Lunch Quest: Edinburgh

Dalry Road is just round the corner from where I live, and has some nice restaurants, but for one reason or another, I haven't sampled any of its delights, of late. Last night I took the opportunity to rectify that situation, with a trip to Kebabish.

Kebabish is the UK's biggest chain of Asian restaurants, specialising in spicy treats from their famous grill. Free corkage BYOB is the order of the day, so we popped in to the Co-op, handily located a couple of doors down, and picked up the inevitable lager.

The place was busy when we arrived, but fortunately they had a couple of bigger tables free, so they were able to fit in our party of 9.

While the chairs were comfortable, the place has a really cramped feel to it, and not just because it was busy. We were seated right in front of the large open kitchen, where we had the extremely dubious honour a witnessing the boss man glower at his staff as they busily prepared dishes.


If people want to run their kitchen with the atmosphere of frowning scrutiny, that's fine, but in this circumstance, where everyone could see what was going on, it seemed very out of place, to me.

There was a good deal of confusion about which menu we were to order from. We were first given the full a la carte, then this was taken away and replaced by a Christmas menu. This was swapped back, then one of the many waiters offered us yet another deal, not on either of the menus. It was a total mess.

Eventually, we settled upon an array of main courses, with some poppadoms and pickles for a light, shared starter.


The main courses arrived quickly, with my mixed grill looking incredibly impressive. It was a huge plate of meat comprising lamb kebabs, chicken wings, lamb chops, and further pieces of chicken and lamb, all served on a bed of onions.


The meat was all excellently cooked, with a good range of power-packed seasonings. The dishes from the grill are definitely the stand-out items on offer. The more standard items that you'd find in any number of Indians, around the town, looked good, but not terribly special.

Overall, the food that I had at Kebabish was extremely good. The service and setting don't match it, at all. The frowner-in-chief should turn his attention away from glowering at his chefs and glower at his serving staff, instead. If that dead-eye stare has the same effect on them as is does on the kitchen staff, he'll address the place's real weaknesses, in no time.

Scores
Blythe scores Kebabish
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
2/5 for service
2/5 for setting
giving an overall 11/20

Today's late Lunch Questers were: a gaggle of bedraggleds

We wore: checked shirts (2), grey sweater, grandad shirt, red t-shirt, jumper with zip, pakora hat, maroon polo, suit

We ate: mixed grill, an array of main courses, poppadoms, pickle tray, rice, naan

We drank: lagers

Total bill: c.£130 (9 diners), not including the lager from the Co-op

To be helpful to our visiting friends, here to sample the joys of the Festival City, we thought we’d put together a bumper blast of likely lunch spots, to help you out when hunger strikes.

These are the collated thoughts of some of our readers, based on their experiences over recent times. Full reviews of a couple of these places will appear on the site, over the next couple of months.

Here’s a brilliant recommendation from Raqui – The Baked Potato Shop, in Cockburn Street. Raqui, a friend from Israel (we’re keen for the Huerta sisters to get Cake Quest: Jerusalem up and running!), says that it does excellent kosher vegan haggis. And, MJ vouches for it as well! She used to grab a ‘small’ potato on her way to the station to catch the train south. What more can I add to that!

We’ve always enjoyed Chez Jules on Hanover Street. We went there for a truly epic Christmas lobster feast, last year, and we were there for Bastille Day, this year. It offers excellent value, well-executed dishes, in a really friendly atmosphere.

Frauke extols the virtues of Harvey Nichols’ Forth Floor, which promises stunning views across the city and the River Forth, and food that never disappoints.

Mel is a fan of the Buffalo Grill on Chapel Street, which offers a small, affordable lunchtime menu, always served to a high standard.

Peter’s Yard is a perennial favourite with our merry little band of creative types. I have to admit that I’ve not yet managed to get along to it, but I hear it offers sumptuous soups, excellent coffee and cakes, and delicious crispbread aplenty. MJ swears by the place – it’s one of her go-to places to eat if she is anywhere near the university…or not. She has been known to travel across the city to buy a loaf of freshly baked bread from their selection.

Our Cake Quest chum Sarah, upon reading our Mosque Kitchen review, wished to highlight the charms of nearby Kebab Mahal It’s not a million miles away from the Mosque, both in terms of location and culinary approach, and has been a favourite for many a year.

Mina and Emir recommend The Bonham. We have eaten there on countless occasions, and keep going back for more. Their risotto is a particular favourite, but their overall consistency of extremely high quality is to be relied upon.

No list like this would be complete without a mention of The King’s Wark on The Shore. If you’re looking for a top quality meal in an informal, homely pub setting, this is the place to go. I ate mushroom and brown bread soup there once, and I don’t think I’ve been served a better bowl of soup since. Their mussels are always a winner, too.

Two Thin Laddies is recognizable by its bright yellow exterior right on the main junction in Tollcross. Also a perennial favourite of MJ and friends, this café offers freshly made sandwiches, baked potatoes, delicious soups, salads, and daily changing specials like mac and cheese and chorizo pasta dishes. And, they do a mean brunch too.

One cannot forget the lovely Earthy Foods in Newington. Not only do they do a fantastic selection of locally grown produce, fresh baked goods, plants, holistic household items, and gardening supplies, they recently installed a butcher upstairs and have extended the café downstairs. MJ regularly pays homage, and each time the food is just as good as she remembered. Wholesome salads, quiches, interesting sandwiches and an array of teas and coffees make this a café/shop worth the trip out to EH9.

And remember, we’ve already talked at length about the Mosque Kitchen, Tapa, Loudons, and Domenico’s all of which may lay claim to your lunchtime affections.