Food

The Apartment, Edinburgh

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17/04/15

Edinburgh has a whole host of excellent restaurants but The Apartment, in Barclay Place, is undoubtedly one of its best, not only in its eclectic choice of ingredients, but also in terms of value for money. The set menu offers two superb courses for £15 and three for £17 (£19 after 7 pm). There’s also a selection of Chef’s specials, a choice of three kinds of healthy skewers, steaks and (a nice touch here)  three dishes that can be ordered as small or large portions, the former clearly aimed at customers with a lot more control than I have! On the night we visited, we were greeted by the maitre d, an affable and chatty Irishman, who certainly knew how to make us feel relaxed and happy. The staff are attentive, without being pushy and the surroundings, though smart and modern, are nonetheless atmospheric and entirely convivial.

For starters we had Pan Fried Squid with Chervil and Butter Sauce and Chicken and Black Pudding Terrine with Star Anise Apricots. If the descriptions sound enticing, let me assure you that the food absolutely lived up to them! The squid was deliciously light and suffused with a subtle lemon tang, while the black pudding had a spicy ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ quality, that ensured the platter was virtually licked clean.

On to the main courses: I went for the Roasted Pork Loin with Merguez, Soupy Puy Lentils and Crispy Pancetta while Susan ordered the Grilled Plaice Fillets with Wild Garlic Mash, Brown Shrimp and Mussel Vinaigrette. Once again, both courses were note perfect – the pork was succulent and perfectly offset by the dark, earthy lentils and the spicy Spanish sausage, while the fish was light and flaky, swimming in that citrusy mussel vinaigrette. Yum!

Was there room for pudding? You bet! And frankly, who could resist the Mille Feuille with Lemon & Lime Curd or the Dark Chocolate Pot with Dulche De Leche and Blueberry Jelly? Not us, that’s for sure. The former was light and buttery, the latter… well, if chocolate’s your thing, then you’re going to be very happy with this.

The meal was accompanied by a very decent Sauvignon Blanc which at £17 for a bottle, was once again, excellent value.

So, should you find yourself in Edinburgh, hungry and  in need of something a little bit special, take my advice and steer yourself up towards Bruntsfield and The Apartment. You won’t be disappointed.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

Kampung Ali, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh

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08/04/15

Looking for somewhere with an incredible sense of style? Maybe Kampung Ali isn’t for you. The decor is, at best, functional and the huge mural on the back wall, which depicts an eastern city at night, complete with twinkling neon lights is, dare I say it? A bit kitsch. Maybe you’re looking for somewhere with an extensive wine list? Again, you won’t find it here. The house white is a chardonnay and at a push, they’ll drag out a glass of rosé sauvignon blanc that tastes as though it was originally opened to celebrate the marriage of Charles and Diana – though beer lovers will fare rather better with a bottle of Tiger. But if you’re looking for superb Malaysian cuisine offered at great value prices, well then, that’s a different matter entirely.

We began with two classic starters. The Vegetarian Spring Rolls were light, flakey and delicately spiced, one of the best versions of this dish I’ve ever tried. The the Satay Chicken Skewers came immersed in a thick and tangy peanut sauce, that was finger-lickingly good. Both portions were on the generous side (those with faint appetites may want to share a starter.)  The main courses were equally stunning. I had Crispy Pork with Noodles, which had a clean, pleasing flavour spiced with lemongrass and chilli, just enough to make the taste buds tingle, but not too overpowering. Susan opted for King Prawn with Noodles, a big hearty bowl of fishy goodness, swimming in a broth that was fierce but satisfyingly sweetened with coconut milk. No diner at Kampung Ali can afford to miss out on a bowl of their Coconut Rice  which is light, sticky and fragrant.

A meal for two with drinks came in at £36, which in the City Centre, can only be viewed as exceptional value. So, come to Kampung Ali. Ignore the decor. Sit down and take your taste buds for a brisk trot around the park. You won’t be disappointed.

4.2 stars

Philip Caveney

Brassica Grill – Shaw Road, Heaton Moor

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02/03/15

Brassica is housed in what used to be a popular Spanish restaurant in the Heatons, La Casona. Under the guidance of acclaimed Chef, Paul Faulkner, it’s already acquired an avid following and on the Thursday night we attended, was filled with a lively crowd of hungry diners. When we’d phoned to book, we were told yes, the restaurant could accommodate us at our chosen time, but apologised in advance that they’d have to give us a ‘slightly inferior’ table. (The table was perfectly acceptable, but I liked the attention to detail.) The ambience in Brassica is pleasantly austere, quite a change from its more flamboyant Spanish origins. We decided to try the set menu, (two courses for £14, three for £17). We both ordered the same starter, a Venison Scotch Egg with Pickled Celery, Beetroot and Apple Chutney. This was superb, the spicy meat coated with a crispy outer layer and the egg caught just at the right point, the yolk soft and full-flavoured. The tangy accompaniment was just enough to set it off.

So far so good, but then the main courses arrived and were perhaps not quite so successful. I went for the Fish Pie, which was pleasant enough if a little watery. Served in a tin dish, it resembled decent pub grub, but was not up to the standard of that incredible starter – and the accompanying broccoli spears were limp and unspectacular. Susan opted for the ‘Blade of Beef with Carrots, Wild Garlic and Creamed Potato. The description prompted us to expect a thin slice of meat, but instead she was served a cake-shaped serving of pulled beef, which was flavoursome but disappointingly greasy. The carrots and potato elements were nicely done. Again, it wasn’t bad, but nowhere near as assured as what had gone before.

We decided to go a la carte for the sweet (there was a choice of just three desserts on the set menu, none of which really appealed.) Susan ordered a Raspberry Soufflé served with Vanilla Ice Cream and I went for a real old school dessert, Treacle Tart and Custard. Soufflés are notoriously difficult to pull off, but this one was perfection, light, fluffy with a refreshingly tart flavour. The treacle tart was a sweet bombshell, stickily encased in thick vanilla custard. In both cases, the plates were virtually licked clean.

So, great marks for the start and end, but not so much for the middle. On the Moor, of course, the restaurant to beat is Steve Pilling’s Damson, which time and again pulls off note-perfect courses with aplomb.To be fair, Brassica isn’t a million miles away from rivalling it, but may require a little more attention on those main courses.

4.1 stars

Philip Caveney