The Edinburgh Reporter June 2019

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk FOOD 19
Juliet's Food Diary
by Juliet Lawrence Wilson
I’ve no time for the Trip Advisor
crew banging on about ‘value for
money’ (VFM) Nothing can better
expose a keyboard warrior as
knowing next to nothing about the
restaurant business and even less
when it comes to cooking.
What most amateur food critics
desire is much for little. Diners in
the West have always been willing
to flash the cash for good quality
and our East Coast thriftiness
would be easy to blame on the
extortionate and rapidly rising cost
of living here, but yet Edinburgh
folks have long been a tad on
the tight side. Every Edinburgher
seems to have their favourite BYOB
haunt ('cos its cheap) which has
resulted in many an eye roll from
me. But if you can’t beat ‘em…
DESI PAKWAN
I pass Desi Pakwan, advertising
‘Live Punjabi Cooking', on Leith
Walk almost every day but when a
trusted source recommended it I
decided to give the BYOB (and no
corkage, TYVM) place a go and
never have I been more reluctant
to recommend a good VFM
restaurant. Because of the food,
you say? Yes indeed, the food was
possibly the best Indian cooking
I’ve ever tasted.
My lamb shank curry was beyond
excellence and the Peshwari Naan
fresh, tasty and generous. Peering
into the open kitchen, a plethora
of pans, spices and meats makes
me wonder how the chef manages
it all. The interior is casual but
the atmosphere vibrant. This is a
restaurant clearly well supported
by the Indian community.
So why am I reluctant to give
such a good offering a plug?
Because the whole experience is
such a bargain I don’t want the
two coats of paint crew to know
about it. I recently tried another
Indian restaurant at the opposite
end of the economic scale but
Desi Pakwan remains the one for
me, not because it’s good VFM
but simply because I enjoyed it
more. I asked the waitress if the
(clearly in charge) chef in the
kitchen was Desi Pakwan himself?
Desi is not a chap but the word
for ‘village’ and Pakwan means
food. I made a fool of myself so
you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
desipakwanonline.com
BONHAM HOTEL
From Leith Walk fun to West
End elegance. Hair brushed and
parted, the Silver Fox and I headed
to the splendid Bonham Hotel to
celebrate this elegant townhouse
hotel having had a facelift, which
is a bit like saying De Beers might
want to make their products more
sparkly. They’ve not stinted on the
sumptuousness, that’s for sure.
Super comfy teal velvet cocktail
chairs? Oh yes please. Not only did
they invite many local residents to
their grand reopening they even ran
a bus through from Glasgow. Being
half weegie myself I felt quite at
home, especially when presented
with the ‘wall of champagne’. The
new menu at the Bonham is what
you might call good VFM and it’s
definitely on my leisurely Sunday
lunch wish list.
SF asked :“Do you ever see any
famous people at these fancy dos
you go to?” “Remember Darius
from Pop Idol,” I proudly replied,
“Well I once went to something
where his brother was a guest.”
I’m confident SF was suitably
impressed. thebonham.com
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June Crossword Clues
Across
1. Ramble round polished stone(6)
5. Plan to put away seed as it is sur
plus to requirements(3- 5)
9. Troops I'm sorting out, looking for a
fraudulent person(8)
10. In Europe raise funds for this
dramatic presentation(5)
11. Entice Lee or others to campaign
for candidate(11)
13. In Thurso Dad finds some crystal
line compound(4)
14. Over one gym he exercises form
of leadership(8)
17. Absolute cad upsets girl - Beth,
in fact(8)
18. Employs some spouses in this work(4)
20. Re-elect an MP as a
substitute(11)
23. Initially get round a problem,
having to draw a symbolic
diagram(5)
24. Rid Scala of those advocating
reform?(8)
25 Director turns out to be owed
money(8)
26 In this novel, even pages match
this number(6)
Down
2. Some harm you might suffer from
fighting force (4)
3. Embargo on this weapon returning ? (9)
4. One of two, not three, I declare (6)
5. Her Bert re-traces career in
ambulance service (9, 6) (9, 6)
6. Rough, hot and not superficial (8)
7. Closeness, without loss, in this part
of the play (5)
8. Regarded in other respects as a
spitting image (4-6)
12. Gory jell or cross-bones on this
flag (5, 5) (5, 5)
15. Came south, displaying facial hair (9)
16. What star might wear such
summer headgear ? (5, 3) (5, 3)
19. Could lead be replaced by church
officer ? (6)
21. Long piece of tartan cloth
displayed without dyes (5)
22. Guide looks under envelope
initially for adhesive (4)
Crossword by David Albury
Answers on page 21
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