Review: The Spice Pavilion (Takeaway)

I do like my Indian food. It is quite often my go to comfort meal, be it homemade, restaurant or takeaway. There are hundreds of South Asian restaurants in Edinburgh and it can be quite difficult to find a real gem - but look no further, The Spice Pavilion is here. If you've ever been to the cosy restaurant at the top of Dundas Street, you would understand why I'm pretty damn excited that they're doing takeaway. The food they serve there is fresh, light and delicious - and the service is professional and friendly. We were intrigued, however, to see how their food would travel, so we put in an order as soon as we knew they delivered. 

We ordered a good amount for two people, y'know, so we could test plenty - not because we're greedy I swear. It came in good time and was delivered by possibly the friendliest and best dressed delivery man you can imagine. Clearly proud of what his restaurant produces, he asked us to let us know if everything was good - so here you go friendly man, read on and you'll find out. We ordered a small portion of chicken tikka, vegetable pakora, mushroom bhaji, saag aloo, saag paneer and, one of our usual favourites, a king prawn makhani - along with a peshwari naan. 

First, the starters. The vegetable pakora wasn't a stodgy, heavy ball of batter you could knock a cow out with (one bad experience at a football match - I should've known, who orders a pakora at the football?!) - quite the contrary, it was crisp and light, with the usual delicious spice flavours coming through. The chicken tikka was also very good - relatively tender with that lovely smoky flavour of the tandoor. The mushroom bhaji was tasty, however nothing spectacular (a bit too sweet for my liking) - nevertheless this was the only negative to the food. The rest of it was quite glorious. 

What I must mention is The Spice Pavilion's usage of ginger - they use more than the usual Indian restaurant and it works a treat. It adds this amazing freshness to their curries that can be quite welcoming when you intend to consume your body weight in it. The food is light, and seasoned with a light touch - nothing is over the top or leaving you gagging for a gallon of water to quench your biblical thirst. This is especially clear in their saag - or spinach. The flavour is immense, however not over-powering. The spinach is so delicately cooked that it still holds some texture to it, and this, combined with fresh ginger, delightfully soft paneer cheese and perfectly cooked potatoes, is quite possibly one of the best things in the world. It matches perfectly, as well, with the rich, buttery makhani which holds just a hint of heat. The prawns, too, were cooked to perfection. An overall wonderful combination of Indian food which I'm desperate to have again (I've made myself hungry writing this). 

So, if you're having a night in, make sure you order from The Spice Pavilion - however, if you have the opportunity to eat in the restaurant, go for it. The delivery was excellent and everything was still hot and fresh, however the added atmosphere and scents in the restaurant is certainly a bonus. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly one of the best Indian takeaways in Edinburgh.