the Playhouse. Open very early till very late, this is a place for all tastes, whether you’re after a filling breakfast, takeaway latte, quick-bite panini or a more substantial pizza/pasta in the evening. There’s a Milano vibe with Italian pop music in the background, bustling, friendly service, and a tempting selection of cakes and pastries on display, encouraging visitors to linger at high tables by the large windows and do a spot of people-watching over a cappuccino.
MISO & SUSHI 46a Haymarket Terrace, West End, 0131 337 7466, www.sushi-miso.co.uk, £15 (lunch/dinner) Despite still bearing the décor and pan-piped atmosphere of the old China Inn restaurant, the name of this place hints at what you might expect from it now. Miso & Sushi boasts an owner and head chef who came from Sushiya around the corner, and his extensive and varied menu looks set to enliven dining options in Edinburgh’s West End. The sushi selection is large in various fish, crustacean and vegetable varieties, while shallow-fried tempuras, grilled plates including chicken yakitori, scallops and salmon, and donburi dishes add variety. It marks another feature on the increasingly interesting Japanese dining scene in Edinburgh.
For more food and drink visit www.list.co.uk/food-and-drink SEX AND DRUGS AND SAUSAGE ROLLS
Before opening his own restaurant, Glasgow chef John Quigley spent time as a touring catering chef for the likes of Bryan Adams, Tina Turner and Guns N’ Roses. Here he offers a few tips on festival food
One of my first experiences of festival catering was in Norway. Guns N’ Roses were headlining and I was cheffing. One day Slash crawled from his crypt and asked me, ‘Where am I?’ ‘Norway,’ I replied. ‘Cool, let’s get some reindeer, man!’ Later that night there I was roasting six
reindeers on spits, a totally impractical approach to festival catering but very old-school rock’n’roll. Eating well and avoiding junk at festivals this summer can be tricky. If you are attempting to do it by taking a camping stove or barbecue then there are few things to consider. For a start, don’t get bogged down with anything that requires careful cooking and an excessive amount of equipment or prep. Hygiene conditions are never ideal so the less you need to handle the food, the better. Do your prep before you go on site or get hold of some BBQ- ready marinated and skewered meats, as well as good gourmet burgers and sausages. Stuff it all in baguettes, flat breads and buns rather than using unnecessary cutlery and crockery, and make sure it’s all cooked thoroughly.
For an instant fix, a quick pick-me-up or midnight munch, pack a good selection of fresh fruit, bags of dried fruit and nuts, quality chocolate, cereal/protein bars, muffins and brownies. Mind not to include too much
roughage – we have all seen the Portaloos! It’s well worth focusing on breakfast. Apart
from the fact that it might be the only time you are sober enough to eat, there are also fewer distractions so you won’t miss any bands. Something balanced and substantial should set you up for whatever you decide to throw at your body later. Check out the following recipe for something that can be cooked a day in advance and will stay fresh for two or three days if kept cool in an airtight container. ■ John Quigley runs Red Onion, 257 West Campbell Street, Glasgow, 0141 221 6000, www.red-onion.co.uk
RICE TERRACES 93 St Leonard’s Street, 0131 629 9877, www.rice-terraces.com, £8 (lunch) / £10 (dinner) Edinburgh’s first Filipino restaurant is one of a small but growing number of places in the city offering genuinely authentic Asian food that is pleasingly un- tempered for the British palate. Filipino cuisine is a cultural melting pot, reflecting Chinese, Malay and Spanish influences, so while the menu has a few familiar names and flavours, what arrives at the table may be less so. The cooking from chef and proprietress Rudy Deras is robust, homely and generous; it is also very keenly priced: £3.50 is a great price for a ‘small’ beef shank soup – a rich, deep broth served with the poached shank and unctuous pieces of bone marrow.
THE QUIGLEY FESTIVAL SPECIAL Serves 4-6 people per loaf
Basic Bread Mix • 1 x 7g sachet dried yeast • 450g bread flour, plus extra flour for dusting • 330ml tepid water • 1 level tablespoon sea salt • 15g sugar Filling • 6 hard boiled eggs, shelled • 10 slices gammon • 400g grated cheddar • Olive oil • Sea salt and black pepper • Chopped fresh rosemary
Method Throw all the bread mix ingredients together and knead into a dough. Roll the dough out into a long
rectangular shape about 1cm thick, one metre long and 30cm wide. Along the middle of the flat dough lay out the gammon, boiled eggs and grated cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Pull the dough over the filling so it forms what looks like a cannelloni pasta shape.
Bring one end round to the
other so that they join up. Pinch and pat the two ends together firmly to form a doughnut shaped bread.
Brush the ring with olive oil and sprinkle the loaf with a little sea salt and rosemary. Transfer to a baking tray dusted with flour and allow to prove for 15 minutes.
Place in a preheated 400F
(200C) oven and bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Then tear and share.
Open 7 days a week
Private dining facilities available Outdoor eating area Now in its 21st year
29-33 Dublin Street Edinburgh EH3 6NL tel: 0131 556 2231 8-10 Grindlay Street Edinburgh EH3 9AS tel: 0131 229 5405
38 St Mary’s Street Edinburgh EH1 1SX tel: 0131 557 5754
Fish Meat Game Poultry
www.stacpolly.co.uk Email: bookings@stacpolly.com
27 May–10 Jun 2010 THE LIST 13