7th September 2017 5.30pm
www.facebook.com/saboteuredinburgh/
I reported a short while ago on the News page that Saboteur was opening. Sister restaurant to the ever popular Ting Thai Caravan and only a few doors up the road, Saboteur is set to follow in their footsteps – only in a Vietnamese fashion. Styled in a similar way to Ting Thai, they have learnt some lessons about communal dining and there are plenty more individual tables in this place, which should satisfy those who aren’t so comfortable sharing their immediate dining space with strangers.
The menu is set out like its sister restaurant and offers a lot of similar styled fayre. I opted for the Ca’Phi Le, which was a sea bass dish, with a side of roti. My friend ordered the Vit curry. There was an option of a banh mi or rice. Sadly they were out of banh mi so she opted for the khao mok rice. We also got some Vietnamese prawn crackers to share.
Prawn Crackers and Roti – Saboteur
The prawn crackers came out quickly, accompanied by the roti, so we could get snacking, which was good as we were chomping at the bit to get munching. The crackers were great and plentiful. They were served with a chilli jam. This was a nice change from sweet chilli sauce and was a bit thicker and richer in flavour. The roti was beautiful and came with a chunky peanut sauce.
Ca’Phi Le – Saboteur
The mains followed speedily. Mine looked virtually saintly with the sea bass sat atop a salad. However, there was a devilishly beautiful dressing of chilli, tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce. Lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and pineapple kept the dish varied. Tasty stuff. On the other side of the table, the curry was generous. This roasted duck curry consisted of duck, coconut milk, chilli, basil, lychee, tomatoes and peppers. My friend thought this was really lovely. The side of yellow rice, cooked through with coconut, herbs and spices finished it off nicely.
Vit Curry – Saboteur
Speedy and friendly service, a great alternative to Ting Thai.
Food – 8.5/10
Service – 9/10
Atmosphere – 8.5/10
Value – 9/10
Overall – 35/40
Would I eat here again? Plenty of times
Cost £26 for two mains, two sides a glass of wine and a Diet Coke
