A sub-continent subculture

ONE of the most ancient restaurant sites in Glasgow has just appeared

in yet another guise. Back in 1895 it started life as MacLachlans,

selling guid Scottish fare, by the 1930s it had become The Whitehall, a

palatial dinner-dance sort of place which lasted until the '70s, when it

took on an Italian aura. Astonishingly, bits and pieces of the original

'30s decor still survive, mainly in the doors. Otherwise the

transformation into the Regent Sahib is a quite unique piece of interior

decoration, masterminded by our old friend Balbir, assisted by

Glasgow-based artists.

The splendiferous basement has been called Arabian Nights and sports

some frenziedly hued wall murals by Jenny Vaughan, whose husband Dai was

also involved, and Richard Dawson. Ali Baba can be seen hingin' frae the

branch of a fragile tree, the Forty Thieves are to be found and the most

complex painting -- ''of course it's my favourite, and it was the most

expensive,'' says Balbir in his inimit-

able way -- shows the voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.

This is the Pakora Bar -- Indian tapas, if you will -- where you can

just have a drink, and drink in the decor, or have some reasonably

priced Indian food on the side. Pakora starts at #2.20, and there are

selections of Poori, Dosa and Tandoori as well as a small selection of

curries under #4. A whole new meaning is given to pub grub.

On the ground floor is Balbir's Voyage to India restaurant, an opulent

pillared affair with more subtle murals and mirrors. Much of the menu

will come as no surprise to those who have frequented Balbir's other

establishments -- and Yasin, his chef of eight years, is now in proud

control of a kitchen with wheelie-tandoors and a #60,000 air

conditioning system. There are a few neat and eye-catching additions to

the score -- the most eye-catching one of all being that Balbir's

gorgeous wife Paramjit is at last accredited as the source of some of

the finest culinary ideas.

And for those who want the full Bhoona there is a section titled

Vintage Glasgow Curries. Vindaloo and Madras are there in all their

guises and, if you insist on having a curry made from silverside of

beef, your needs will be met. The menu then ranges over many areas of

the Indian sub-continent from the North West Frontier, through the

South, Kashmir and the Punjab and concludes with staff curries. The

Scrambled Egg Curry (I kid you not) is something else and the fair

Elaine from the Chip has been known to eat nothing else but spiced egg

and

onion kulcha. Come to think of it, goat curries rather well, Balbir.

There is a good wine list, which includes the spicy and fruity

Gewurtztraminer, Indian Fizz, and some Burgundy and Rhones of greater

distinction than you will find in many a European restaurant with

pretensions. In spite of the opulence of the place -- comfortable seats

and large tables with elbow room between yours and the next one --

prices are fair, given the skill of the cooking. A party of four sharing

three starters, three main courses with a vegetable, rice and roti would

pay around #45 excluding drinks. Many main courses are #6.95.

The music is as authentic and as culturally correct as the cuisine,

with Ravi Shankar much to the fore, frequently in duet with Ali Akbar

Khan. In fact, whenever Ravi is in town he makes a bee-line for Balbir's

latest emporium. Which seems to me a fairly good recommendation. And if

a small column of Chinese chaps filters through the doorway don't be

surprised -- it's just the staff of Andy Cheung's Amber Regent across

the road coming in to size up the ethnic opposition. And don't worry

about the scaffolding; major rebuilding work is taking place on the

upper floors but this in no way affects the restaurant.

* Regent Sahib, 51 West Regent St, Glasgow G2 2AE. Tel: 041 331

1980/332 7718.

IN SPITE of the tartan soap you do not so much Take the High Road to

Luss as the low road, now that the place has been by-passed. But it is

worthwhile to tarry a while, not simply to wander through the general

store, which boasts a sun-bleached sign pointing out that it features in

that said soap. The best sign of all is the one just in the doorway

which bans people from entering in their bare feet, for reasons I know

not.

Not far along the road is the brand new Scandinavian-style Lodge on

Loch Lomond. This is not an expensive Scottish Television prop, though

the bulls in Cowcaddens will be using it as just that when they

introduce the ''new hotel'' and start tongues wagging in Glendarroch

with news that a Sassenach has been appointed as manager.

The actual manager of the new hotel, Niall Colquhoun, just smiles and

says: ''Think of the publicity.'' The opening of the Lodge on the Loch

in April this year actually marks the return of this particular branch

of the Colquhoun family to Luss; Niall's grandmother leased and ran the

Colquhoun Arms for 40 years until 1970.

The family has since been involved in other hotels and, currently, a

self-catering chalet enterprise in Crieff. The return to Luss was a

dream of Niall's father Alan, a dream which it took an appeal to the

Secretary of State to get planning permission for.

I think the place sits well on the loch and it certainly represents a

couple of firsts. It must be the first hotel in Scotland, if not all

Britain, to boast saunas in all nine rooms. A small friendly sauna, but

a sauna nevertheless.

The second first is in the dining room, where the split level space

encompasses bar, lounge, dining room and kitchen, all with uninterrupted

views of the loch, the islands, and the hills beyond. It is here that

you will discover a most original wine list printed not on paper but on

an actual bottle of red wine.

It is, says Niall, the only wine in the place which he would suggest

you do not tipple. Otherwise the list is small but eclectic -- Italy,

Chile, California, Australia and France, topping out at #14.90 for

Marques de Riscal and starting with the house at #7.50.

The problem with any eating house on the high or the low road is that

catering to travellers can involve trying to be all things to all

people. The Lodge now concentrates at lunchtime on what reads like

up-graded pub grub. Main course prices start at #4.50.

Dinner is more ambitious, in the hands of Australian chef Darren

Peacock from Tasmania. Matters started well with an intriguing sandwich

of aubergine slices filled with gammon and mozzerella, battered, fried

and served with a sharp and fresh tomato and basil sauce.

The in-house chicken liver pate was smooth but had bite and taste. The

prawn salad was a grandly presented plate with real prawns from Easdale

and all manner of weed with a splendid fruit vinaigrette. It seemed

ridiculous to top the thick moist shellfish with Marie Rose.

I felt that the main courses were more ambitious than successful as

much for the fact that the sauce on my turkey and fruit kebab, the point

of the fruit being to keep the turkey moist, drowned everything from the

potato to the broccoli to the carrot and whatever else lurked

underneath.

By sheer coincidence I had just returned from Australia, where I had

noticed a similar tendency to swamp everything in a veritable Pacific

Ocean of sauce. The kebab on its own and with the sauce on a side dish

as an option would have made a more attractive presentation.

A place worth stopping for, worth watching, and the rooms are

definitely a bargain.

* The Lodge on Loch Lomond, Luss G83 8NT. Tel: 043 686 201/202. A la

carte dinner around #35, three courses, coffee and house wine. Room only

rate: #50 per double (children sharing free) until end September then

#29; #50 Christmas and New Year period. Dogs welcome.