Great Places to Eat in Scotland
- Coyoba, Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh
The Location
Coyaba, the first Jamaican restaurant in Scotland, opened in Spring 2004 in Edinburgh's southside in the heart of university land. This is where to go for a choice of eclectic and exotic international restaurants and cafes (Sudanese, Brazilian, North African, Middle eastern) - you can literally eat your way half way around the world between Teviot Row, along Chapel Street and down the length of Buccleuch Street. Coyaba, painted a delicate green colour is next door to the bright yellow Brazilian Sensation, is at #113.The Restaurant
The background to the opening of Coyaba is an inspiring story. Mother and daughter Lizzie and Esther Mead had long enjoyed a recurring love affair with Jamaica from regular visits and admired its culture, lifestyle, people, food and drink. Their friend Mahlon Bentley, a Rastafarian chef had moved to Scotland and they used to prepare lavish Caribbean feasts for summer barbeques, private parties and special events. So successful and popular were these events that they decided to gamble on opening a restaurant to celebrate the distinctive Jamaican cuisine and culture on a wider scale.
The name Coyaba is derived from the Arawak Indian word for paradise. Step through the green door and into a tropical island setting with its palm tree bar in the corner, blood red orange walls around an L-shaped room lined with terracotta and green covered tables. The restaurant is decorated with colourful paintings and murals, island photographs and carved wood sculptures. At night the candles are lit, the lights dimmed and the music steps out the reggae beat.
The Food
Caribbean spices and vegetables colour and flavour most of the dishes with a great variety from delicate ginger and sweet pepper tastes softened with coconut to the full blown Scotch bonnet peppers and fiery chillies. Chef Mahlon was taught to cook by his grandmother and mother in the hills of his home above Kingston. The menu reflects authentic and traditional, home-cooked dishes but cooked by a professional and presented with style and culinary care. One thing for sure you'll enjoy generous portions of healthy freshly prepared food with an emphasis on fresh chicken, fish and vegetables, beans and rice. Start perhaps with Ital soup, a hearty lightly spiced vegetable soup but you must also try the famous Jamaican national dish, Ackee and Saltfish. Ackee is a fruit that grows on the ackee tree, which grows to about 30 ft. high and bears bright red fruit. The fruit ripen to reveal pods of yellow edible Ackee, each with a black seed. Prepared with salted codfish, spices and onions it most bizarrely resembles and tastes like scrambled eggs. The texture and unique flavour cannot be described but believe me - it is simply fantastic. Expect a large plateful with a typical fried dumpling on the side.
Another classic Jamaican dish is Jerk chicken, which refers to the marinade sauce comprising nutmeg, lime, peppers, pimento and thyme. Goat curry is also a typical island dish, and here it is served very tender in a hot scotch bonnet sauce. I opted for the Fenky Fenky Fish, a couple of thick slabs of John Dory [the fish changes according to the market], gently poached with coconut milk and served with okra, sweet peppers and bammie - grated cassava [like couscous] formed into triangular cakes and fried. These were too heavy and solid and did not complement the fish at all. I would have preferred the rice and peas on my partner's plate to soak into the lovely coconut sauce around the fish. He was enjoying the Takari Vegetable Curry, a mound of butternut squash, potato and all manner of seasonal vegetables in a lightly curried sauce.
To drink we got into tropical mood with a special Jamaican Sorrel rum punch and a Jamaica dream cocktail - Bacardi, Morgan's Spiced, pineapple, orange and grapefruit juice sipped through a straw. With our meal we enjoyed a bottle of South African Marimba Pinotage/Cinsault, full of soft berry fruits which blended well with all that spice. The bar also serves other imported drinks such as Guinness Foreign extra export, Magnum fortified Jamaican wine, and D&G Jamaican ginger beer.
Time for something sweet to complete the feast. Rum and Raisin Chocolate cake sounds rather good if rather decadent. Tried and tested is the Ginger Lime Polenta cake, very light moist and moreish and perfect with a sip of strong coffee. They serve Blue Mountain as well as coffee beans grown by Mama Ellen - Mahlon's mother at their Kingston home.
Christmas Feasts
During the cold winter months leading up to the festive season, a sunshine place for a Christmas party is Coyaba. The special menu includes Pumpkin soup, Thyme and lime Turkey, Escovetch Salmon - marinated salmon with spices, tomato and scotch bonnet peppers, and to finish Jamaican rum Christmas cake.The Bill
Starters - £3.50; Main Courses - £9.00 to £12.50; Desserts - £4.00; House Wine - £10.50; Root beer - £2.80; Cocktails - £4.50; Coffee - £2.20 to £4.20 for small and large cafetière.Christmas menu - 3 courses, £20 or main course and dessert, £15.00.
More Information and Reservations
See the Coyoba Web site for more information including telephone number and e-mail address.Vivien Devlin
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