The past year has, unsurprisingly, seen the rise of the ‘at home’ box. I’m not sure I’d even heard of the concept prior to 2020, but since restaurants have been closed on-and-off for the best part of a year, they’ve pivoted to providing these experiences which bring your night out ‘in’. This weekend we were very kindly treated to ‘One Night in Shanghai’ from Mamasan – one of Glasgow’s most popular restaurants. Delivered in a slick black box, you get everything you need for a delicious night in.
With three courses to enjoy, Mamasan have even included a snack to enjoy whilst you get everything ready in the form of a delicious Lobster and Prawn Toast, served alongside a burnt chilli jam. Filled with seafood, and crisp from the oven, the toast was the most delicious way to start the evening.
We had barely finished the Lobster and Prawn Toasts before it was time to tuck into our starters of Aromatic braised duck leg spring roll which came served with a rich hoisin sauce. These were such a treat!
What I love about boxes like Mamasan’s is how they get you out of your comfort zone. I don’t usually order pork when I’m dining out, but the main course of Sweet and sour iberico pork served with pineapple, banana shallots and dragon fruit was a dream. I crisped up the strips of iberico pork in the oven, before stir frying the vegetables, and combining the sauce. The result was a dish which was equal parts rich, sticky and delicious.
We enjoyed the pork alongside egg fried rice and green papaya & carrot salad. I’ve been dying to learn how to make egg fried rice, so finding out it’s so easy (and seriously good) was such a win. The salad was gorgeously fresh and crunchy, and we finished off the whole bowl!
We were, admittedly stuffed after such an indulgent set of starters and main course, so we took a couple of hours before enjoying the dessert – Asian pear sticky toffee pudding. Consisting of a richly spiced moist cake, and a spicy sauce, this wasn’t like any other sticky toffee pudding I’ve tried before!
As if three courses (plus snacks) wasn’t delicious enough, we washed the whole thing down with some delicious cocktails. Curated by Mamasan’s director of mixology and designed to enhance the meal, the Shang-hai-tea was absolutely divine. A mix of green tea infused gin with lemon, peach infused chartreuse served with lychee pearls and Sichuan pepper, it wasn’t overly sweet, and was such a treat to enjoy.
Mamasan’s One Night in Shanghai is priced at £65 per box, and deliveries are available in both Glasgow and Edinburgh