vainglorious. partly an ambition to increase profits and partly a genuine intention to make an impact. With its glass staircase. waterfall chandeliers and magenta-pink seats. the new Khuslii‘s has a bizarre pseudo- opulence that you might expect at the Intercontinental Hotel Mumbai. but not the cobbled Old Town. As well as glit/ there's noise and bustle and half a dozen chefs in full view. while waiters in neat charcoal suits jot orders into l’l)As and sway past tables
bearing gold-glinting pots of
curry.
But Khushi’s reputation was built not on flash decor but honest food. \Nould it —- could it -- survive a second step—change in ambience and ambition'.’ The menu has indeed broadened. and prices have
nudged up. but the depth of
flavour. the distinctive combinations. the quality of meat and. above all. the pride of worth. are all still evident. Lamb chop tikkas. served as a starter and marinated overnight in yoghurt and spices. carry black blisters from the charcoal grill yet the meat remains particularly tender.
112 THE LIST M Dec 700‘} 4 .Jan '/()()/
while black-lentil dal is a fine example of how long. slow cooking can make even the simplest of dishes so much more convincing. liven the dessert menu. so often elsewhere a dispiriting array of bought-in. sickly sweet ice creams. contains treats such as pistachio-stuffed dumplings. three soft and sweet mouthfuls dipped in scented honey. offering yet more evidence that a well-chosen meal here is very likely to be intriguing. subtle and satisfying.
As with the previous premises. there is no licence to serve alcohol. but in a charmingly unlikely tie-up. you can nip down to the wood-lined Bow Bar and order a jug of ale to carry up the glass staircase. In doing so. however. don't ignore the house lassi —- quite the best thing to lump down a firey throat — or the range of fruit juices. Clearly. it is possible to eat curry in Scotland and feel refreshed.
Khushi’s, 9 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, 0131 220 0057, www.khushis.com. Open Mon- Sun noon-1 1pm.
WRONG ORDER?
Indian restaurants are typical venues for groups of friends or colleagues to dine: everyone likes a curry. alter all. Some order their favourite dish. some go for something unusual. and we all end up tasting a bit of everyone else‘s food. It can be an unholy mess on the table. never mind our stomachs. Might a venue such as Khushi's — a place with a truer sense than most of the flavours integral to each dish. as well as the traditions of Indian cooking ~ consider offering a chef's tasting menu? It is commonly found, of course. in finer—dining European restaurants. Here it could serve as a guided tour of Indian cuisine. offering the opportunity to balance different dishes and complement flavours. The contrast that this might offer to the common head- scratching when scanning a curry menu could he sublime. (Donald Reid)
I'll eat Iceland
Barry Shelby noses and noshes away in our Nordic neighbour to the northwest.
hen it came to establishing the first distillery in Iceland. who better than the venerable Scottish distiller. William Grant and Son‘.’ But. however famed for their whisky — it all began with the (ilenfiddich in the IXXOs — the company wasn‘t going to make some sort of Nordic single malt. The plan for Iceland was vodka. With the now one-year—old brand Reyka. they appear to have a winner. inkeeping with the firm‘s more market-led brands. such as the l'lendrick's gin produced in small batches in (iirvan. In an unassuming three-storey industrial shed outside the equally unassuming village of Borganes.
an hour‘s drive northwest of
Reykjavik. the shiny copper (‘arter-Head still (not previously used for vodka) percolates with pure spirit. At the top. the nearly finished. undiluted product trickles through a glass canister of black lava rocks — an unprecedented filtration system. To produce such qttality vodka. Reyka PR boasts various attributes — all allegedly unique to Iceland: pure air. mostly mineral—free water. geothermal heating (bonus points for eco- friendliness). and the lava filtration.
lts aroma is slightly sweet and gentle. a serious contrast to the chemical overtones of a lesser product such as Absolut. Reyka‘s distinctive blue-hued bottle. with its cork stopper. contains a clean. assured spirit. fresh with a slightly balmy finish.
The distillery‘s location in western Iceland recalls the Highlands: in fact it looks like Rannoch Moor. (ilencoe and Wester Ross all wrapped tip into one spectacular setting of austere. unspoilt beauty. For added value. however. there are steaming streams. lava flows. waterfalls and even a glacier or two.
While lceland‘s capital. Reykjavik. feels Scandinavian. links between the two northern liuropean countries of Scotland and Iceland are less tenuous than
one might expect. Ancients trod a nautical line linking lceland. the liaroes. and northern Scotland.
Particularly with food. both countries seem to have slightly undeserved reputations due to some of the more stereotypical traditional staples. For Scotland. too many outsiders stun up cuisine with references to haggis and deep-fried Mars bars. ln Iceland. it‘s un-PC whale meat. puffin breast and putrelied shark meat.
Locals eat these. no doubt. At a neighbourhood grocery. l was able to try some. Whales are better to watch than consume. The last on that aforementioned list. while undoubtedly an acquired taste. is not nearly as unpalatable as you might expect: just multiply the smelliest blue cheese by ten. But you‘ll have to search to find a restaurant that highlights these delicacies. It seems only a few. such as Prir Frakkar. in the old town. regularly feature them on the menu.