THE THAIS THAT BIND Is the capital’s appetite for Thai food insatiable? Barry Shelby visits the latest venture.
With some two dozen Thai restaurants and cafes. Edinburgh would hardly seem to be begging for another. But the owners of Thai Lemongrass (and the Chinese restaurant Jasmine. as well) would apparently beg to differ. lts newest operation. Time 4 Thai. has opened where the style bar & grill Hurricane blew through the capital nearly as fast as a tropical storm.
Changes to the layout are not radical. A glass wall vvith contoned willow forms part of the entry hall. so the space feels less confined. Slightly raised areas for dining are placed at the front and rear of the converted townhouse. The hues are neutral (think olive and aubergine) and soothing (something that the New Age meets Far East soundtrack is also attempting — with mixed reSLilts as the sound of midday drilling on the basement works pierces through it).
Staff are smart in slightly shimmery finery. Food is aSpirational. Lunch costs essentially £9 for two c0urses plus ice-cream. while high rollers can opt for a $215 four-course business meal between noon and 2.30pm. Dinner a la cane prices are what you'd expect for the New Town.
Starters can include Thai soup or barbeCued ribs. The vegetarian spring rolls are crispy with a sweeten stuffing of glass noodles and carrots. primarily. lnexplicably. they come with a syrupy dip which does not complement the rolls. More refined is the green curry with chicken main c0urse. The spicing is quite delicate. not mind-blowing. harmonising with the coconut milk. Ingredients range from shreds of breast meat to courgettes and some pleasant Far Eastern vegetables.
Time 4 Thai is fully licensed, and its wine list is guite extensive with about 30 bins (and some extra sparkling options). while there are several bottled beers — including Singha Gold — and Draught Kronenberg ($32.85 per pint).
In keeping with the trend for punny names (for which Thai Me Up takes the biSCUll). this venture could not avoid using the phonetic numeral instead of the correct preposition. Still at least they didn't name it Thyme for Thai.
I 45 North Castle Street, Edinburgh. 0737 225 8822
100 THE LIST 22 Sop-(S Oct 200:3
EAT&DR|NK
Balbl's back
One of Glasgow’s best-known restaurateurs, Balbir Singh Sumal, recently returned to the city where he first made his mark. Barry Shelby finds out why.
ust the single word ‘Balbir‘ is enough for many Glasgwegians to fall
into revelry about their first experience with Indian cuisine. For
while you may feel as if Indian restaurants have been around forever. Balbir Singh Sumal was at the forefront. He has had a hand in some of the best-known curry houses in Glasgow. Indeed. he ran the first Ashoka restaurant in 1973. not long after finishing his university studies.
But Balbir has effectively been away from the city for some time now. having initially sold off the Ashoka West End. which would become the flagship of the Harlequin chain. and later decamping from Balbir’s (originally Bombay Bistro) in the city centre to spend more time with his then young family in the rural confines south of Glasgow.
Now. however. the kids have grown and Balbir is back. The 'cuny king~ and his family recently opened Balbir‘s in the ground floor of a modern development that’s popped tip on Church Street near Dumbarton Road (around the back side of the Western Infirmary).
While family issues were largely accountable for his departure. they are responsible for this return: they now work with him in the restaurant. 'lt's wonderful.’ he says. sitting in the spacious dining room of the new venture. The children's involvement is ‘the reason why I am back in business'.
Possibly not the whole reason. though. as Balbir‘s aspiration is to raise the bar with Indian cuisine. While he acknowledges that some of the 'people from the old Ashoka days‘ pine for only the curries they know well. he hopes to introduce new cooking. Fish is a particular passion. Among the various options. he has created a dish employing fresh mussels. offers a tandoori salmon starter and hopes to introduce tuna and sea bass main courses. Each needs to have a specific sauce or marinade that complements it. ‘I want this to be the first Indian restaurant to specialise in fish.’ he says.
Balbir‘s other pride is lighter and fresher ingredients: no need for heavy oils. ghee or food colourings. Chillies will be fresh: chefs will grind spices to create garam masala. ‘It‘s labour intensive.’ Balbir admits. ‘but worth it.‘ Saag dishes must have three fresh greens: spinach. broccoli and mustard leaves. for example. Chutneys. such as tomato and carrot. are made following his wife's recipe: they are uplifting and notably fiavotirsome.
'I am going to take the food a step higher this time aroundf he says. But prices are competitive. Lamb akbari. a Karahi dish with paneer cheese. is £7.25. Chicken parsi is under £7. while the Goanese-style halibut is £10.95.
Plenty of former customers have already found him: he doesn‘t remember all of the names but he recollects the faces. ‘The West Iind is where I started.‘ he says. ‘It has been like coming back home.’
Balbir’s, 7 Church Street, Glasgow, 0141 339 771 1.
Side Dishes
News to nibble on . . .
I Kudos to Mrs Bridges biscuits and preserves for garnering some seven gold medals at this year’s Great Taste Awards in London. Sponsored by the Guild of Fine Food Retailers, the competition pits some 4000 products against the scrutiny of around 200 judges. Big winners for the brand (which incorporates Joseph Crawhall’s iconic ‘Girl on a Bicycle’ watercolour on its labels) are ginger curd and ginger preserves, hot horseradish sauce, lemon & lime marmalade and three different ‘cookies’: double choc chip, stem ginger and strawberry & cream. All the products are being offered in a special package via the Carnoustie company’s website, www.mrsbridges.co.uk.
I Room restaurant in Glasgow's One Devonshire Gardens is launching a new menu of more contemporarin tweaked retro classics at the end of September. Look out for chef Mark Greenaway’s twists of dishes such as ‘toad in the hole“ with game sausage. ‘fish cake“ using red mullet and chorizo. 'tikka masala' with wild sea bass. or 'shepherd's pie' made from lamb rump. Plus. Room continues to offer a separate meat-free menu. too. For information and bookings. call 0141 341 0000.
I Will it or won’t it reopen on schedule? That is no doubt what impatient fans of Stravaigin must be thinking right now. The ground floor bar café and basement restaurant in Gibson Street, Glasgow, have been undergoing renovations since mid-August and both are scheduled to reopen on Monday 26 September with the usually welcoming staff and more globally inspired cooking. Side Dishes has heard, however, that works are slightly behind schedule, so fingers crossed. In the meantime, there’s always Stravaigin 2.