Soul Vegan

Edinburgh’s run of strong plant-based openings continues with Soul Vegan, a Malaysian-inspired offering linked to the city’s well-loved Kampong Ah Lee. The space is gorgeous, just the right side of pretty yet stopping short of the sinking feeling that it’s been designed for the ‘Gram rather than the diner. It’s also tiny: service starts and ends with a single waiter, who handles the house with ease.

The menu slants towards street food which translates to a lot of deep-frying, particularly in the starters. Go with it: salt and pepper lotus root is addictively savoury and feather-light, while sweetcorn fritters deliver a sweet and savoury crunch. Both are enlivened by a side of archar, pickled veg adding a sour complexity. Mains are generous. A huge plate of comforting, homely gan lau mee noodles come topped with char sui and crisp wonton, though a touch more spice would be welcome (or save some archar), while Soul’s special tofu is crisp, sticky, salty and pleasantly chewy.

As the pundits say, it’s a game of two halves: already building a solid reputation, it’s easy to see why Soul Vegan chooses to wear its plant-eating heart on its branding sleeve. But the soul element is equally, if not more, important. In other words, this is hearty, goodvalue comfort food, and don’t be put off if you usually prefer your char sui to be of the porcine variety. Soul Vegan serves up cuddles in a bowl and is as good an introduction to a proud, complex culinary tradition as you’ll find anywhere. (Jo Laidlaw)

46 West Richmond Street, soulvegan.uk