Ninja Kitchen at Bourbon
I was sad when Ninja Buns finished their residency at Paradise Palms late in 2015 as they were a fine purveyor of quirky and flavour-packed dishes, having made the transition from street food traders to a permanent kitchen with consummate style.
Entrance
With Markus now going it alone as the helm, they have re-emerged as the Ninja Kitchen in the slightly unusual setting of Bourbon, a nightclub on Frederick Street that’s just had a million pound makeover. I’d visited during their Dirty Dug pop-up in 2015 which had been massively shit.
The refurb has been done pretty smartly. Once you head downstairs and turn left, you’re in a stylish, if low-ceilinged, bar set-up. I was very pleasantly surprised by it.
Cauliflower
The Ninja Kitchen menu holds their signature gua bao buns, the rice bowls they introduced at the Palms, then a few new things. Everything is reasonably priced and ideal for sharing.
I was pretty hungry so ordered generously, opting for a fish finger bao, Korean cauliflower, and intriguing sounding wasabi and orange fries.
Interior
Items promptly arrived delivered by the friendly and attentive waitress.
First up was the cauliflower. In a crisp red pepper batter, this was an absolutely outstanding dish, beautfully spiced and deeply satisfying. Think non-messy vegetarian Korean wings.
Bao and fries
The seasoning on the fries was superb. The wasabi brought warmth and a little bitterness that was beautifullly tempered by the aromatic notes of orange.
The bao was to their usual impressive standard. I recently tried the fish tacos at newly opened Topalabamba which were a complete fucking mess. This dish more than made up for that horror show.
So overall, the Ninja Kitchen is doing absolutely outstanding work and served me one of the best lunches I’ve had so far this year. Make sure to visit soon as the place deserves to build a large and appreciative audience for their delicious, flavour-packed dishes.
Scores
Blythe scores Ninja Kitchen at Bourbon
5/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
4/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 17/20
I ate: Korean cauliflower in sticky red pepper batter, fish finger bao, wasabi orange fries
I drank: sparkly water
I wore: Cavalli suit
Total bill: £13.10
Address: 24a Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2JR
3 Comments
Really happy to hear Ninja Buns are back!
Will you be writing up your review to Topolabamba? I had a terrible meal there but keep seeing resoundingly positive reviews.
I spoke to them during my visit then wrote them a feedback letter, to which they haven’t responded. I’ll summon up the energy to revisit in a couple of months when I’ll summarise both visits.
Anyhoo, make sure to visit the Ninja Kitchen as it’s ace! 🙂