In the mood for Asian food but feeling unsure where to go? Saboteur is the new spot for you. The Vietnamese-style restaurant is the sister restaurant to Ting Thai Caravan, both located on Teviot Place. With affordable prices and being in close vicinity to Edinburgh University, Saboteur is the perfect place for students or simply anybody in need of great quality food without having to fear breaking the bank.
The small-scale food spot has a somewhat rustic yet contemporary feel with wooden stools and wooden booths enclosing some of the tables, while also sporting modern wall designs and music. The restaurant’s experimental atmosphere made me feel as though I had found an exciting hidden gem. While I booked online, this isn’t necessary if you plan to visit on a weekday as I did.
As mentioned, Saboteur embraces Southeast Asian cooking, notably from Vietnam. The menu offers a range of choices from noodle dishes, curry dishes, stir-fries and soups. The Kee Mao seemed the most appealing, a noodle dish with chicken, garlic, chilli, fried green beans, basil, green peppercorn and oyster sauce, which cost me a highly reasonable £8.20. In case you’re feeling extra hungry they offer smaller dishes such as bao buns and various sides. My boyfriend ordered fried tofu with sweet chilli sauce for £4.80, tofu is something I had never tried before so I was quite excited to see what all the fuss was about.
The food arrived in sufficient time and I couldn’t be more excited, I’ve always been obsessed with Asian cuisine so I was hoping my dish wouldn’t disappoint. My hopes came true as the Kee Mao was amazing, I was surprised at the quality of the food for such a good price point. The large portion of noodles was full of flavour thanks to the oyster sauce, chilli, and garlic. Next, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the tofu as I’ve always viewed it as a rather unassuming food choice. However, it worked perfectly with the sweet chilli sauce and acted as a perfect light side dish for my noodles, I’d be more than happy to order it again.
Finally, the drinks menu was simplistic, with various wines, beers and four cocktail options. While I have no complaints over a £6 cocktail (a bargain price for Edinburgh), I’m not particularly a negroni or martini fan, so I stuck to a glass of prosecco, a choice which never seems to fail me including at Saboteur. For a small-scale restaurant, the drinks menu didn’t bother me, after all the food is what everybody is coming for.
Saboteur does anything but sabotage you – with flavours off the charts and its lowkey and contemporary atmosphere, give it a try for a guaranteed good time.
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