THE BIG TAKEAWAY 2012
EDINBURGH TOP 5
CHOP CHOP
248 Morrison Street, Haymarket & 76 Commercial Street, Leith, 0131 553 1818, chop-chop.co.uk
OPEN: (Morrison) Mon–Thu 6–10pm; Fri/Sat
6–10.30pm; Sun 6–10pm. (Leith) Mon–Thu 6–10pm; Fri 6–10.30pm; Sat noon–2pm, 5–10.30pm; Sun
12.30–2.30pm, 5–10pm.
DELIVERY: Morrison St collection only. Delivery from Leith. Min order £20.
By now, there can’t be many in Edinburgh unfamiliar with the Chop Chop approach, which eschews typical anglicised Chinese fare for authentic cuisine from the north-east of the country, served up in a variety of portion sizes. For the uninitiated though, that means delicious i lled dumplings, either boiled (Jiao Zi) or fried (Guo Tie), a number of unusual but alluring vegetarian selections (like shredded potato salad with garlic, coriander and sesame oil) plus lashings of l avoured noodles. The takeaway service – which includes generous meal-deals and discounts for members – follows the same winning formula as the restaurants. You can order online or by phone and collect from either Haymarket or Leith branches; a delivery service from the latter has stuttered recently so check with the restaurants for coni rmation that it’s available.
LOS CARDOS 281 Leith Walk, 0131 555 6619, loscardos.co.uk
your tummy very happy. Delivery charges of £1 per mile may mean picking-up is a better option – expect a 10-15 minute wait or call ahead.
SHAPLA
87 Easter Road, 0131 652 0405, shaplatakeaway.co.uk
OPEN: Mon–Sun 5–11.30pm. DELIVERY: 50p within two miles; £1 otherwise
A deserved institution in Leith and further ai eld, Shapla has built a reputation over the years as one of the i nest takeaways in the city, and it’s not one which they’re content to coast on. Bearing a strong Bangladeshi inl uence (the shapla is the country’s national l ower), their speciality dishes are rich and distinctively l avoured, including a north Indian chilli garlic chicken with both heat and texture. The chicken tikka masala is dei nitive, creamy and i lled with hunks of good quality meat grilled on a skewer, which are as deeply marinated as the excellent dish of whole tandoori chicken. Some delicately herbed breads are also a stand-out, particularly the spicy king prawn or chickpea puri starters, while fast and efi cient service adds to the experience.
SPOILT FOR CHOICE
19 Marionville Road, Meadowbank, 0131 661 1183, spoiltforchoice1.com
OPEN: Tue–Sun 5pm–11pm. Closed Mon DELIVERY: £1.50 within two miles; £4 within four
slices of beef, rice, piquant peppers and spicy beans. A vegetarian soft taco is enlivened by a creamy guacamole and chargrilled peppers.
MISO & SUSHI
46a Haymarket Terrace, Haymarket, 0131 337 7466, sushi-edinburgh.com
OPEN: Tue–Fri noon–2.15pm, 5–10.30pm; Sat/Sun miles
OPEN: Sun–Thu noon–9pm; Fri/Sat noon–10pm 1–10.30pm. Closed Mon.
DELIVERY: Sun–Thu 5–8.30pm, Fri-Sat 5–9.30pm to DELIVERY: from 5pm. £1 for i rst two miles, £1 per
EH1-8. additional mile.
Meaning ‘The Thistles’ in Spanish, Los Cardos is one of only a few places in Edinburgh offering Mexican takeaway and delivery. Ordering is based on a mix and match premise where the customer chooses from a burrito, fajita, burrito bowl, quesadillas or soft tacos. Next comes the i lling, which includes chill-citrus marinated Red Tractor chicken, slow-cooked pork smothered in a salsa verde, or just plain black beans. Additionally, condiments of pico de gallo, ‘roastin red’ salsa and guacamole can be included. Alternatively, a steak burrito bowl contains thick If you’re going to call yourself Miso and Sushi, you need to pay attention to the miso and the sushi. Thankfully, they know their onions here, with some of the best sushi in town available for pick-up or delivery as well as a compact Japanese menu featuring tempura (although this doesn’t travel so well) and ramen. A fuller Chinese menu is also present and correct, but with sushi this good, why would ya? Spanking fresh, pretty dragon rolls, salmon nigiri, avocado maki and the like, washed down with a balanced, salty-savoury hit of miso soup is going to make
Specialising in Afro-Caribbean ‘soul food’, the eclectic and expansive menu of Spoilt for Choice is a signii cant departure from Edinburgh’s typical takeaways. Caribbean Chicken Delight features chicken pieces marinated in honey and a blend of Jamaican spices served in a deliciously creamy coconut and pineapple sauce, a wonderful balance of sweet, savoury and spice. Goat stew comes with tender, slightly fatty chunks of goat in a rich tomato ragout. Side orders of dodo (fried plantain) and puff-puffs (small, savoury doughnuts) are the perfect accoutrement to these distinctive sauces, although conkies, a corn based, polenta-like dish seasoned with pumpkin and coconut is more of an acquired taste.
Full reviews of our top 50 takeaways in Glasgow and Edinburgh are online at list.co.uk
TIPLISTS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE LIST’S FOOD & DRINK TEAM
SLICK DELIVERY Anima
New Town, 0131 558 2918, anima-online.co.uk Origano Leith Walk, 0131 554 6539, origano-leith.co.uk The New Masala Pot
Meadowbank, 0131 620 7080, newmasalapot.com Sonar Gao
Leith, 0131 555 2424, sonargao.com Voujon Newington, 0131 667 5046, voujonedinburgh. co.uk
GOOD FOR VEGETARIANS Chop Chop
Haymarket & Leith, 0131 553 1818, chop-chop. co.uk Illegal Jack’s Lothian Road, 0131 622 7499, illegaljacks.co.uk Los Cardos
Leith Walk, 0131 555 6619, loscardos.co.uk Noor Takeaway
Newington, 0131 667 0404, noortakeaway.co.uk Zen Kitchen New Town, 0131 556 9988, zenkitchen.co.uk
CURRIES WORTH A WALK (NO DELIVERY) FAR EAST FAVOURITES
Indian Lounge Chop Chop
New Town, 0131 226 2862, indianloungeedinburgh. co.uk Kasturi Haymarket & Leith, 0131 553 1818, chop-chop.co.uk Kampung Ali
West End, 0131 228 2441, kasturi-ed.co.uk Kebab Mahal University, 0131 667 5214, kebab-mahal.co.uk Mother India’s Café
Old Town, 0131 524 9801, motherindiascafe edinburgh.co.uk Rivage Easter Road, 0131 661 6888
Malaysian Delight
Newington (0131 662 9050) & Fountainbridge (0131 228 5069), kampungali.com Miso & Sushi Haymarket, 0131 337 7466, sushi-edinburgh.com Wing Sing Inn
Tollcross, 0131 228 6668 Zen Kitchen New Town, 0131 556 9988, zenkitchen.co.uk
14 THE LIST 15 Nov–13 Dec 2012
BEST DISHES
• Mother India’s foil-baked spiced haddock • Wing Sing Inn’s hot and spicy fried crab with chilli and garlic
• Curry Leaf’s gosh kebab saslik
• Sonar Gao’s lamb laknavi • Rivage’s Goan i sh curry
SPECIAL EXTRAS • Anima’s beer and wine delivery
• Assam’s Café’s Indian pizzas and naans
• Kampung Ali’s roti cenai
• Ocean Spice’s haggis pakora • Origano’s antipasti platters