INDIAN
list.co.uk
EDINBURGH
GUIDES
1QW (Map 3C: D3, 24) 0131 667 5046, voujonedinburgh.co.uk | Mon–Sun 5.30–11.30pm. Veg; HW £12.95; Kids; Wh; T/A; D. £18 (lunch) / £18 (dinner)
Despite sitting at the bottom of Newington Road, Voujon has a decidedly slick, city centre feel, with white tablecloths and angular contemporary crockery helping it avoid a local tandoori image. The primarily Bengali and North Indian menu features a solid number of usual suspects alongside a scattering of well-placed adventurous options. There’s a precision in the cooking that makes the dishes more fresh than fiery. Chicken is fried in spring onions and green chilli, helping to infuse a number of the familiar main courses, such as the bhuna, with more fragrance and freshness than usual. Some of the menu’s more outside-thebox offerings feature as side dishes that can easily be mixed and matched for a tapas-style dining experience. Vegetarians are well catered for across the board and the accomplished selection of bread and rice options leave no stone unturned – the ghee bat basmati rice, fried in Indian butter and fresh onions, is a particular highlight. + Ghee bat basmati rice - A larger selection of adventurous choices would be welcome
Zest
Vinyasa: bringing bargain Indian lunches and subtle spicing to the Old Town
their speciality is the ‘roti roll’ – any curry of your choice wrapped up in a roti flatbread and served with salad for under £3. Given the pricing, you would be forgiven for underestimating the quality of cooking. Far from cheap and cheerful, the curries are accomplished and would not taste out of place in a high-end Indian restaurant. Fresh herbs and spices are well handled by a chef with a keen understanding of flavour combinations. The café also excels in desserts, with the homemade mini cheesecake selection proving as popular as the curries themselves. + Great value home-style food - The space is a bit cramped
Tuk Tuk 1 Leven Street, EH3 9LH (Map 3A: B1, 12) 0131 228 3322, tuktukonline.com | Mon– Sun noon–10.30pm. Veg; BYOB (no charge). £12.50 (lunch) / £12.50 (dinner)
A relative newcomer to the Tollcross restaurant mix, Tuk Tuk hit the ground running and has quickly established itself as a popular spot for a pre-theatre bite or (thanks to the no-corkage BYOB policy) a lively dinner with friends. Having remodelled the long-vacant premises of a beauty salon, the young owners set out to deliver modern Indian
street food and railway station classics. The corner restaurant is large and bright, its three adjoining rooms filled with tables constructed from old scaffolding poles and other reclaimed items. It’s all very Slumdog chic. The menu helpfully advises selecting three dishes per person, but the temptation to over-order is huge, with playful names like chicken lollipops, bun kebabs and massala chips vying for attention. Chicken and lamb are the main players here, with the only fish option – Bengali fishcakes – slightly let down by a lack of spice. Vegetarian options are plentiful, with lentils, vegetables and paneer all present and correct, but a highlight is the egg paratha – spicy omelette wrapped in a huge paratha bread and served with piquant tamarind chutney. With imported Indian soft drinks, lassis by the jug and an alcove of homemade goodies to purchase on the way out, Tuk Tuk does a great job of bringing the taste of modern India to Edinburgh. + Another side of Indian cuisine – modern, fresh and inventive - More fish options would be welcome
Vinyasa 34 St Mary’s Street, EH1 1SX (Map 2B: B3, 20) 0131 556 6776, vinyasaedinburgh. co.uk | Mon–Sun noon–2pm, 5.30–
10.30pm Veg; HW £14.95; Kids; T/A. £6.50 (set lunch)
Vinyasa is a new kid on the block, opening its doors in February 2013. The décor is fresh and modern, with limegreen walls, pink flock booth seating and cushioned dining chairs ensuring a comfortable rather than slouchy feel. Lunchtime diners can enjoy a two-course set menu for just £6.50, a price which almost undersells the quality of the chefs at work. The menu is a familiar affair although the accomplishment in the kitchen lifts it beyond the ordinary. The saag paneer is particularly impressive, with homemade cottage cheese and a sauce which makes great use of a small number of fresh spices. Sauces always fall on the correct side of spicy – tasty and flavoursome as opposed to fiery – and also take pride in avoiding the too-oily accusation that is often levelled at Indian restaurants. All the usual accoutrements (naan bread, pilau rice, raita) are well-executed and in keeping with Vinyasa’s high standards. + Saag paneer - No handrail on steep staircase to the restrooms
Voujon 107 Newington Road, Southside, EH9
15 North St Andrew Street, New Town, EH2 1HJ (Map 1B: B5, 44) 0131 556 5028, zest-restaurant.co.uk | Mon–Sun noon– 2pm, 5.30–11pm. Veg; HW £13.50; T/A; D. £7.95 (set lunch) / £19 (dinner)
Don’t be put off by the tram works outside: Zest is very much open for business. Inside it’s an oasis of crisp white tablecloths, neatly laid out cutlery and smiling, helpful staff. Starters are familiar but don’t suffer for that. There’s a decent king prawn puri, the sauce rich with coriander and tamarind, and the chana purée is well spiced. Things get more interesting with mains such as the unusual tandoori baingan dupiaza and the intriguingly named Sir Walter Scott lamb sarisha. The former is intensely flavoured with smoky aubergine and works brilliantly; the latter adds spring onions to slow-cooked lamb in a mustard sauce and is equally hard to fault. An accompaniment of Bombay aloo is dry, spicy and delicious. Alongside these and other surprise offerings (lamb shank, anyone?) the menu also takes in traditional favourites like bhuna, rogan josh and madras in the usual meat/veggie configurations. + Consistently well-cooked food from an original and entertaining menu - Outside, York Place looks like Kate Adie should be reporting from it
The one & only
Mosque kitchen Curry in a hurry Delicious freshly prepared curries, samosas and BBQ kebabs.We also cater for vegetarians. 33 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh EH8 9BX Open 7 days 11.30am-9.30pm (Open festival 11am-10pm) (Closed Friday 1pm-1.45pm for prayer) 0131 667 4035 • mosquekitchen@btconnect.com Hitlisted in The List Eating & Drinking Guide 10/11 70 The List Eating & Drinking Guide