News bites: culinary gossip from the capital’s kitchens

By JONATHAN TREW
Published on 07/08/2012 20:16

THE arrival of Wagamama on Lothian Road has sparked a flurry of refits and revamps. A fresh arrival is YummyTori which specialises in Japanese yakitori or grilled foods.

It’s one of the new breed of fast-casual restaurants which are springing up. YummyTori also has an interesting range of cocktails to complement the bento boxes. Make mine a cherry blossom margarita made with tequila, sake and cherry syrup.

• YummyTori

OLIVER’S ARMY

Roll out the red carpet and organise the ticker tape parade down Rose Street as Jamie’s Italian prepares to launch in the revamped Assembly Rooms on Sunday, 15 July. Expect rustic Italian delivered with Mr Oliver’s customary vim and vigour. Edinburgh’s existing Italian restaurateurs are worried that the chef’s celeb pulling power will eclipse their own culinary efforts. Perhaps, to begin with, but novelty always wears off and, influential as he is, no-one wants to eat Jamie every night. Do they?

• Jamie’s Italian

POTTEROW POP-UP

Innis & Gunn, the success story of recent Edinburgh brewing, is running a pop-up at 32 Potterrow, former home to Native State, The Woolpack and Coco. Until the end of August, the bar will be offering the full range of Innis & Gunn beers including limited edition bottlings and export market brews normally reserved for the Swedish market. Keep an eye on its Facebook page for special events. Ross Boyce is taking over the kitchen on Wednesday, 25 July.

• Innis & Gunn

MALAYSIAN MASH

Edinburgh’s diverse restaurant scene means that you can eat food from all over the world but, apart from the Kampong Ah Lee restaurants, Malaysian restaurants have been thin on the ground until now. Swelling the numbers is Nanyang in the Quartermile development. A glorious mash-up of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Dutch influences, the extensive menu features multiple curries, coconut-flavoured rendangs, crispy ducks and papaya salads. There’s also an intriguing hawkers’ selection of street foods.

• Nanyang

CULINARY CRAZE

Bang on trend is the only way to describe the Edinburgh Larder Bistro on Alva Street, a new venture from the team at the Edinburgh Larder Deli on Blackfriars Street. Locally sourced, free range, seasonal and foraged are the watchwords on the menu, along with a nod to Rene Redzepi’s acclaimed Noma restaurant in Copenhagen. There’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to food but the menu looks genuinely thrilling. Think crispy lamb, broad beans and mint to start or main courses of veal kidney, wild mushrooms and onions in white wine with summer herbs and peas.

• Edinburgh Larder Bistro

NEW ROOTS

Down in the People’s Independent Republic of Leith, the ESI Brasserie has shut and the Tapas Tree has sprouted in its place. It’s run by Luis Letelier, the restaurateur who had a hand in two of the capital’s first tapas restaurants: Tapas Ole and the original Tapas Tree on Forth Street.

• The Tapas Tree