Bodega

Edinburgh's first dedicated taqueria serving fresh Mexican, Asian and American-inspired flavours, wrapped in a corn tortilla.

BODEGA :: home

http://www.ilovebodega.com

Bodega | Review | The Wee Review | Scotland's arts and culture ...

Soon after, we unanimously agreed the Warm spicy black bean dip with melted cheese was the perfect place to start.

First wine bottle almost drained, it was time to indulge in the wonderful and varied selection of tacos.

So over the next hour or so, we were wowed by the Baja-style cod bites, tempura tiger prawns, roast squash with black bean purée, pulled pork, crispy halloumi, and slow cooked chili steak with a smoky glaze.

But by far our favorite was the Vietnamese pork with bean sprouts, kimchi, coriander and lime.

In fact everything about this restaurant is enjoyable.

Bodega (62 Elm Row, Leith Walk, Edinburgh) | The List

The main event is a selection of street-style tacos that buck traditional Mexican food trends.

Scallion fries on the side are a lighter take on onion rings; battered and ripe for dipping into sweet mustard sauce.

It's BYOB, but you might not want to when you're tempted by the Jarritos Mexican sodas on offer – bright pink guava or super sweet mango to cool things down a bit.

Bodega, Edinburgh, restaurant review - Scotsman Food and Drink

With its Spanish name simply referring to a shop selling wine and food, Bodega keeps it simple, serving up a selection of starters and tacos (using gluten-free corn tortillas) which offer street-style Mexican food with inventive fillings.

Luckily mine are of a generous nature and we all dive into house guacamole with corn chips (£4.50) from the standard menu and choose two options from that day’s specials, salmon ceviche with chilli, lime and avocado (£6), served with a separate lime and chilli hot sauce (we are warned that this is a hot one) and quesadilla with chorizo and caramelised peppers (£4.50) to start.

I would never have envisaged an avocado tempura taco – and I confess it doesn’t top my hit list, although it appeals hugely to my avocado-loving compadres – but the tempura is wonderfully light, with the wasabi adding a welcome, mustard-like heat nicely balanced with creamy slaw.

You might think we’d be all avocado-ed out by now, but the crocodile pie and its creamy topping of smooth lime and avocado mix on a dense, biscuit base is too good to pass on – snapped up and devoured in no time.

ALSO ON THE MENU I liked the sound of the taco of baja-style crispy cod bites served with fried potato matchsticks and chipotle mayo, which apparently is a Bodega favourite and was sadly already finished the night we ate there.

Bodega, Edinburgh, restaurant review - Scotsman Food and Drink

Eat worms and crocodile pie at the new branch of Bodega, says Gaby Soutar “Yes, and we’re out of alligators too,” says the patient waiter.

On our visit to the new Tollcross branch of Bodega, they were sold out of crocodile pie (£5), and I was just wondering if that was because of a shortage of the eponymous ingredient.

They had a sort of fine batter on them and were coated in a sticky, garlicky and vinegary sauce, then a gritty scale of sesame seeds.

Our favourite was probably the carne asada beef (£7.50), with a rich dollop of stewed beef, a chevron of sour cream and some mild chipotle ranch dressing.

The Baja cod bites (£7) version was a little flatly bland, though a nice fish and chippy idea, with Panko-crumbed cod goujons and some pin-thin potato matchsticks, along with a smudge of smoky tomato sauce.

Restaurant review: Bodega, Elm Row, Edinburgh - The Scotsman

Dinner for two, excluding 14/20 Years ago, I stayed in San Francisco’s Mission district, which has a large Mexican community.

In recent years, a couple of sprightly Mexican take-away/sit-in places have sprung up – Los Cardos and Illegal Jack’s in Edinburgh, and Glasgow’s Pinto Mexican Kitchen.

We also had big love for the sopa de tortilla (a steal at £4) – a rich and stocky broth laden with shredded chicken, tiny tomato cubes, celery and onion, with a thatch of toasted tortilla matchsticks.

A body-temperature black bean dip (£3.50) was earthy, with more dusty tortilla chips on the side and thin shavings of manchego on top.

Despite the wonders of tacos 1, 2 and 3, we did get slightly tired of the ubiquitous jicama coleslaw and oniony pico de gallo (my breath should have been cordoned off with yellow tape) – a combination added to every option.