A fusion ofthe best ofboth worlds

I’ll leave those who were the recipients of the gifts to decide whether the first part of the venture was a success, but, thanks to the good people at Voujon, the second certainly was.

Even regular visitors to the capital may not have heard of the restaurant, sitting as it does somewhat off the beaten track in Newington Road.

But after my visit I’d certainly advise making the effort, especially as it’s only a few minutes in a taxi from Haymarket station and its relaxed atmosphere makes a pleasant change from many of the bustling city centre restaurants.

I was certainly ready to enjoy some chill time when we arrived laden with bags and the leisurely meal definitely put the spring back in my step.

Voujon offers a slightly different take on traditional Indian dining with its ‘fusion’ menu partnering main dishes with favoured accommpaniments. Of course, those who want to mix and match can do so, but we were more than happy to leave that choice to the experts and we certainly weren’t disappointed.

I’m only afraid that our selection of dishes may have disappointed our host, as they owed almost as much to British as Indian cuisine. Anyway more about our own fusion of flavours later.

To kick us off we opted for some traditional starters, Pauline choosing the pakora while the meat samosas captured my attention.

Too often such dishes are heavy on the batter and light on the filling but there was no such problems at Voujon, in fact it was quite the reverse with the lighty and crispy coatings giving way to more than generous portions inside.

Another tick was added to my notebook thanks to the accompanying sauce which was a million miles away from the sickly pink stuff too often served up.

When it comes to main dishes I am seldom able to see past the tandoori section and so it proved again. Despite the impressive range of traditional offerings it was the salmon which won my vote.

It may not be a fish usually used in Indian cooking but they certainly did it justice with every bite a taste sensation it its own right.

Chicken korma is Pauline’s staple when it comes to Indian but she branched out a bit and instead selected the kashmiri murghi.

Another chicken dish in a mild sauce, but this time featuring mixed tropical fruits and spices, giving a sweeter taste, it proved well worth breaking with tradition for.

The chosen accompaniments – pilau rice and a garlic naan – were exactly what we’d have plumped for so no issues there. In fact, the naan deserves a special mention for finding the right balance between being too crispy or too stodgy.

All and all a big thumbs up to Voujon.

My only issue would be the lack of parking but with the train station so close I’ll be leaving the car behind on my next visit and enjoying a glass of vino to wash down what’s sure to be another superb meal.

I’m looking forward to it already – minus the shopping of course!