Review: Voujon, Edinburgh


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.

Over the table Sarah sampled the ginger murgh (£10.95) which is a favourite of ours. Like my lamb started, the chicken tikka benefitted from a thorough charring. It was suitably spicy, served with a tangy, sweet sauce that packed real ginger punch.

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.

Phone: (0131) 667 5046
Address: 107 Newington Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1QW

Opening hours: Mon-Sun 5pm - 11pm

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