Rice Terraces

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Edinburgh’s only Filipino restaurant is a family-run affair with an informal, homely ambience to match. Owner and head chef Zenaida Taylor and her son David are on hand to talk you through the dishes and it’s worth taking a chance on some of the less familiar options. A welcome recent addition is the excellent value kamayan set menu, which features an array of meat and seafood dishes served with finger bowls to encourage diners to eat using their hands in the traditional style. The à la carte options reflect the ‘East meets West’ fusion nature of Filipino cuisine. Starters include spring rolls with a garlic vinegar dip and chicken and crepes with a peanut and garlic sauce whose vegetable fillings are fresh, crunchy and full of flavour. The main course sautéed bitter melon has a slightly sour edge that’s offset by prawns, tomatoes and egg, and among the seafood dishes, a whole squid comes stuffed with a faintly sweet concoction of minced pork and vegetables. Desserts such as leche flan (a more solid take on crème caramel) and ube halayan (a dense soufflé made with purple yam and coconut milk) round off the experience nicely.

• High point: Hearty dishes made with fresh ingredients
• Low point: Choosing from the vast menu