FOOD : Review of Bo'ness Spice, Bon'ess

There’s a flurry of activity at the door as we step inside Bo’ness Spice; delivery drivers with their insulated backpacks queue up for takeaway orders. They are soon on their way, vacating the wee restaurant space. Bo’ness Spice is dinky do, with seating for only 12-14 guests. The space is compact but not cramped and the clever use of space, colours and mirrors helps create the illusion that it is bigger than it is.

REVIEW OF BO’NESS SPICE, BO’NESS

Bo’ness Spice has gone all out with proper linen table clothes and napkins and beautiful leather clad menus - a rarity in most restaurants these days. Owner, Mohammad, was an integral operator at the award winning Itihaas Restaurant in Dalkeith and this in his own venture.

The menu is packed full of mouth watering dishes and the aroma from the kitchen only makes you want to order absolutely everything off this menu.

I took my brother along with me as his spice palate is totally opposite to mine. I love mild spices that slowly create heat whilst he enjoys a full on whack smack of spicy heat, the hotter the better!

As any dinner at an Indian restaurant commences, poppadoms and chutneys are a must. My brother adored the mixed pickle which was a nice balance of sweetness and heat whilst I tucked straight into the mango chutney and the onion salad. The poppadoms where slightly warm and provided a superb light snap. Dinner was gonna be gooood!

All of the dishes we ordered are easy for sharing or if you are a Joey - then feel free to eat everything from the dish that you ordered.

We started off with the Haggis Pakoras (£4.45) - lightly spiced lamb haggis in a traditional spiced batter. I think haggis goes so well with Indian spices as the pepper really enhances the warm mouth feel. These were good but I would have preferred the batter a little thinner. This did not distract from the flavour however.

Lamb Sheek Kebab (£4.95) - lightly spiced lamb mince cooked in the Tandoor. Oooft, these were delicious. Soft, succulent, very tasty lamb with a slight hint of smokiness. The spice level here was next to nothing, but you didn’t miss it as the flavours were superb. It was served with a lemony yoghurt dip. Would most defo order this again.

For mains we ordered

• Tandoori Lamb Chops (£12.95)

  (as I’m typing this up, I’ve just realised we ate alot of lamb!)

• Kashmiri Chicken Curry (£8.25)

• Peshwari Naan (£3.15)

• Pilau Rice (£2.95)

• Aloo Gobi Masala (£4.75)

The Lamb Chops are sensational. A good amount of meat on the bone, skilfully spiced where the flavour builds and builds. If like my brother, you like the heat, Bo’ness Spice are more than happy to adjust spice levels; but for me these were spot on.

The Kashmiri Curry is a creamy korma type curry with lychees. Yes, some of you are going to cringe at the thought of fruit in your food, but I love the contrast of savoury and sweet. The curry was exceptionally creamy, very rich but I felt it did lack some spice. Again, packed full of flavour and I devoured it all. Now that I know what to expect, on my next visit, I will ask them to up the spice.

The Aloo Gobi Masala was a fantastic accompaniment to the mains. Great heat levels and a nice spice flavour. The potatoes were soft with the cauliflower retaining a slight bite.

There are so many wonderful sounding dishes on the menu. I particularly love food cooked in a tandoor and the Salmon Tikka had me drooling. There’s plenty of vegetarian and fish dishes too; try the Sabzi Rogan Josh (V) with garlic, fresh coriander, and fried tomatoes or the King Prawn Jalfrezi.

Bo’ness Spice is busy with takeaways and most weekends are full. I can see why. The food here is old style but good style. It’s cooked with love and care, which means that it takes a little longer to come out the kitchen but its so worth the wait. Presentation is also old school, with flourishes of garnish and interesting plating but that means that the portions are large and the food will make you very, very happy indeed.

Bo’ness is a little out the way, although only 30 mins drive from Edinburgh and 40 mins from Glasgow. I’ve driven further for an ice-cream. Bo’ness Spice is BYOB or order soft drinks and lassi’s from their menu.

They are open Wednesday to Monday (CLOSED TUESDAYS) and from 4pm, so for dinner only. I’d encourage you to book, it truly is a hidden gem!

Bo’ness Spice, 61 South Street, Bo’ness, EH51 9AH. Tel : 01506 826777 www.bonessspice.com

My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10

I was invited by Bo’ness Spice to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.