The Edinburgh Blog

Another week and another very good takeaway curry. This time Sonar Gao on Leith’s Great Junction Street was the recipient of The Edinburgh Blog’s trade. Sonar Gao is a Bangladeshi and North Indian Cuisine takeaway which, in addition to collecting your meal from their premises, offer free home delivery for orders over £8.

Sonar Gao’s pricing offers good value for the quality of food. We ordered mixed kebab (£3.50), chicken balti (£5.50), chicken Sonar Gao passanda (£5.60), two pilau rice (£1.95) and a plain nan bread (£1.80). The most annoying aspect of the order was, again, the lack of a complementary couple of poppadoms. Sonar Gao, like other Indian takeaways in Edinburgh, would encourage further repeat custom if they gave away a few free poppadoms.

Sonar Gao’s takeaway’s menu reads like a miniature bible of Indian cooking. When reading through the menu it does make me wonder why I don’t show a little more adventure than my usual bhuna or balti. If you are more adventurous than I Sonar Gao won’t disappoint.

Some special deals of note are:

• Meal deal for one: vegetable pakura, any chicken/lamb/vegetable curry, pilau rice or nan bread, chapati, plain poppadom and accompaniments. £6.95
• Any chicken or lamb curry with chips. £4.60
• Chef’s special: chicken kebab, mince lamb and egg with spices, garlic and capsicums. Served with pakura, pilau rice and nan bread. £11.95

In a change to the norm I picked up the takeaway order in person from Sonar Gao’s HQ on Great Junction Street. The takeaway is nice enough with a small seating area and counter. Bizzarely there was a washing machine wedged infront of the counter when we visited - a temporary storage place I hope! As said previously it was a fine meal. The mixed kebab was plentiful and served with side salad, although no salmon kebab like I’d enjoyed from Surichi Too.

The chicken balti was extremely good, perhaps the best balti I’ve had from any Indian takeaway in Edinburgh. The sauce was absolutely delicious and had the perfect balance between bite and taste. And the chicken passanda was great. This is the closest any korma-esque curry has ever come to converting me from the balti/bhuna allegiance. The incredibly creamy sauce was so ‘more-ish’ and delicious. Infact delicious enough to justify the necessary hours at the gym to work off this dishes calorie count . I’m happy to agree with Mr Nazrul Islam’s foreword on Sonar Gao’s takeaway menu which describes his meals as “mouth-watering dishes”.

Out of the recent takeaway curries I’ve had in Edinburgh of late I’d say Sonar Gao’s actual curries were probably the best. And at such competitive prices it’s well worth a try.

Sonar Gao is located at 191 Great Junction Street, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 5LQ. Order your Indian takeaway on 0131 555 2424. Open 7 days a week, 5pm-11pm. 10% discount for students with ID (collection only).