Our holiday meat, locally sourced:

for a party of ten—two meals and some left-overs

6 Kg Goose from Alemill Farm. Roast with chestnut stuffing, potatoes, onions, parsnips.

4 Kg Lamb shoulder from Peelham Farm. Rubbed with ras al-hanout and slow-roast, mechoui-style. Served with couscous, and vegetable tajine—chick peas, onions, turnip, celeriac, tomato.

Dinner at Chop Chop

The bill came in under £200 for a feast for ten people, including 12 beers and 4 soft drinks.

But then we also had a Chop Chop celebration voucher for my birthday, to knock £50 off this bill. Thank you, Chop Chop!

It was all very, very good. A few things were so good we ordered more (x2 below), and feasted to excess.

Nibbles

• Peanuts with silver fish

Jiao Zi (boiled dumplings)

• 8 pork and prawn
• 8 chicken

Guo Tie (fried dumplings)

• 8 pork and coriander
• 8 beef and chilli
• 8 chicken

Miscellaneous

• Vegetable spring rolls

Chicken

• Chicken with peanuts
• Crispy Northern Chicken x2

Pork

• Ribs fried in sugar, soy sauce and vinegar.

Vegetables

• Stir-fried Chinese leaves and fungus
• Spinach and peanuts
• Tender Green Beans and Chilli x2

Lamb

• Lamb with cumin seed
• Stir-fried lamb and potatoes

Rice

• Large boiled rice x2

Desserts

• Sugar string apple
• Sugar String Pancake x2
• Ice Cream

The full menu has more things to try next time.

Biggar: Fish and Chips

Worth the Detour

Biggar is 30 miles South of Edinburgh, on the A702 route to/from Dumfries, the Lake District, and the South.

This fish and chip emporiumh as been outstanding for 20 years or more—it was The Golden Fry and is now Peters. Still as good as ever!

Simple: fresh fish, cooked to order. Crispy batter, all the usual accompaniments, plush a wedge of a fresh lemon.

I haven't found anything in Edinburgh that can consistently match this—but please add your recommendations (or check out these from the Scotsman and give your report) as comments below. I'll try them and see. `for what its worth, I have tried the Townhead Cafe in Biggar, and I still prefer Peters, by a whisker.

Cleaning up

Biggar also has one of the best public conveniences in the country. So you can clean up in style.

Double Dutch

Meze on the corner of Nicolson Square

Good fresh turkish food

Chop Chop

248 Morrison St
Edinburgh, EH3 8DT,
United Kingdom
+44 131 221 1155

Chop Chop [Pidgin English, reduplication of chop, quick.]

Quick and tasty - an excellent set lunch for £5. Dumplings are the speciality - and now they also produce them for sale in Sainsbury's.

Highly Recommended

Tues – Fri
12.00 to 2.00 & 5.30 to 10.30

Saturday & Sunday
5.00 to 11.00

Peter's Yard

27 Simpsons Loan,
Quartermile,
Edinburgh EH3 9GG
01312285876

New Bakery

Peter´s Yard is the first retailer to move into the landmark Quartermile, a new community taking shape at the former Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, UK.

The bread is expensive – but excellent, and worth every penny.

Coffee also recommended – al fresco when the weather is right.

The Plumed Horse

50-54 Henderson Street,
Leith, Edinburgh,
EH6 6DE

Excellent!