There’s no denying that there’s some excellent places to eat in Scotland right now, from high end to relaxed cafes and bakeries. If you’re looking for something totally different, then this new chef residency is well worth booking.
Chef Nicola Blaque, who is based in San Antonio in Texas, is taking over the kitchen at Gaga in Glasgow for two days only.
Chef Blaque is an award-winning chef who owns The Jerk Chicken Shack, Mi Roti and Freight Chicken. After serving in the army for 10 years, Blaque attended culinary school before setting up her own restaurants and, in 2023 chef Blaque was nominated for a James Beard Award for the best chef in Texas.
Blaque’s dishes showcase her Caribbean heritage, as well as shining a light on the history of food and its links to the slave trade, such as fried chicken.
Blaque is visiting Scotland as part of the Culinary Diplomacy series from the U.S. Embassy and Oxford Cultural Collective, which have partnered with the Beniba Centre for Slavery Studies, at the University of Glasgow.
She was one of a panel of speakers discussing the topic of ‘envisioning a harmonious future from colonial legacies', which took place at Glasgow University on 24 September.
Speaking of the dishes that she’ll be cooking at Gaga, Blaque said: “customers can expect to try some things that they've never had, i. e. a skate wing.
"We're also doing a lamb pepper pot and things like a Jamaican torpedo, which you’ll have to try because I'm not sharing what's in there!”
She also discussed creativity versus heritage, saying: “ I'm interested in reimagining, not so much changing the technicality of (traditional dishes), but I want to introduce authentic ways to foods that aren't normally used the same way.
"For instance, a lamb pepper pot and that's not traditional to Jamaica, but I took Jamaican flavours and I infused it in that way. I took a skate wing, which obviously a lot of people don't eat and I infused Caribbean flavour. So I am reimagining Caribbean food.”
Posting about Nicola’s chef residency, the team at Gaga wrote: “CHEF IN RESIDENCE! Get very excited for chef Nicola Blaque. We are so excited because James Beard nominated Best Chef in Texas is coming to Ga Ga! Nicola Blaque is one of the most talented chefs we’ve come across and she is gracing us with our presence this September 25th and 26th of September.”
Chef Nicola Blaque’s chef residency at Gaga is running from 25-26 September with more information and how to book here.
