Lunch Quest: Edinburgh

MJ's Verdict
Today was manic. It’s that time when everything suddenly has to be done and dusted quite soon and I was wide awake at a bit before 6am and ready to take on the day. Luckily, my friends know that I need a break too and this trip to Wagamama that @Edinburghfoody organised was the perfect way to help keep me sane.

As previously suggested, I arrived early so that I could join the queue, but at ten to twelve there wasn’t one. I was quickly seated at a table around the corner, away from the doorway. I was offered a drink and ordered a cup of tea, which came in a stylish wee silk bag (inside the packet) and was quite good. After everyone arrived, there was much catching up and then we got down to the important business of ordering food.

I was in the mood for something fresh and light, and so ordered the seared steak with caramelised red onions, beansprouts, red peppers, cucumber, carrot, mooli, ginger and coriander tossed with mixed leaves and wagamama house dressing, garnished with sesame seeds. And I got a side of salted edamame (the options were salt or chili garlic) for all of us. We all ordered differently, and the dishes arrived as they were prepared.

I’m used to this happening at Asian style restaurants. I tend to think it makes for the freshest food served directly to the customer, and even though I had to wait while two of us got our food, it was totally worth it. My salad arrived piled high and fresh and was sheer perfection. The dressing was light and gingery without being overpowering. The mix of (warm) steak and vegetables was nice and I was thoroughly pleased to have finally found a place where I can go and order a salad that will be served to me like the ones from home.

That being said, I had to try a chili from Danielle’s special seasonal menu dish: firecracker prawns, and it was hot. Luckily, I tasted a bit of mange tout before I ate the whole chili and it was subtly sweet with that after kick of chili that is just right as it heats the back of your throat.

The setting itself is interesting. We were some of the lucky ones who had a table to ourselves. Mostly, the restaurant is set up with long communal tables in the main area with booths lining the large glass frontage onto Lothian Road. The service was good, odd due to the fact that I wasn’t quite sure who our server was, since one person took my drink order and another took our food orders and then each dish seemed to be delivered by a new, cheery face. I should state this: this style of service fits the style of the restaurant and is not a bad thing; it reminded me of efficient, swift American-style service. And after we were finished, they did not try to run us out (even though the queue was well out the door), nor did they ignore us.

Overall, I like this place. I would also like to think that I may well try something different and interesting next time I go, because the other dishes looked tasty, but if I’m absolutely honest, I won’t. I’ll go again and again to get that salad. I may even start to develop cravings...

Blythe's Verdict
The West End seems all abuzz, at the moment, with talk of the arrival of Wagamama in Edinburgh. Twitter has been all aflutter, too. So what's all the fuss about?

Well, Wagamama is a well-established chain of noodle bars. It specialises in long tables for communal eating, and straight-to-table service when the kitchen has prepared your food, meaning a sequential, staggered dining experience, rather than the usual, "are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin," approach. I popped in to the Glasgow branch, a couple of years ago, and spent a very happy lunchtime playing with a big plate of noodles, while passers-by gazed on in awe.

Today, upon arrival I ran in to the delightful Katey from Edinburgh Eats, and a waving table featuring Edinburgh Foody's Danielle and Lunch Quest's very own MJ. What a merry little collection of Total Food Geeks! We were seated in the area of the restaurant that features more conventional four-person tables, rather than at one of the communal benches.

As we contemplated the menu, we were swiftly asked for drinks orders. The service isn't going to be to everyone's taste, and you get the feeling that they're still a little tentative in navigating their way around the stylish new surroundings, but orders were taken accurately, delivered swiftly, and smiling and helpfulness abounded.

I chose an apple and lime juice, which proved very tasty, although didn't have the most eye-catching hue.

We had two menus to consider: their standard, extensive range; and a smaller menu of seasonal specials. I choose the mint and lemongrass chicken soba from the specials, and Danielle and I decided to split a portion of gyoza (chicken and vegetable dumplings).

My noodle dish was of the express variety, and arrived a little ahead of the others. I tucked in, as a succession of plates arrived, concluding with our dumplings.

Now, you know that I have a little tendency to chase noodles round the plate, rather than actually eat them, but with this dish I was on pretty good munching form. To begin with, the aromatic flavour of the mint met my nostrils and instantly made friends. The adjective for the chicken was "chunky" rather than "succulent" but the dish was a lovely marriage of subtle flavours, underpinned by gentle chilli whispers. I'd say this will be a real winner with diners as a winter warmer, over the coming months.

Our dumplings were pretty good. They weren't particularly remarkable, but they were a little better than some I've sampled.

Overall, I was pleased with Wagamama. It's fresh, slick, and a good addition to the range of West End restaurants. You won't catch me breaking my neck or queuing for an hour for a table, though. Other noodle bars are available, for example Hongfu, and I have a feeling you'll find them more than happy to accommodate you and serve you dishes of equal or better quality.

Scores
MJ scores Wagamama
4.5/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
3/5 for service
giving an overall 13.5/20

Blythe scores Wagamama
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 14/20

Today's Lunch Questers were: Miriam, Danielle, Katey, Blythe

We ate: firecracker prawns, lemongrass and mint chicken soba, mandarin and sesame chicken salad, ginger beef and coriander salad, chilli squid, gyoza, edamame

We drank: juices, water

We wore: an artistically crushed blue jumper, less artistically ironed working garments (3)

Total bill: c.£65

Hong Fu Noodle Bar is just across the road from my work. I've walked past it countless times, and always thought, "I must try it." When I was asked to recommend a place for a big group of friends, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to do just that.


I recall being in the place when it was a bar, on the odd occasion, and the layout remains very similar. We were a party of 11, so they'd set us up at a simply appointed round table, somewhat in the style of the court of King Arthur. Given its location, looking out over Princes Street, you can't help feel that something more could be done with the location, but maybe that will develop in time.

Standards of promptness (aside from Kevin and David) were nowhere near what I've grown used to under the expert guidance of MJ. Once we were assembled, we decided to go for a large range of dishes from their extensive menu. The attentive waiter took our starter order first, to get the ball rolling, then soon popped back to capture our main course requirements.

I ate soup (!) with the tomato and egg proving a very pleasing choice. It was light, subtle and an excellent opener.


Others ate various dumplings, that seemed "well caramelized" on the underside (they looked burnt to me), but were positively received.


The portions of squid, munched on by my fellow diners, were particularly large, and looked to be very tasty.


The ribs looked good, as did the cucumber salad, which our vegetarian guest, Sandra, tucked into.




While we are on the topic, Sandra has agreed to write a regular contribution highlighting vegetarian dining experiences in Edinburgh, which we hope will be a useful addition to our merry little site.

Ana's starter took a little while longer to arrive, and I'm not 100% it was what she ordered, but this was the only major blip.

Main courses soon followed, with a impressive array of items, supplemented by some rice and noodles to share.


My Irish Mussels were huge, meaty green-lipped chaps, served in a ginger-infused sauce. I was really happy with them. The photo, above, does them little justice.


Other dishes were warmly received, particularly the Mongolian beef, which was served in something that looked like an ice-cream cone, and the mountain chicken.


A vast plate of trotters also did the rounds, to nods of approval.


I sampled a nicely prepared prawn in dry chilli.


Again, Ana didn't have much luck with her dish, which looked somewhat unspectacular by comparison.


Towards the end of our mains, a huge group of Chinese diners came in and sat next to us, although we were separated by a curtain. They were loudly enjoying matters, feasting on dishes that looked decidedly "off menu", and chugging shots with some abandon. 'The Only Way is Beijing' was the phrase that sprung to mind.

My group of friends are huge devotees of Wing Sing Inn, and will proclaim to all who will listen that it's the best Chinese place in Edinburgh. The compliment that they paid Hongfu was to talk of it in the same sentence, saying that it was the first place they've come across that could be considered as a challenger to its supremacy.

Overall, I think Hongfu has solid claims on being one of the best restaurants of its type in Edinburgh. Ana would strongly disagree with that, but I don't think I've ever eaten in a large group where there hasn't been at least some dissent (something about not being able to please all of the people, all of the time etc). The balance of opinion, as related in the extensive scoring, below, rates Hongfu as very good. I'll be back to review its set lunch menu, over the next couple of weeks, given its handy proximity to my place of work.

Today's Lunch Questers were: Kevin, Douglas, Phil, Sandra, Michael, Malcolm, Ana, Andrew, Alan, David, Blythe

We ate: Tomato and egg soup, assorted dumplings, salt and chilli squid, mountain chicken, trotters, irish mussels, roast duck, tiger prawns in dry chilli sauce, vegetable chow mein, mongolian beef, noodles, rice, and many other items.

We wore: fuschia shoes, geometric pattern waistcoat, striped shirts (4), black shirts (2), red crown logo, floral top, chest hair poking out of white shirt.

We drank: Fosters, wine, Tsintao, Guinness

Scores

Kevin scores Hongfu:
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving overall 15/20

Douglas scores Hongfu:
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
3.5/5 for service
giving overall 14.5/20

Phil scores Hongfu:
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving overall 15/20

Sandra scores Hongfu:
3/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
3/5 for service
giving overall 13/20

Michael scores Hongfu:
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
2/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving overall 13/20

Malcolm scores Hongfu:
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving overall 14/20

Ana scores Hongfu:
2/5 for food
2/5 for presentation
1/5 for setting
3/5 for service
giving overall 8/20

Andrew scores Hongfu:
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving overall 15/20

Alan scores Hongfu:
3/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
5/5 for setting
3/5 for service
giving overall 15/20

David scores Hongfu:
4/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
2/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving overall 13.5/20

Blythe scores Hongfu:
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving overall 15/20

Total bill: £267.20 (11 diners)

Here's the first in a regular series of contributions from our friend Rob. At Rob's work, they run a payday lunch club and they're always keen to try new places. This month, they stayed local and tried the Pho Vietnam House, in Grove Street.


The Pho Vietnam House is a relative newcomer to the West End luncheon scene, nestling in a discreet wee niche at the Morrison Street end of Grove Street – not too far from Chop Chop. Named after the famous Viet noodle soup Pho (pronounced 'Fuh') the Vietnam House offers simple, fresh food at great prices. But be warned, the restaurant is compact, seating only 16 at a pinch. My eight friends and I occupied a lot of the space – and we’re not very big! Perhaps this venue would be more suited to an intimate supper rather than a group booking. We were nevertheless greeted with a smile from our hostess, who served us with efficiency and good humour throughout our meal.


We all started with delicious fried or fresh rolls, which came with a sweet and sticky satay-style sauce. The fresh rolls are constructed from wonderfully soft rice noodle and are delicately flavoured by spring onion, mint and sweet basil and come in vegetarian, prawn and pork versions. Care and attention is paid to their presentation, although some members of the group would have preferred not to share a plate.


The main event was the Pho noodle soup, which came in large steaming bowls of aromatic, crunchy vegetables, mushrooms and soft rice noodles. We selected vegetable and chicken versions of the dish and slurped them down with great relish. I found the mushrooms a little chewy, but this did not spoil my enjoyment greatly. Despite my diminutive size, I appreciated the generous portions.


The meal was finished off by Vietnamese coffee, which was anticipated by my friends with some excitement. It is made with sweet condensed milk and served with neat little metal filters on each cup. I am told it was highly enjoyable, but I prefer my coffee without that sort of adulteration!


At a bargain price of £8.30 per head (plus £1.50 extra for Vietnamese coffee) the Pho Vietnam House is a great addition to our luncheon repertoire.

Scores on the doors

Our averaged scores for Pho Vietnam House were:
Food – 4/5
Presentation - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Setting - 4/5
giving an overall 16/20

Today’s Lunch Questers were: Rob, Karen, Simon (team photographer), Angela, Mudenda, Ruth, Loren, Shona, Helen

‪We wore: informal office attire (Simon even removed his tie) except for Mudenda who was in a lovely pre-holiday celebration dress and a distinctive hair style.

‪We ate: ‬fried rolls, fresh rolls, big bowls of pho, Viet’s chicken curry (for Mudenda)

‪We drank: fruit juices, jasmine tea, water, Vietnamese coffee

‪Total Bill: c.‬£85 (for nine of us!)

Pho Vietnam House
3 Grove Street
Edinburgh, EH3 8AF
www.vietnamhousescotland.com