Six by Nico: Childhood 2.0

What better way to greet the New Year than in the company of your closest friends, over a fine meal of delicious wares? Well how about if the meal was made to evoke childhood memories as well? Back to Six by Nico for our first visit of 2019 and they were revisiting a previous menu idea as well, welcome to Childhood.

  • CRISPY LASAGNE – Beef Ragu, Aged Parmesan, Crispy Lasagne
  • BEEF BURGER – Carpaccio, Ewes Cheese, Lettuce & Mustard Emulsion
  • FISH FINGER – Salmon Fish Finger, Pickled Cucumber, Horseradish & Watercress
  • POT NOODLE – Chicken Noodle, Toasted Corn, Chestnut Mushroom, Chicken Broth
  • DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE… – Roasted Breast, Leg Cannelloni, Spiced Butternut Squash, Crispy Queen Kale
  • CEREAL MILK – Cereal Milk Espuma, Crunchy Peanut Clusters, Honey Gelee, Roasted Apple

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Out on a Friday night, and we indulged in the Apertif before the Snacks, and wow was I glad we did. Listed as Rhubarb & Custard G&T, it was a delicous Rhubarb gin topped with a white creamy foam espuma which made the entire glass taste like Creamola Foam! What a way to get the memories flowing.

Along with the apertif, the snacks appeared and instantly took me back to a rainy caravan in Morecambe at the Easter holidays. All due to the Fish Supper Croquette, which was a light little parcel of potato and fish with a salt and vinegar flavoured crumb, served with bread & butter, and THE best mushy peas I’ve ever had (no mint, heavy on the vinegar). With my tastebuds woken, and my synapses firing, I was glad when the first course arrived.

And then I picked up the tiny spoon, dipped in and from the first mouthful quickly realised that the Crispy Lasagne was one of those dishes that makes me wish you could just stop and ordered a bigger portion on its own (maybe an idea for the new Public House venture to adopt?). Rich and velvety parmesan sauce, with shards of crisped lasagne, sat on top of a perfectly seasoned, red wine ragu and beef that melted in the mouth. Silence descended on our table.

Next up was a deconstructed Beef Burger, a creamy beef carpaccio, smooth grated ewes cheese, chargrilled lettuce, dotted with tangy pickles, and a tangy emulsion… hang on, this is a Big Mac! Very clever and subtle, and definite level up on your standard childhood burger.

Another staple of my childhood, the humble fish finger was delivered in the form of a perfectly cooked fillet of salmon, topped with puffed rice, with pickled fennel and dense avocado puree. Not quite childhood evoking but then you can’t really beat a fish finger sandwich, can you? Regardless, despite my loathing of fennel (I almost swapped this dish out for the veggie option) the quality of the food on the plate, and that perfect salmon fillet, meant I was happy to clear my plate.

Who doesn’t love a Pot Noodle, right? Well if they were all like this one, I’d be eating them a lot more regularly. Tender chicken ribbons, chunky chestnut mushroom, and charred corn, all sitting in a wonderfully rich dark salty broth. Yet again, another dish I would easily have eaten more of, with the broth the star.

I don’t recall playing Duck, Duck, Goose, but I know of it which was more than a couple of my companions. The duck I’ve had at Six by Nico has been surprisingly hit or miss, but not this time. Some perfectly pink sous vide duck breast, served with a dark jus, a light and delicate parsley root puree, and alongside a duck leg cannelloni which was crammed full of tender meat and delicious flavour. If anything, this dish just made it harder to choose a favourite from this menu, cooked perfectly, each flavoured complimented the next, heaven!

And then it was time for dessert. I’ll admit, when I read Cereal Milk Espuma I was a little skeptical but I should’ve known better. A thick golden espuma/pannacotta that tasted exactly like the milk does at the end of a bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes, topped with sticky peanut clusters, a honey gelee, and a dollop of lightly roasted apple puree and chunks. OH MY DAYS. Now, I know I couldn’t (shouldn’t?) eat this type of thing for breakfast every day but if there was a way I’d definitely do it! Absolutely deliciously delightful.

What a cracker of a meal! Each item had a little something extra to sparkle the memory, and if some of these don’t make the ‘best of 2019 menu’ then we are in for one hell of a year of excellent food at Six by Nico. I think the Crispy Lasagne and Cereal Milk have to be strong contenders…

As I’ve said before, food of this quality, served by knowledgeable, efficient and friendly staff, at £28 for six courses – plus £5 for an apertif and £5 for snacks (between two) – and I think Six by Nico must be the best value for money in Glasgow. If you haven’t yet been, and are swithering because the menu is ‘set’, know that you can swap every dish for a veggie alternative, and they can omit items if you ask. Hey, it’s a new year, give it a shot!!