Edinburgh - Kebabish Original Restaurant

Kebabish Original Restaurant (KO) is a restaurant of 'fine dining ambiance' with affordable prices. There have more than 20 restaurants across UK. KO serves wide ranges of food from across the Mediterranean, Central Asia and Indian subcontinent. The restaurant is designed to be fusion of what is contemporary  stylish and well designed whilst retaining the welcoming warmth, comfort and atmosphere where friends can meet and have a great time enjoying the outstanding food in relaxing environment.

The food is mainly based on Indian and Pakistani dishes with some of alteration to suit local taste bud. This restaurant serves Halal meat. If some of you have doubt, you can contact them for further clarification. Nevertheless, this restaurant also cater for those who bringing their own liquor as stated in their BYOB policy - you can bring your own wine and beer as the corkage is free. There is also some T&C at the front of the menu on ordering/paying term i.e only one debit/credit card payer per table and additional charge of 50 pence for doggy bag. Make sure that you read it through and ask the waiter if you got any question.

It is advisable to book your table if you are having a group or would like to go during peak hour; dinner on Friday/Saturday night. For take-outs, there is special seating area for waiting. From the dining area, you can feast your eyes while waiting by watching 'live show' of the chef/cook preparing your food through the big glass partition.

What was my choice of food?
I love meat! Seriously! My choice of foods were lamb-chop and steak. I always ordered T-Bone Steak (£14.95); beefsteak served with salad, chips and sauce. You can choose peppercorn or chilli sauce - I recommend peppercorn. Its not that hot, but I guess peppercorn source is more suitable for the steak. I don't know whether it was the cook of the meat factor, sometimes I got really tender and juicy steak but 1-2 times I got a 'dry' steak... For bigger group or someone with big appetite, you guys can order the the mother of the menu - KO Ship (£32.95); consists of lamp chops, lamb tikka, sheek kebab, chicken tikka, chicken wings, reshmi kebab, half baby chicken and tiger king prawns.

 T-Bone Steak

Fish Kahari (fish cooked in a type of wok with freshly grounded spices, peppers, garlic and ginger) - my friend's favourite!

As for drinks, tap water is free (served in glass or pitcher depending on the number of patrons). Also you can choose wide array of lassi (traditional yoghurt based drink)- mango lassi is delicious! You have an option of glass and pitcher. I personally do not recommend you to order soft drink or juice (the juice is not purely squeezed, it's Rubicon!) and the glass (portion) is very small for the price of £1.95. If you got some more 'spaces', you can order falooda (cold and sweet milky drink serve with jelly, rose syrup and ice cream) and gulab jamun (cheese based desert that similar to dumpling)...

I always come here for celebration dinner. From my point of view, I love this restaurant simply because of the environment not entirely for the food. I can get a cheaper food elsewhere but I guess I'm paying more for the decorations, comfort and the services. Perfect on celebrating friend's success / birthday or just dining out in comfortable place. But I can say sometimes I got annoyed with the overly attentive waiter/waitress who always asking "how was food, miss?" and at the same time tried to push another order of side dishes and deserts, although they were very helpful on being the 'impromptu cameraman' :)


Hehehe... Enjoy!

How to get there;

The address: 128, Dalry Road, Edinburgh EH11 2EZ
Phone: 01313373371
Opening time: 3pm-11pm

There are free big parking spaces at the rear of the restaurant, just follow the signboard. For those who taking bus, you can take service(s) number 2, 3, 4, 25, 28, 33, 44, 44A. 

Bus stop: Celedonian Village from the city and Dalry towards the city. KO is next to Maplin Electronics.

*the price stated is right as February 2013

Edinburgh - Debenhams Cafe & Restaurant, Princes Street

I love going to Debenhams for shopping especially during a sale. I can get good quality of products and big brands with affordable prices. I love the Beauty Card; you can collect points from your purchasing and transfer it to 'money value' for your next purchasing. Now, you can get triple points and other perks like free samples and free makeover.

Sometimes, after spending hour(s) in the store, I felt tired and wanted to sit down (properly; not just slouching at the seat around shoe zone) and have a drink. Definitely it is wasting time to go out and to buy coffee only to return back to the store. Where got time to go elsewhere? That's the Debenham Cafe come to the rescue!

At Debenhams Princes St, there are 2 cafes situated at the 1st Floor and the 4th Floor. The 1st Floor cafe just serve simple dishes (mainly pastry) whereas the 4th floor is a restaurant with breakfast and lunch options. I always hanged out the 4th floor cafe/restaurant because of the menu option and I also be treated with Edinburgh Castle view -superb! Its more private than Starbucks Coffee nearby... Obviously its not as hip as Starbuck's or Costa's and filled with elderly peoples, but I guess money-wise, this place is spot on!

The View

My choice is always the pot of tea (1.79) and hot chocolate (2.49). I tried the blueberry muffin (forgot the price) and it was heaven! Same goes to Tray bake chocolate brownies (1.99). The restaurant serve breakfast (serve until 12 pm) with variety of options of English breakfast and porridge including vegetarian options (3.99-6.99). My choice is always the big 8 items breakfast (4.75). They also serve kid's menu microwave for heating the baby milk.

8 items breakfast (vegetarian option - vegetarian sausages) 

Well, maybe this restaurant is not the best 'proper restaurant' in Princes St. But to those who need a quick, comfortable, affordable, decent food and quick restroom facilities in the middle of shopping spree, this is the place that you could go.

P/S - Actually almost all Debenhams outlet has cafe.

The address: 109, Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 3AA

Enjoy!

Edinburgh - Shilla Korean Restaurant

I was introduced to this little gem last year. Apparently, this place is being 'obsessed' by most of my die-hard K-Pop friends :) simply because of the food authenticity and K-Pop background music. This place is not that far from Princes St. Just 10-15 minutes walk down the hill from Hanover St towards Dundas St. You can take Lothian bus number 23 and 27 and stop at New Town bus stop. The restaurant is across the street. But don't afraid if you can't see it because the restaurant is situated beneath Belinda Robertson boutique.

The restaurant (although situated at underground) is really beautiful with Korean decorations, oriental paintings and of course K-Pop music. This restaurant can accommodate approximately 70 peoples with 4 types of private rooms. The price of the menu could be considered as moderate. But strangely, the price of lunch and dinner is different in which the latter is more expensive although the menu is totally the same. And additional 10% service charge will be added for a company more than 6 patrons. Nevertheless, it still a cheap (around £10 per person - minus drink) option compared to another Korean restaurant in town. Even a take-away restaurant in Old Town is more expensive... After we ordered our food, we were served by 3 little appetizers (complimentary of the restaurant); stir-fried aubergine, sweet potatoes and seaweed. They tasted fantastic!!! You should try it!

My friend ordered Hoe Deop Bab (sliced raw fish and mixed vegetables served with boiled rice and chilli sauce) £7.90. The chilli sauce was served in separate bowl and must be poured and mixed before eating it. Although it was stated as raw fish but the fish was actually smoked; no worries there ;)

I ordered my favourite dish; Ccan Sho Saewoo (deep fried king prawns in hot and sweet sauce) £7.90. It was so delicious that I always wanted to order 2!!! (I did once)

I recommend Hae Mul Bokum Bab (seafood fried rice) and Jjam Bbong (spicy noodle soup) £7.90. I must warn you that Jjam Bbong is REALLY hot! All the dishes is clearly stated for hot and spicy taste and vegetarians options. For vegetarians, some of the dishes can be prepared according to your preferences.

Have fun!

The Address: 13B, Dundas St, EH3 6QG, Edinburgh

http://www.shilla-edinburgh.com/index.html 

Edinburgh - Edisi Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan Part 1

Di kalangan Malaysian, perkara utama kalau nak keluar or bercuti, adalah tempat makan. Especially pulak di luar negara, masing-masing takut kalau tak jumpa tempat makanan halal. Jangan risau kalau ke UK, banyak jer restoren halal - walaupun rata2nya menunya adalah berasaskan masakan Timur Tengah dan India/Pakistan...

Di Edinburgh, banyak tempat-tempat makan halal yang boleh korang cuba. Kebanyakannya terletak di kawasan Edinburgh Central Mosque (EH8 9BT) / Nicolson Sreet / Nicolson Square. Antaranya Kebab Mahal, Tikka Mahal, Mum's Kitchen, Marmaris, Baguette King, Palmyra Pizza and Mosque's Kitchen. Kebab Mahal ni pernah keluar majalah and terima anugerah Scottish Curry Award Winner 2009. Tetapi restoren ni sangat-sangat kecil. Berimpit2lah kalau nak makan. Tahun lepas, Kebab Mahal berjaya beli kedai sebelah untuk extend restoren ni. Tapi dining extension ni hanya dibuka untuk waktu puncak or ada tempahan meja untuk kumpulan yang besar. Harga makanan kat sini secara puratanya dalam 'tengah2' or moderate... tak murah and taklah mahal. Portionnya pulak sangatlah besar... Satu pinggan biryani tu boleh kongsi 2 orang. Kalau betul2 lapar, maybe boleh makan seorang sepinggan kot - But I'm doubt it :) Jangan risau, mereka ni tak kedekut nak bagi pinggan kosong sbb rata2nya pelanggan kat situ pun memang makan kongsi2. 

Palmyra Pizza pulak restoren yang menyediakan makanan Timur Tengah - so mesti banyak makanan panggang etc. Tapi yang seronoknya, restoren ni ada menjual western menu - pizza, burger and chips. Ada 10% student discount. Tapi kena tunjuk Student ID Card waktu order, sebabnya nanti diaorang terus nak masukkan discount dalam resit. Kalau tunjuk lepas waiter bagi resit, jawabnya mmg tiada potongan lah. Sbb alasannya, diaorg dah buka resit and diaorang tak boleh ubah. Macam-macam hal...

Kalau nak diikutkan harga makanan, harga kat Mosque's Kitchen (MK) ni lah yang paling murah di kawasan Edinburgh tetapi menunya agak terhad; pilau rice, chicken curry, lamb curry, mesh vegetables, shish kebab and tandoori. Lepas tu makanan pulak dihidangkan secara nasi campur - tapi penjual tu yang akan ambilkan/cedokkan untuk kita. Cuma cakap kombinasi nasi and kari apa yang kita nak. Food portion kat sini, agak sedikitlah kalau nak dibandingkan dengan Kebab Mahal. Seorang tu boleh habis sepinggan. Urusniaga dalam tunai sahaja. MK ni banyak dikunjungi oleh student2 uni dan jugak orang awam - terbuka untuk semua. 

Nak cerita pasal MK ni. Mulanya, MK ni terletak di dalam kawasan masjid tu sendiri. And then, diaorang pindah ke premis lain berdekatan dengan kawasan masjid jugak. Premis yang baru ni lebih selesa, ada heater, meja and kerusi yang selesa and ada kemudahan tandas / baby changing room. Premis lama yang kawasan diningnya terletak di luar - ala2 macam warung kat Malaysia. Tak de masalah nak makan kat luar, tapi bila cuaca sejuk tu, faham-faham ajerlah... Lepas tu ada company lain mula meniaga kat premis lama MK (dalam kawasan masjid) dan turut menggunakan nama yang sama - Mosque's Kitchen! A lot of people got confused with this and it created a stir in the community. Adalah cerita2nya kenapa begitu, and kenapa begini. But I'm not going to write on that; this entry is about food. Saya dah pernah cuba kedua2 tempat ni, masing-masing ada pros and cons. Harga pun lebih kurang sama, cuma MK2 baru ni lebih murah (dalam beberapa pence), tapi masa perniagaan diaorg terhad, dalam pukul 7-8 pm dah tutup. Personally saya lebih suka the original MK1 especially kalau saya bawa tetamu untuk makan di kawasan tu. 

Nak cerita jugak, semua minuman yang dijual kat restaurant ni adalah dalam bentuk tin atau botol. So, pandailah nak budget order minuman apa. Bukan apa, takut membazir. Air mineral kat UK ni mahal. Kadang2, lebih mahal daripada harga soft drink. Kalau nak murah beli lah air mineral dari supermarket or bawa bekal (jika boleh).








How to get there;
Public Transport - Lothian Bus 3, 5, 7, 8, 14, 29, 30, 31, 33, 37, 47, 49, 51, 52, 62

Car: EH 8 9BT
Kepada yang memandu, kawasan parking di kawasan ni agak terhad. Kalau nak rasa tenang, boleh parking di kawasan masjid - bayaran parking juga dikenakan tapi tak perlulah asyik nak tengok jam jer; takut2 nanti waktu parking dah habis. Additional info; bayaran saman parking lebih masa di kawasan Edinburgh adalah GBP60. Kalau dijelaskan dalam masa 14 hari, ada discount 50%...

Nearest bank: The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Clydesdale Bank. 

* I will add some more pictures later :)

Beauty: Lancome Le Crayon Kohl

It was a period when I was the die hard fan of Lancome. Every skincare, makeup and perfume must be Lancome. The smell of freshly new opened Lancome products made every single cent worth. Crazy eh? 

But I faith kind of shaken in 2012 with their eyeliner especially with Lancome Le Crayon Kohl. My first kohl was 028 Brun (Brown). I was impressed with the smoothness and the intensity of the colour during swatch test. The salesgirl was so persuasive and attentive and it was high recommended product in the beauty magazine. So I bought it.

It melted for real!!! And I end up with a panda eyes by the end of the day. I was curious. I tried applying it in various ways; the Arabian look; only on my eyelid; used a smudging technique and I even mix it with another eye liner but it still melted. During summer, the panda look emerged as early as 11 am... Hardly 3 hours after I applied it... I abandoned the kohl after that. 

A few months after that, I found the colour Bloody Black Cherry. It was a limited edition for autumn/winter 2012 season. Well, I bought it, thinking that, maybe this will be different... How I was wrong... It still melted. It even worst, with the deep red shade, my face looked like I'm on Halloween make up!. Well, it was not that bad, but I felt frustrated with the melting... I'm not sure whether this eye liner is for 'panda look' in the first place, but certainly I'm not going to wear this type of eye liner again. Frustrating!!! A few months ago, I found one customer review in a major shopping website saying this eye liner melt and gave 2/5 stars...

Well, enough said...