EDINBURGH’S SOUTHSIDE REALLY is a
melting pot of culinary delights. I lost count of how many different
ethnicities are represented here, as well as a number of decent bars. Indian food is my favourite and always has
been, and tonight we returned to an old favourite for the first time in a while
– Voujon. What better way to start the Festival than with some great food … or
so I hoped.
I love a good Indian kebab so opted
for the boti (£4.95), which consisted of hunks of lamb, salad and ‘special’
sauce. The highlight was the beautiful charring on the lamb. It created another
flavour dimension to the tender meat, along with delicate spicing. The
yoghurt-based sauce brought a mellowness to the dish.
Sarah started with the tempting lamb
stir-fry option priced at £5.75. Again, the lamb was well charred with tasty
spice notes. The caramelised sweetness of the onions was delicious, as was the
sharpness of the peas. This was a tasty little number you could easily enjoy
wrapped up in a naan bread.
Katmandu chicken delicacy (£10.95)
was my choice for the main and one of my Indian go-to dishes. An ample helping
of large chicken chunks was most welcome. Another demonstration of excellent
meat cookery yielded soft meat dressed in a not too spicy sauce with a hint of
cinnamon. The lentils added a subtle nutty flavour, as well as texture. The
addition of sliced lemon seasoned the dish neatly.
We shared a side of Voujon dall (£4.50) which was superb. Often with this dish, it comes out as almost a soup, but I
admired how the texture of the lentils was maintained here. The spicing was so
well balanced that you could taste the fragrance of each individual spice
without having your head blown off with heat – a real skill of this form of
cookery. We also enjoyed a light-as-air garlic naan and an accurately cooked
mushroom pilao that was brimming with nutty flavour and funghi.
I’ve always admired the service in this restaurant. The staff were the same as the last time I dined her a couple of years ago and were just as friendly, polite and attentive. Traditional, but not formal.
I’ve found on occasion that Edinburgh struggles with great Indian restaurants, but Voujon is definitely one of the better ones. Huge
portions and brilliant consistency across the board, most notably for the
excellent meat cooked in a tandoor oven; it’s my birthday soon if anyone is
feeling generous enough to get me one.
Web: voujonedinburgh.com
Phone: (0131) 667 5046
Address: 107 Newington Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1QW
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 5pm - 11pm
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