Tuesday 6 December 2011

The Mezbaan

Brougham Street, Edinburgh

visited 6/12/12

This is really a composite review of my absolute favourite South East Asian Restaurant. The Mezbaan specialises in South Indian cooking and is very good indeed.

I nearly always start with a starter-sized masala dosa which is always perfect--a light, crispy rice pancake with a soft, well flavoured potato stuffing, served with a sambar and a coconut chutney. I always find this dish quite miraculous—just simple ingredients but with flavours and textures perfectly combined. The chutney is especially good and manages to be soothing and to give the dish a kick at the same time.

I particularly like the vegetable dishes here. The daal is quite complex, there’s a cream bagary baingan that really brings out the flavour of the aubergine, and my favourite—a bean and carrot thoran with whole spices that again makes you wonder how such apparently plain flavours can be so interesting. The meat dishes are excellent too though—a lamb nilgiri is perfectly tender and absolutely sings with the flavours of ginger and coconut. The green curries are very good— Haryali Shaam brings together spinach and green herbs in a rich but light sauce. A number of dishes are clearly marinated for a decent time, so that the flavours really permeate the meat (the lamb Kottayam, cooked with yoghurt and lentils is especially good). The breads are also perfect—light and fresh. I often order too much, but they will box it up for you.

The Mezbaan chefs really seem to be interested in cooking you interesting food with care and enthusiasm. The menu lists the ingredients in every dish and you can taste them all. The staff are great—friendly and helpful and the service (which has been a little erratic in the past) is now fluent. There’s a good short wine list, or kingfisher.

In short, the Mezbaan is a significant step above its competition and a really enjoyable place to eat some complex, fresh-tasting Indian food. Thinking about it makes me want to go again.

3 comments:

Alex Ashman said...

I completely agree. A wonderful restaurant.

Alex

Richard said...

Thanks to the Widgeon for an eloquent analysis of the merits of dishes at this reliably good restaurant. My powers of observation and knowledge of South Indian food are limited, but I appreciate the variety, the dish-crowded table, the unexpected combinations of flavours, the conversation and the leaning across the table for bread or a sample other dishes, the friendly staff, the relaxed interior, with Edinburgh passers-by glimpsed through misted windows.

Vinod Kumar said...

Dear Widgeon,

Congratulations on a fantastic website and thanks for your wonderful review of our restaurant. We also are thankful to your readers who have made such wonderful comments here.
We have a decent and informative website, we are also on twitter @mezbaan.
A humble request for you to correct our address on your review which is written as Brougham Place but we are actually on 14 Brougham Street, Tollcross, Edinburgh.

Thanks once again hope to see you again at the restaurant.

Vinod Kumar
Manager