It’s nice to save TikTok videos of trendy restaurants to check out later. But let’s be honest, for many of us student loans don’t exactly permit fine-dining experiences. It’s much better to romanticise the eateries we can indulge in.
In many ways, Tastebudz is the culinary epicentre of Stirling’s (admittedly small) nightlife, particularly known for having an exclusive guest list. Who hasn’t emerged from the sweaty depths of Fubar excited to rid themselves of that throbbing hunger. Only to find the gates of the takeaway closed to them.
Those who have witnessed a Tastebudz ‘lock-in’ will attest to the feeling of exclusivity. The triumph of squeezing through the door as it’s being shut and peering out at those that weren’t as lucky. When it’s almost 12:45 am on a Thursday morning, and your options are Tastebudz or sad soggy cheese on toast, you better make sure you’re on the other side of that door.
The immersive dining experience presents an open kitchen layout that invites diners into the cooking process. As the chefs carefully assemble your order it almost resembles a traditional Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, where the food is prepared before your eyes. They also have a deconstructed table service set up that allows you to deliver the food to your door, use your own cutlery and create your own entertainment via a carefully selected YouTube video.
Image credit: Tastebudz
The main attraction
To start we were offered a selection of pakora paired with pink pigmented Jue they called “pakora sauce”. It was light and airy next to the rich batter and each pakora parcel was a mystery waiting to be unwrapped. Juicy chicken strips, beautiful pockets of mushrooms, and various unidentified vegetables.
For the main course, we were treated to a British classic. Chips, cheese, and donner meat, doused in garlic and chilli sauce. The blend of sauces created a complicated flavour profile that meant the garlic was forced into fighting for superiority over the chilli. However, the flavours reconciled on the tongue in a grand conclusion.
A particular star in this dish was the donner meat. Originally a Turkish delicacy, this slowly rotating delight has taken over late-night menus up and down the country. But Tastebudz has truly reinvented the spinning rotisserie with that hint of spice that creates a lovely undertone throughout the experience.
All that is left to say is compliments to the entire Budz family, for a truly priceless meal.
Featured image credit: Tastebudz
Film and Tv Editor at Brig Newspaper. Currently studying Journalism and English at the University of Stirling
