my sister and her two young children there to celebrate my sister's birthday with a good time being had by all. My usual choice here is the mixed veg dosa, which comes with salad and a dhal sauce. The dosa is smaller, thicker and tougher than I have encountered elsewhere, but still a worthy effort in fact let's look on the bright side and point out it is more substantial than a lot of the papery dosas out there! For a vegetarian, that is a good option for you. Mother always sticks with the korma (of which they have a slighty bewildering variety! and is always satisfied with that. My sister had a dhal based vegetarian dish, while the children shared chicken pakora. Sister seemed pleased with her choice, but between the dipping sauce and the spicy batter there was a bit too much heat in the pakoras for the kids, with my niece needing a glass of cold milk to cool her mouth down, which the waitress kindly supplied. Tandoor chapatis where also enjoyed by the party. Although there is a window into the kitchen, it is not really enough to give much of a view unless you stand close as I have done! But it is reassuring, and on my last visit I could see a diligent bunch of Sikh cooks toiling away in there. The pleasant waitress who served us was milk bottle complexion Scottish, though! The décor is smart enough, including the tealight food warmers brought to the table (see photos . The locale is great on Burns Monument Square, with a regal view of statues and formal gardens but also, unfortunately, quite busy traffic for Ayr directly outside the window which I found to be a bit of a distraction. Prices are reasonable, and their deals are a genuine bargain. We tend to go for the half priced mains from 5 7pm, or 4 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. If you are trying to keep costs down, focus on cleaning your plate of the half priced main and go easy on the side orders! (This is one reason why any of the dosas or puri meals are a good choice during this time, as they are complete meals in themselves. Actually, this is reminding me that I had the vegetable kofta on my last visit, which comes in a spicy tomato sauce. Although tasty and wholesome enough, both the balls and sauce were a bit nonedescript. Worth a try, but I feel I will go for a dosa or puri on my next visit. All in all, after years of eating in OK Indians in Ayrshire, I am glad to now have The Rupeee Room as a solid local option for this type of food."