Easter Sunday

REVIEW
SCRAN BARLEY
Forgotten Scottish Classics

Scran Barley/20 Leopold Place, London Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5LB - 0131 557 5652

IT’S HEARTENING THAT AGAINST A BACKDROP OF CULTURAL IMPERIALISM THE RENAISSANCE IN BRITISH AND SCOTTISH FOOD HAS BEEN WELCOMED AND ADOPTED BY THE YOUNGER GENERATION. A NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS HAVE POPPED UP AROUND EDINBURGH, OWNED BY GROUPS OF BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS WITH A RESPECT FOR OUR COLLECTIVE CULINARY HERITAGE AND THE LATEST ‘FIRST VENTURE’ COMES FROM SCRAN BARLEY.

Dining is to the left as you enter this basement restaurant and there is a ‘bothy’ to the right. The latter has a fire, a bar and a very comfy sofa; perfect for sipping your drinks and perusing the menu. We soon headed through to the restaurant though in order to enjoy our first courses.

I had confit duck salad with fine beans, walnuts, parmesan and croutons (£4.95) and my partner had mussels (£4.85). I loved the flavours, freshness and texture in my salad. The shreds of duck were full of fatty flavour, the rocket sprightly, the croutons crunchy and the parmesan salty. We decided its Frenchness was a nod to the auld alliance. My partner’s mussels were flavoursome buttony things drenched in a sauce o chopped tomatoes, onions, parsley, cream and loads of garlic. Our plates were mopped clean with home-made bread.

Main courses were an Arbroath smokie served with pan-fried cheese and potato griddles and creamed leeks for me (£10.95) and pork olives with sage and onion suet stuffing with a wholegrain mustard sauce, cabbage and new potatoes for my partner (£11.95). Dark, robust meat flaked from the bone of my strong Scottish fish; a veritable John Smeaton of the sea. My partner’s pork was really well cooked but the suet made the dish too filling. He raved about the cabbage though with its smoky intriguing flavours. Both dishes again had lots of cream and garlic – hoorah!

Desserts were raspberry & honey bavaroise tossed in oats for me and whisky and butterscotch bananas for my partner (both under £5). Both got the thumbs up.

A little tweaking is needed at this restaurant but it is on it’s way, heading in the right direction and there is no denying the home-made, tasty food. Hats off to Scran Barley

OPENING HOURS
Tue-Sun: 5.30pm-9.30pm
Thurs-Sun 8am-11.30am.

March 2008 - Review - Sushiya Sushi & Noodle Bar

The Theatre of Food
Sushiya/19 Dalry Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2BQ – 0131 313 3222

STEVEN BERKOFF WAS ON THE BBC THIS MORNING TALKING ABOUT ‘THE THEATRE OF FOOD’. FOOD IS NOT JUST ABOUT TASTE, HE SAID, BUT ABOUT PLACE, PRESENTATION AND SERVICE. I RECALLED A ROOFTOP IN MARAKESH WHERE, IN THE DARKNESS, I HAD THE UNPLEASANT EXPERINCE OF EATING A WHOLE CHILLI BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE MEAL IS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE I HAVE EVER HADDUE TO THE SETTING; I ALSO THOUGHT OF SUSHIYA WHERE I HAD BEEN THE NIGHT BEFORE.

Sushi is a very theatrical food; full of colour, taste, texture, skill and ritual. Dalry on a dreich Wednesday may bear little resemblance to Tokyo City but inside this ultra utilitarian ‘sushi shop’ the click of chopsticks, general chatter and platters or eye catching food give an authentic sense of place.

We started with tempura chicken wings for me and beef skewers with yakimono sauce for my partner. My wings were encased in a fan of light golden, crispy batter that was fresh and tasty with not a hint of grease. The skewers were very tasty and flavoursome too. Next, my partner had scallop sashimi. He loved the slices of creamy, glistening flesh which were presented with thick pea green wasabi paste and a rosette of galangal. It was all super fresh and very exciting on the palate. I had my ultimate fast food, tight little rolls of sticky rice, sumptuous salmon, creamy avocado and chewy seaweed. Delicious! We then shared a large seaweed cone of rice and strong, smoky eel. It could have done with a little more eel but we were satisfied and happy.

The meal was all washed down with a glass of wine and a bottle of Asahi and the total bill was £26. The price of a couple of theatre tickets!

OPENING HOURS:
Sun-Thurs 12pm-2pm & 5pm-10.30pm
Fri & Sat ‘til 11pm