Table for four at Rustico, Union Row Aberdeen

The in-laws were up, and in a rare alignment of their visiting, it being their anniversary and my wallet feeling flush we decided to treat them to dinner. Rusticos is a long established Italian restaurant whose menu is centred on the cuisine of the Southern regions of Italy.

We’ve been to Rusticos twice before so we had an idea what to expect. Although the wife didn’t expect my ‘knocking a glass of water into her lap’ trick last time. Something I was at pains to avoid during this visit.

We booked an early meal. We arrived slightly early but were greeted warmly and they showed us to our table straight away. We ordered drinks, I went with my usual Peroni which is served in a Peroni glass. I love drinking Peroni out this glass and is one of the reasons I order it when I’m at Rusticos. The shape of it and the fact it holds precisely one bottle is part of the appeal. I want a set of these at home. Now that we’ve established that I have a worrying fetish for Peroni glasses we can turn our attention to the food.

To open I went with the Bruschetta. The bread was crisp, the tomato fresh, and it was infused with garlic with a very generous helping of olive oil. A very tasty opening gambit to the meal, that didn’t last long on my plate. Our plates were whisked away and no less than 15 seconds later main courses were arriving, “a bit much” I thought. Thankfully they were meant for another table, but it took them a moment to get their act together. No harm done, at least it brought a moment of comedy to proceedings.

For the main course I selected the ‘Filletto Pizzaiola’. This was three pieces of fillet steak with roasted vegetables, olives and about three super tankers worth of olive oil. The steak was lovely and overall the meal was pleasant enough. However at £19:99 I’m looking for more than pleasant, I want to be blown away, speechless, in awe. It also seemed familiar, you see on my previous visit I went for the veal and well, it was essentially the same meal bar the choice of meat. My wife went for the steak whilst the in-laws went for the ‘Linguini Marinara’ and the ‘Penne Gamberoni’, from whom I heard no complaints.

For dessert we selected the ‘Sweet Of The Day’ an appealing combination of Chocolate truffle and vanilla ice cream with a shot of brandy over the top. It was lovely but the brandy was too much. Had they added just a dash of brandy it would’ve been better balanced and more enjoyable.

I finished with the obligatory double espresso and the bill that came to a shade over £100.

Overall Rustico’s provides an enjoyable dining experience, however on the evidence of my latest visit they’re falling short of their capabilities. The service was friendly enough, but I felt a little rushed by them. The Main Meals section of the menu is a bit too pricey and could do with a little more variety and a lot less oil. The next time I visit I will endeavour to try out some of their pasta, partly to see how good it is but mostly for the sake of my wallet!


6/10 – Good food and atmosphere, but they are capable of higher standards. Must try harder.

Chef Jang, Aberdeen Market

This small unassuming place in the bowels of Aberdeen Market may be deceptive (and hard to find) at first glance. However you will find some of the best sushi and sashimi in Aberdeen, if not Scotland, lurking within. Apparently the eponymous chef Jang, was formerly personal chef to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il, and the quality is fit for a king (or radical dictator in this case).

I took my seat at the bar style table along with my work colleague for a quick lunch and pored over the myriad options available. I finally settled on the Deluxe Sushi Selection (£12.50). This may sound expensive but it includes no less than 14 pieces of sushi and maki rolls. This dish includes salmon, sea bass, tuna, king prawn and (I think) octopus sushi. Also there is Tobiko (flying fish roe) sushi rolls and Tobiko maki rolls - served of course with the obligatory wasabi mustard, soy sauce & pickled ginger. 

The fish was fresh and tasty, flying fish roe bursting on the tongue like fresh breaths of the sea. My colleague went for the Dragon Roll (£5.50) - a long maki roll with brown sauce and mustard rippled over it - may sound strange but it is a tasty treat.

We then pushed the boat out on some Unagi Maki Rolls ( a new addition to the menu) - smoked eel grilled with a teriyaki style sauce brushed over it and then put into maki rolls (£3.00 for 6). All in all a very enjoyable lunchtime sojourn. Perhaps a little on the expensive side but as my colleague who has recently returned from a month's tour in Japan stated - the sushi rivals that of any he ever found over there. A big thumbs-up - I take one point off only for the price which prohibits me from more regular visits!

Service: Excellent, very friendly and you can watch the sushi being made

Food: Top notch, to rival the sushi you would get in Japan

Price: A little expensive for a lunchtime snack but not too bad considering the quality of the fish.

Ambience/atmosphere: It is pretty basic as it is some seating in the Aberdeen Market but fine for stopping by for a few selections. 

Overall: 9/10

On another note I have not tried Yatai on Skene Street yet so I haven't had a chance to compare this so it would be unfair to call this the best sushi/sashimi in Aberdeen - I shall inform in due course on this!