Spoilt for Choice

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.

Billing itself as Edinburgh's new home of 'soul food' this Afro-Caribbean take away in Meadowbank has big plans: lunchtime opening starts in May 2012 and they are scouting sites for a dedicated restaurant. These are bold moves for a tiny site with just two tables and a funky curtain separating the counter and kitchen, but they are more than matched by the bold flavours appearing from behind said curtain. Fluffy bajan crab cakes are a Barbados speciality, a careful balance of sweet and spicy which are complimented by kosayi, a punchy West African dipping sauce. The Caribbean goat stew is about soulful as soul food gets, the rich, slow cooked meat a succulent treat. Jumping back across the Atlantic, yassa is a zesty chicken curry which goes perfectly with dodo (fried plantains). With excellent value set meals giving you the option to criss-cross potentially unfamiliar African and Caribbean cuisine with ease, Spoilt for Choice has been well named.

Takeaway review
Specialising in Afro-Caribbean ‘soul food’, the eclectic and expansive menu of Spoilt for Choice is a significant departure from Edinburgh's typical takeaways. Caribbean Chicken Delight features chicken pieces marinated in honey and a blend of Jamaican spices served in a deliciously creamy coconut and pineapple sauce, a wonderful balance of sweet, savoury and spice. Goat stew comes with tender, slightly fatty chunks of goat in a rich tomato ragout. Side orders of dodo (fried plantain) and puff-puffs (small, savoury doughnuts) are the perfect accoutrement to these distinctive sauces, although conkies, a corn based, polenta-like dish seasoned with pumpkin and coconut is more of an acquired taste.

• High point: Huge range of unique, complex dishes.
• Low point: Tiny tables if you want to sit in.