Food

David Bann – Vegetarian Restaurant

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St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh

23/10/16

David Bann’s reputation for vegetarian fine dining is well known around Edinburgh, offering something more refined than the usual salad and quiche cafe experience. The deceptively spacious interior is clean and contemporary and there’s a relaxed atmosphere – yet there’s something decidedly old-school about the place. There’s no wi-fi on the premises and a quick internet search reveals that it doesn’t seem to have a Twitter handle, which – in this day and age – seems almost perverse.

The staff are friendly and accommodating however, and we’re soon enjoying some decent quality wine.  For my starter, I opt for a ravioli parcel with walnut on basil tomato soup. This is nicely cooked and presented,  the pasta parcel satisfyingly al dente, packed with a delicious walnut and spinach filling and floating serenely in a bowl of smooth herb-accented soup. Susan had the salad of fennel, beetroot, raspberry and poached egg. And again, this was handsomely presented, and deliciously fresh, the sharp tang of the raspberry adding a welcome zing – although the poached egg was disappointingly firm. In this kind of dish, you really want to see the yolk spilling over the salad. A minor niggle, perhaps, but an important one.

For my main course, I chose a bowl of stir fried vegetables with udon noodles and smoked tofu. Indeed, this was a popular choice with our party (four out of six of us chose it). It was nicely spiced with ginger and soy, while the smoked tofu was particularly tasty. It’s hard to get tofu just right and this was one of the best attempts I’ve tried. Susan’s baked crepe with spinach, mushroom and smoked cheese was very satisfying too, as well as being the most hearty of all the dishes we ordered, arriving, as it did, with a substantial portion of Mediterranean roasted vegetables.

We were pretty full at this point, so Susan declined a pudding, but I felt I had to sample the ginger and lime ice cream with orange cake –  mostly because it sounded really tempting – and I have to say it was every bit as delicious as it sounded, the orange cake succulently moist, the subtly flavoured ice cream good enough to die for, and packed into a dark chocolate nest. In many ways this was the most assured element of the meal. Across the table, I could see a hot peach and raspberry tart (freshly cooked to order in fifteen minutes), which also looked very appetising but was devoured by my dinner guest before I could steal a spoonful from his plate.

David Bann’s deserves its much-trumpeted reputation. For vegetarian diners who long for something special, this is clearly Edinburgh’s go-to venue. They really should sort out that wi-fi, though – and I’d be tweeting this review to others, if I only could…

4.6 stars
Philip Caveney

Grassmarket Paella Stall

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Grassmarket, Edinburgh

01/10/16

Question: Where can you eat delicious food in Edinburgh city centre for less than a fiver?

Answer: The Grassmarket, every Saturday lunchtime.

To be fair, there’s more than just paella on offer here – there are stalls serving South East Asian cuisine, burgers, pakoras, pizzas, you name it – but paella is what we’re in the mood for this sunny October lunchtime and I’ve been promising myself for ages that we are going to check out this stall, which doesn’t even appear to have a name. A simple sign announces ‘Lovely paella.’ When we arrive, there are two gigantic round pans of the stuff on the go, bubbling invitingly and giving off an aroma that sets my stomach a gurgling, but we’ve mistimed our visit. The chef tells us that the current pan still needs another ten or fifteen minutes before it’s perfect and he isn’t going to serve it until its just right.

Luckily, we have vegetable shopping to do, so we troop off to another stall and sort that out, before heading back, our appetites that bit keener. An eager queue is already forming but the chef remembers us, and waves us to the front. He duly heaps out two piping hot portions into foil trays. This isn’t exactly fancy dining, mind you. We get a plastic fork and a paper serviette apiece and that’s our lot – but it’s a lovely day, so we take a seat on the nearby gibbet (seriously) and dig in.

This is a very decent paella, the rice perfectly judged so it still has a tiny amount of ‘bite’ left in it. There are chunks of succulent chicken, flageolet beans, red peppers, green beans and that delicious combination of spices and chopped garlic that makes every mouthful a thing of wonder. One generously heaped portion of paella costs four pounds, fifty, which is excellent value for money. Transfer this to a china bowl, throw in some cutlery, three flunkies and a wine list and you’d be more than happy to pay £15 for something like this, any day of the week.

When we wander back in that direction, fifteen minutes later, I can’t help but notice that the first big pan has been consumed and people are already looking hopefully at its successor. If you’re in Edinburgh city on a Saturday lunchtime and you fancy a bit of Spanish, you could do a lot worse than this.

4 stars

Philip Caveney

Cameo Cinema Beer & Food Event

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25/09/16

We’ve all heard of food and wine tastings, of course, but the good people at the Cameo Cinema clearly feel that beer really should be afforded the same privilege as its close cousin  – and why not? Like many nations around the world, here in the UK, we consume a lot more amber than we do red or white. Beer often gets bad press, but did you know that it is fat free and has considerably fewer calories than wine? And that it has a lot less sugar than you might think? Hence this intimate meeting for forty lucky members of the Cameo Cinema in their delightful cafe bar (already our favourite drinking place in Edinburgh), where four vegetarian food courses are served, each matched with an appropriate beer.

First up, we’re offered a taste of San Miguel, matched with a tasty slice of Spanakopita (spinach pie), a filo pastry parcel filled with feta cheese, spinach and chopped onions. The twosome make a perfect match, the crisp, zesty lager cutting through the tangy taste of the filling. San Miguel is, of course, always perceived as the ultimate Spanish product – so it might surprise you to discover that it was first brewed (to a Spanish recipe) in the Philippines. These days, of course, it’s brewed in an even more exotic location: Northampton.

Next up we are served with a shot of London Pale Ale (I fondly remember this stuff being my dad’s drink of choice before lager was popularised in the 1960s). This is accompanied by a delightfully flaky vegan samosa filled with sweet and spicy mediterranean vegetables. Once again, the two items are an inspired match, the yeasty ale contrasting nicely with the samosa. Pale ale is also, we are told, an excellent partner for burgers and for Mexican food. You’ll hear no argument from me on that score.

The third nibble is a bowl of vegetable chilli, which has a rich, smoky flavour and a powerful kick to boot. This is paired with a wheat beer called Blue Moon, a malted America beer brewed Belgian-style. Here, the strong flavour of the cloudy beer is exactly what’s needed to cut through the strength of those chipotle chillies. Our hosts ask us if we think it’s a good combination and we answer in the affirmative.

I have a small twinge of anxiety as the fourth and final course is served. Out comes a glass of Black Ball stout, a Williams’ Brothers beer (a popular draught option at the Cameo), and this has been paired with a chocolate brownie. Now, I would never drink a stout on its own; I always find the flavour of roasted malt a bit too much, but I have to admit that, when taken in conjunction with a gooey sticky chunk of brownie, something rather magical happens – the two elements combine to provide a mouthful of what can only be described as sheer heaven. This turns out, against all the odds, to be my favourite pairing of the session.

Clearly the Cameo staff know what they’re doing – this event has been expertly put together. Those who would like to explore the subject a bit more should get themselves down to the Cameo bar with all speed – those who would prefer to learn more at a distance may care to investigate beerforthat.com – where all things beer and food-related are examined in more detail.

4 stars

Philip Caveney

The Scran & Scallie

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05/08/16

Stockbridge, Edinburgh

We’re all familiar with the term ‘gastro-pub.’ Sadly, we’re also familiar with the soggy -lasagna-soup-in-a basket standard of fare that generally masquerades as superior pub dining. So welcome to the Scran & Scallie, a joint enterprise between Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack, that genuinly deserves that gastro-pub tag. Situated on a quiet road in Stockbridge, the place has a relaxed feel, the staff are friendly and, for those on a budget, there’s a daily set lunch menu at £15 a head for three courses.

Today, however, was a day for pushing the proverbial boat out, so we opted to go a la carte. Service takes long enough to persuade you that dishes really are being made to order. A basket of crusty bread and butter kept us going while we waited. I started with smoked trout and potato salad, the flakes of trout cooked to perfection, the potatoes just al dente enough, the light dressing perfectly judged. Susan went for a heritage tomato salad, with black olives & consommé, deliciously light and intensely flavoured. Beside me, our companion announced that he was enjoying his chicken liver parfait & pickled cabbage, served with a couple of pieces of crunchy toast.

For the main course, two of us opted for the steak pie, which sounded alluring and looked quite majestic when it arrived, the light-as-a-feather canopy of pastry supported by a great big chunk of marrow bone, packed with a rich salty filling. There’s a portion of chips, chunky, crispy, exactly as good chips should be; and I chose a side of roasted new potatoes with chorizo, which made an inspired addition to the already intense flavour of the succulent meat. Our companion, ever the individual, went for beef sausage & mash, which arrived looking as though it had been designed primarily to illustrate what such a dish should look like – thick, juicy sausages, smooth-as-you-like spuds and a caramelised onion gravy. The only oddity here was the inclusion  of a couple of hefty-looking onion rings; they were  nicely cooked, lightly battered, the onion within still crispy. Perfectly tasty, but did it really belong on this dish? I’m not sure, but hey, it’s a minor niggle.

Be warned, the portions at The Scran  are best described as ‘hearty,’ so be prepared for that belly-slapping, contented feeling you only ever get when everything is exactly as you want it and there’s plenty of it. We were so full, in fact, we very nearly convinced ourselves that we couldn’t possibly bring ourselves to order a pudding, but then we saw the menu and decided to sacrifice everything for our art.

So there was a delightfully light sticky toffee pudding, drenched in a sweet sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; and a vanilla cheesecake with Scottish raspberries, the cheesecake rich, smooth and flavoursome, perfectly contrasted with the acidity of those fresh raspberries. Yum.

Okay, so TS&S lacks the finesse of say, Castle Terrace, but then, that’s entirely the point. This is superior quality nosh, artfully cooked, nicely presented in a relaxed environment where you can happily enjoy a pint with your food. And it’s excellent. Apart from those onion rings, I couldn’t fault this, not one mouthful of it. If you’re in Edinburgh, looking for a memorable meal without the pretensions, this should be your first port of call.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

Henderson’s Salad Table Restaurant

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24/08/16

Hanover Street, Edinburgh

Henderson’s is a bit of an Edinburgh institution, with several outlets across the city, including a shop and deli, and a vegan restaurant (on Thistle Street). Today we’re visiting the Salad Table Restaurant on Hanover Street, where the vegetarian and vegan menu also has a number of gluten-free options, which is a necessary requirement for the friends we’re with.

It’s easy to see how this place has earned its reputation; it’s a bright, cheery, self-service cafeteria, and absolutely everything looks delicious. It’s hard to choose.

Philip and I both opt for the vegetable quiche, served with a mixed leaf salad and coleslaw. We can’t resist adding a couple of extras: a beetroot and olive salad that is very flavoursome indeed, and a quinoa concoction that, while perfectly nicely dressed, just can’t escape the worthy dullness that seems synonymous with its main ingredient. But it’s the only thing we don’t enjoy.

Our friend samples the vegan pizza and declares it’s “lovely.” She’s most impressed though by the fruity vegan coleslaw, which tastes just as good as it looks. Her son tries the chickpea curry; he’s eight, so he doesn’t have a lot to say about it, but he eats a decent portion and concedes that it is “nice.”

Overall, we’re really delighted to add another excellent establishment to our ‘list of places we enjoy eating in Edinburgh.’ At £10-£15 per head, this isn’t especially cheap, but the quality of the food is undeniable, and it’s definitely worth it.

4.2 stars

Susan Singfield

Nanyang

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21/08/16

Quartermile Edinburgh

Tucked away amidst the confusion of building work currently taking place on The Quartermile, it would be very easy to overlook the Nanyang. This bustling contemporary restaurant offers an interesting take on Malaysian cuisine and is well worth seeking out. The friendly staff are attentive and once we’ve ordered, the food arrives quickly and is handsomely presented.

There are four of us to dine, so we each choose an appetiser, deciding that we will share them out between us. They comprise Vegetable Rolls, served with a sweet and sour sauce, Curry Puffs, (filled pastry parcels) accompanied by peanut sauce; Crispy Won Tons (again with sweet and sour sauce) and King Prawn Dumplings with soy. All the appetisers are nicely cooked, the curry puffs particularly satisfying with their spicy potato filling.

The main courses also arrive promptly. There’s a Beef Rendang, powerfully spiced and fragrant, rich with the flavour of coconut and served with a bowl of sticky coconut rice – Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion, the beef succulent and tender, is served with thick, earthy noodles – a Mee Goring (fried noodles with grilled chicken and a Nasi Goring (fried rice with chicken) are both selected from the ‘Malaysian Street Food’ menu and I’m asked, when ordering, if I require it spicy or not. I opt for spicy (and by golly it is!) Keith chooses the milder option, yet still reports that his Mee Goring is ‘on the hot side.’). The only slight disappointment with these two dishes is that they are traditionally served with a fried egg on top, but in both cases, the yolks have solidified and you really do want that yolk spilling down over the mound of spicy rice or noodles.

This is perhaps a minor niggle. The food is otherwise cooked to perfection and the generous portions mean that we have no room left to sample one of the (largely coconut based) puddings. With the meal, we drink a bottle of sauvignon blanc and I have a couple of bottles of Tiger beer (it would be nice to see this available on draught, I think.) The bill for four comes to a very reasonable £99.

Would I eat here again? Most certainly. The building work will eventually be done with and then, I suspect, it will be a case of booking early to secure a seat.

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney

Castle Terrace, Edinburgh

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13/08/16

Castle Terrace’s reputation precedes it – and it’s a place we’ve wanted to visit for quite a while now; but somehow, we’ve never found the right time to do it. Now, newly relocated to Edinburgh and within a few days of our second wedding anniversary, plus a visit from our favourite nephew, we simply felt we’d run out of excuses. Time to put on what passes for our best bib and tucker and take that five-minute stroll around the corner.

First impressions are encouraging. The dining area is spacious and has a light contemporary feel, not in the least bit stuffy, like some other fine dining restaurants we might mention. The friendly staff begin by presenting each of us with three colourful amuse bouches – handsomely crafted little taste explosions, each with its own unique flavour. The first is the essence of a Caesar salad, the next crab, and the third beetroot and goat’s cheese. It’s a brilliant introduction and we haven’t even ordered yet.

The starters are a little slow in coming so what happens next? They bring us another amuse bouche, by way of apology, this one a brilliantly rendered miniature ‘egg’ made from panacotta, haddock and mango, packing an intense fishy flavour. It’s superb. There’s also a basket of hot bread with butter to spread on it, but we try to resist eating too much of it, wanting to keep our appetites keen.

The starters arrive. We’ve chosen raviloli of brown crab with minestrone of vegetable, served in its own bisque and ballotine of Ayrshire pork with gooseberry jelly and crackling. Both dishes are superb, the bisque on the former so rich and satisfying, you feel you want to wipe up every last drop with a chunk of that lovely bread. The pork is satisfyingly succulent and, if there’s a slight criticism here, it’s simply that the crackling seems a little too ‘wholesome,’ lacking the illicit smack of pork fat that would have made it perfect. But this is a tiny niggle, all things considered, and our livers will probably thank us for it.

Main courses duly arrive and are happily devoured – the Inverurie lamb is tender and juicy and served with a tempura of aubergine and apricot, light, crispy and packed with flavour. The seared wing of skate has a fresh, punchy taste and this is served with a crisp vegetable salad infused with a zesty lemon and lime dressing. The nephew opts for the pithivier of ox tongue with an heirloom tomato and basil salad. This has a crispy pastry top and comes with a dark and delicious jus. It is essentially a posh meat pie and I wondered if some equally posh chips might have been a more appropriate accompaniment, but we hear no complaints from Dylan.

Do we have room for dessert? Well, as this is the first time we’ve dined here, we make the ultimate sacrifice and say ‘yes.’ Pretty soon we’re tucking into a vanilla crème brulee (old school in a shallow dish with a crispy, seared topping) and – for me the star of the show – a dark chocolate and raspberry delice with Earl Grey custard. Imagine, if you will, something that looks like an oversized Tunnock’s teacake, handsomely decorated and made from superior ingredients. Break through the brittle carapace of dark chocolate and you release a flood of rich, raspberry ooze. The custard, which I’ll admit worried me somewhat when I read about it on the menu, makes the perfect accompaniment. Yes, it tastes of Earl Grey tea, but against all the odds, it complements the rich chocolaty dessert perfectly. Who knew?

We’re amazed to read after the event that Castle Terrace recently lost its coveted Michelin Star, but surely it can only be a matter of time before it’s reinstated? Because all things considered, this just might be… (takes a deep breath but says it anyway) the best meal I’ve ever eaten. What else can we give this but the full five stars? If you’re in Edinburgh and feeling flush, go a la carte. Otherwise, at lunchtime there’s a brilliant three course set menu at £29.50 per person, which will linger in the memory long after you’ve finished dining.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

Hanoi Bike Shop

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07/06/16

I was in Glasgow for some school events and after a rewarding day spent encouraging young people to write fiction, my thoughts inevitably turned to my evening meal and I decided that what I was really in the mood for was noodles. So I took a stroll along the trendy Byers Road area of the city, eyes peeled and after a little while, I spotted a sign that read Hanoi Bike Shop and I wondered if this might be the kind of thing  I was looking for. Then I spotted another sign that invited me to ‘get my noodle on’ and decided that I had hit paydirt. It turned out I had called at a fortuitous date because this being the first Tuesday of the month, it was Phat Phuc (yeah, I know, I know, but we’ll let them away with that, right?) Tonight there’s a set menu, offering four courses for the all-in price of £16.95. So in I went and down I sat and looking around, I liked what I was seeing.

The Hanoi Bike Shop advertises itself as a Vietnamese canteen. The interior is intimate, quirky and sure enough, the walls and ceiling are adorned with bits of bicycle, spanners , spokes and garish ethnic designs. A sound system pumps out classic rock songs at just the right volume. The service is prompt and the three smaller courses arrive pretty much all together, allowing me to dip in and out, marvelling at the resulting explosions of flavour.

The dishes comprise Goi Cuon (black pepper pork belly rice paper rolls with gem lettuce, pickles and nuoc cham): Sup Da (a broth made with chicken, coconut and lemongrass, replete with vermiccelli noodles, bean sprouts, coriander and crispy shallots): and Banh Gao (red dragon rice noodle cakes with spring onion and sesame seeds). Sounds good, right? – and happily each dish is every bit as delicious as you could reasonably expect – the broth is particularly good, thick, salty and bowl-lickingly satisfying. Just when I think it can’t get much better than this, along comes the main dish, Mi An Ot (salt and chilli shrimp and pork belly served on glass noodle salad with herbs and shallot) and I’m truly in noodle heaven. I wash it down with a bottle of Saigon beer and the whole shooting match comes in at around twenty pounds, which represents excellent value for money.

Quibbles? Well, only that you are expected to eat with chopsticks, something I’m spectacularly poor at. I’m sure  I could have asked for a fork, but looking around, everyone else was just getting on with it, so I gave it my best shot and acquitted myself well enough, I think. I’ve never actually visited Vietnam, so I can’t honestly say how authentic the food was, only that it was exactly what I was looking for on this Tuesday evening. Afterwards I felt pleasantly full and the next time I’m in this neck of the woods, I will certainly call in again to get my noodle craving spectacularly catered for.

If you like noodles, you’ll love the Hanoi Bike Shop. Try it out and if it happens to be the first Tuesday of the month, you’re in luck.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

 

 

Home’s First Birthday

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20th-22nd June 2016

Hard to believe, but Home – Manchester’s hub for all things creative, has already been here for one year and recently celebrated it’s millionth customer. So this weekend, they’re having a bit of a party, with all kinds of free events, live music and (I shouldn’t be at all surprised) a lot of people in the bar.

But what theatrical events have they lined up, you might ask. And I’m glad you did, because surely only Home would offer the offbeat double bill that’s currently showing in theatre 2.

The evening kicks off with Late Night Love by Eggs Collective, a weird sort of cabaret that focuses on late-night radio romance. Three black suited actors slink around the theatre offering free chocolates, glasses of prosecco, a bit of ice sculpture and a collection of mawkish power ballads. It’s weird, engaging and a lot of fun. If you want to get involved, make sure you grab a seat at one of the tables up front.

4 stars.

After a short interval, head back into the theatre for Gutted – a one woman show in which Liz Richardson performs a piece about ulcerative colitis. (And before you react by saying, ‘that doesn’t sound like a lot of fun,’ don’t be fooled. Richardson (who cowrote the work with Tara Robinson) offers a fearless performance, where all aspects of the condition are unflinchingly explored and where she takes on something like fifteen roles. There’s also a lot of audience participation here but there are rewards – I myself was given a bottle of ale just for reading out a greetings card! This is a moving autobiographical performance, don’t miss it.

4.2 stars.

Even if you can’t get a seat in the theatre, the thing is to be here. Home’s  first floor restaurant is well-worth a visit too. In fact, we can’t really believe we’ve waited a whole year to try it out. The dining room is sprawling and open-plan, merging seamlessly with a   bar and a performance area where a band strikes up part way through our meal. It’s a lively, convivial place, ideal for meeting up with friends. So that’s what we do. The table is ours for the evening, and we never feel rushed and the service is very good, particularly considering how busy the place is. There’s a range of pizzas and burgers, and a few house specialities; if the food is comforting rather than exciting, it doesn’t really matter very much. Portions are generous, and we’re all happy with what we have, particularly the starters, where highlights include the baked king prawns (firm, tasty and plentiful) and the smoked haddock pate (complete with a layer of clarified butter, a pleasing touch, we think). And as tonight’s a party, we imbibe more than a few drinks to mark the occasion.

3.9 stars.

So head into Manchester and bring along some like-minded pals. Home is a brilliant venue and deserves to be celebrated. Maybe we’ll see you there.

Philip Caveney & Susan Singfield

Watson’s Bistro

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17/04/06

Chapel Street, Conwy, North Wales

The charming coastal town of Conwy is a picturesque place what with the castle, the harbour and the beach. On a sunny Sunday afternoon in April, it also turned out to be a great place for lunch. Watson’s Bistro is tucked away off the main drag, right next to a stretch of the old town walls and it’s well worth seeking out. Step inside and you’ll find a delightful family-owned restaurant, a Diner’s Choice winner in 2015. There are four of us to dine and after some perusal of the menu, we decide to eschew starters and go for two courses at a very reasonable £16.95. Some fresh bread is provided with a saucer of dipping oil, which makes for a pleasant palette cleanser, but we’ve barely finished eating that when the main courses arrive.

I have the 24 hour cooked shin of beef, served with creamy mashed potato and an ‘unctuous’ gravy. I can’t help feeling that the word ‘unctuous’ is an odd one, meaning as it does, oily and insincere, whereas this gravy is quite the opposite, rich and satisfying. Being of a cheeky persuasion, I also ask if I can sample the home made Yorkshire pudding that is really supposed to come only with the roast beef, and happily, the answer is ‘yes.’ A word about that shin beef – it is of the ‘pulled’ variety, full of flavour and melt-in-the mouth tender. Add a swirl of that ‘unctuous gravy’ and you have heaven on a plate. Susan’s roast beef is also deliciously tender and backed up with crispy roast potatoes and a flavoursome thyme jus. One of our companions has the slow roast shoulder of Welsh lamb with a minted port wine sauce and that too is spot on. The Yorkshire puds are light and very dry in texture – I like them, Susan is rather less keen. The meals are accompanied by a dish of perfectly cooked vegetables – boiled potatoes, carrots, broccoli and (a nice touch, I think) tempura cauliflower florets. This is all pretty much note perfect and the generous portions mean that we’re glad we skipped the starters.

Puddings can sometimes be so-so in these places but happily, not so here. Three of our company opt for the pear and toffee crumble, which manages to be moist and crunchy and sticky, all at the same time. I have an orange sponge pudding with chocolate ice cream, the pudding moist and sticky with orange sauce, the ice cream bursting flavour. Mmm. It’s not considered polite to lick your plate clean afterwards, but sometimes these things just cannot be resisted.

A glance at the evening specials and the a la carte menu seem to offer endless possibilities for further investigation, but sadly we’re not close enough to Conwy to make this a regular haunt, which is a pity. This is one of the best Sunday lunches I’ve ever had. If you’re in the area, you’ve no excuse, get down there and enjoy!

4.8 stars

Philip Caveney