Little Vietnam

We just came back from a very tasty dinner at Little Vietnam (79 Dalry Road EH11 2AA), which has opened recently.

The menu has a large selection of rice-based dishes: summer roles wrapped in rice paper, many rice noodle dishes and fried rice dishes. The food was light, spicy and delicious, but with sizable portions. We had summer rolls, butter beef (bo luc lac), Vietnamese salad (nom goi), a spicy vermicelli soup (bun bo hue: pork, beef and chicken in a spicy broth with rice noodles), and a savoury crepe (banh xeo, actually, not necessaily gluten free, but that was what my wife ordered). With drinks, this was just under £38.

The decor is simple and relaxing, with an authentic feel. Our waiter was very friendly, and the service was very good. The place is a new favourite. It is BYOB.

They also do take away, and according to their Facebook page, they now deliver.

Where to get Gluten-Free Beer in Edinburgh

Some places that sell gluten-free beers (or have in the past):

• The Beer Hive (25 Rodney Street, EH7 4EA)
• Cornelius Beers and Wines (18-20 Easter Rd, EH7 5RG)
• Earthy Foods (33-41 Ratcliffe Terr., EH9 1SX and 1-6 Canonmills Bridge, EH3 5LF)
• Real Foods (37 Broughton St, EH1 3JU and 8 Brougham Street, EH3 9JH)
• Vino Wines (various locations)

Most seem to have mainly Mongozo beer, though I've found other brands in the past (see the post on gluten-free ales from 2011 at Earthy Foods).

(For what it's worth, I found this page about wheat-free and gluten-free beers in various parts of the world, and another page on the 14 Best (and Worst) Gluten-Free Beers.

What other places in the city sell gluten-free beers?

News

I've been very busy, and have been meaning to write something over the past few months. So it will do with some quick updates:

• I was going to write a review of Potatolicious, a "Punjabi Bistro" in Morningside that featured gram (chickpea) flour-based appetisers as well as jacket potatoes with curry. But it's closed, without warning. I'm not sure if it will re-open somewhere else. 
• La Favorita is opening a new restaurant in Morningside, soon. The Leith Walk restaurant can prepare gluten-free pizzas, among other things. If the Morningside location does as well, it will fill a much-needed niche here.
• I've not been to Indaba in a long time: for no other reason than simply not having the time. I was there last night, and enjoyed our meal. And noted that gluten-free items were highlighted on the menu, including a gluten-free boerewors.

Oh yeah, and I'm also leaving Edinburgh in a few months. I've not been very good at keeping this blog up-to-date with reviews, recipes, etc., and have always been looking for contributors/collaborators. Now I'm looking for someone to take this over, perhaps a foodie who will do more with it than I have done.

Gluten-free BBQ

I haven't written much lately, but it is getting to be BBQ season (even if a bit late, and probably a bit brief), and I did have a chance to try some interesting rolls and burgers:

A sample Waitrose "LOVE life" line of gluten-free roll.

Waitrose, like the other major supermarkets in the UK, now has a line of gluten-free products. That includes a package of white rolls.  (Seeded rolls are also available for slightly more.)

The rolls are a wee bit smaller and dryer than typical buns, but they are more than good enough for burgers.  (Actually, I like them a bit smaller, as it improves the bun to burger ratio.) The important thing is that they aren't too dry, and they taste like a hamburger bun should.

But as important as the bun in the filling. Most prepared burgers contain flour, and so aren't gluten-free (and I've found out the hard way...).

I recently tried a line of burgers from The Good Little Company, which lists them as being not only gluten-free but also being made from 88% British beef and having no artificial colours or flavourings., and that they donate a portion of their profits to Christian Aid.  The burgers were tasty, but they were very small: a package of six burgers was only 336g, or about 56g (just under 2 ounces, or an 1/8th of a pound). That wasn't very good for the bun/burger ratio, but it was awkward to fit two on one of the Waitrose buns.

As for other toppings, well, I'm fairly traditional. Ketchup and mayonnaise are fine for me, and those are normally gluten-free.

I'd love to get comments about other brands of baps, burgers or BBQ sauces sold in the area.

Leaf and Bean, Morningside

I recently tried the Leaf & Bean (12-14 Comiston Road EH10 5QE). It's a fairly new cafe near Morningside Station that has the gluten-free bread available for sandwiches and with soups. The decor is bright and comfortable, food was good, the prices very good (you can get a soup or sandwich with a drink for under £5-6), and staff are friendly. They also have free WiFi and loyalty cards for coffee. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Wok & Wine

Apologies for not posting anything in a while. But back in December, I enjoyed a wonderful meal at Wok and Wine (57 Frederick Street EH2 1LH). The food was wonderful, with a separate gluten-free menu (viewable from their website), and includes some "breaded" items. I had spicy bits of John Dory (which doesn't seem to be on the online menu) that were enjoyable. Our meal was more of a tapas-like assortment of "light bites" that we ordered, and seemed to be from a different menu (but possibly because we ate during the holiday season).