Oaka


Located on George Street, just down from Strathclyde Uni, Oaka is an Asian supermarket and cafe. Offering a range of produce from all over Asia including China, Hong Kong, Japan and elsewhere, the supermarket area of Oaka provides an impressive selection of snacks, drinks, ingredients and frozen goods that brings convenience to the city centre. 

Attached to the supermarket is a small restaurant/cafe area that offers 'street food' and drinks such as coffee, tea and matcha. The goal of Oaka is to make customers feel at home, Oaka translating to home in the Hakka dialect. I thought the atmosphere was most definitely welcoming and homely, mainly due to the staff. They were so so helpful and genuinely kind which makes the world of a difference when trying somewhere new. The seating area was clean and set up well for a quick and social lunch, which is exactly what I used it for. During a uni lunch break, some friends and I popped into Oaka for some lunch, a mid- day beverage and some snacks. Both my friend and I got the dim sum platter, a selection of 9 dim sum, including char siu bao and siu mai. For only £6.60, I think this was great value and the perfect lunch time meal. I also tried the ube matcha that they offer, something I had seen on TikTok a while ago and had been intrigued about ever since. An ube is a variety of yam with a bright purple colour, often used in deserts for its nutty, vanilla taste. I really enjoyed the taste it brought to the matcha, being one of the best in the area. Next time I go, I do want to try the coffee as I am always on the lookout for good coffee while I'm at uni! 


Also, while we were there, we had a wander around the supermarket and chose some snacks just to try out of curiosity. I bought a mix of savoury and sweet snacks and also tried one of the ice cups and juice sachets that I had seen so much about. I wasn't really sure what I had picked up so my friends and I decided to make a TikTok trying them all (@awokaroundglasgow if anyone wants to see what we thought). Spoiler, the egg crisps (?) were the best. 

Honestly, I am very much looking forward to returning to Oaka and seeing what else they have to offer. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Noodles & Dumplings

Image
I recently went to visit Noodles and Dumplings, a newly opened authentic, family run Chinese restaurant in Glasgows west end. Conveniently located on Gibson Street, Noodles and Dumplings are serving up hand pulled noodles and hand made dumplings that can be seen being made in the open kitchen, creating a real sense of freshness and authenticity.  I visited with a friend on a cold, windy Friday night and a warm bowl of broth and noodles was just what I was after. The interior is clean and cosy with only about 6 or 7 tables and the open kitchen at the back. The staff were also very nice and welcoming but it is cash only so remember that if you're visiting!  The menu is extensive and includes a wide variation of authentic Chinese food that you may not find regularly in Glasgow such as, chicken feet and tripe. After much deliberation, I opted for the garlic beef flank noodles in broth and my friend played it safe with sweet and sour chicken on rice. We also shared some chicken p...
Read more

Boba Bakes Cafe

Image
Boba Bakes is a Hong Kong style cafe located on Cambridge Street, in Glasgow's City Centre. A hidden gem just off of Sauchiehall Street, Boba Bakes Cafe is the place to be for your midday drink and sweet treat.  Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, is a Taiwanese drink, traditionally made with a tea base, milk and chewy tapioca 'bubbles' to make for a truly unique experience. While offering up the classics, Boba Bakes also has a variety of fruit teas, tiger milk (brown sugar flavoured) teas, matcha, taro and coffee boba drinks. With such a large choice, I'm sure there is something for everyone.  The cafe itself is small and very welcoming and being connected to a restaurant just through the wall, the smell as soon as you step through the door is enough to make your mouth water. The atmosphere was made even better by the friendly staff who instantly made us feel at ease with some of the most contagious smiles I have ever seen.  A visit to Boba Bakes cannot be completed ...
Read more

Welcome to A Wok Around Glasgow

 Hey everyone! My name is Amy and I am currently getting ready to go on exchange to Hong Kong as part of my International Business degree. I have so many things to look forward to in the next few months of my life, but being a big foodie, I am excited for all the food I am going to eat while over in Asia.  Although Asian food is definitely up there with my favourite cuisines, I don't know that much about more traditional Chinese foods (as I am sure chicken balls and salt and chilli chips don't really count). Like many Brits, my experiences with Chinese food have mainly been limited to what I have ordered from my local Chinese takeaway. I must say I am not the most adventurous when ordering a Chinese takeaway, mostly rotating between sweet and sour chicken, chicken satay or chicken chow mein. So, in simple terms, some variation of chicken! With that being said, this blog has been created so I can document all the Chinese food I try here in Glasgow, my home city and somewhere ...
Read more