ITIHAAS: QUALITY ON A PLATE

Itihaas
17-19 Eskbank Road
Dalkeith
Midlothian EH22 1HD
0131 663 9800

Open seven days: noon to 2pm and 5pm to 11.30pm
www.itihaasrestaurant.com

MATIN Kahn (pictured second left with his staff) is hands-on at Itihaas, and it shows. He greeted guests for lunch in his suit but admitted that he had been supervising in the kitchen at preparation from 10am.
The 80-cover restaurant is a family affair. His late father was inspirational and his two sons, Hujib and Habibur, are part of the 12-strong staff.
It’s a tight knit team at the beautifully presented, multi-award winning Bangladeshi restaurant.
And it is extremely popular. However, every customer is treated individually and it is no surprise to learn that Itihaas was Scotland’s best Bangladeshi restaurant in 2010 according to Spice Times.
Matin is also a recent recipient of five stars from TripAdvisor. The certificates are proudly displayed in the entrance.
His four chefs are Bangladeshi natives and the restaurant’s reputation brings customers from as far afield as Fife, the city of Edinburgh and all over the Lothians. This is a success story built on hard work and customer care.
All dishes are cooked to order. That was evident in my selection. The vegetarian pakora was served with a small salad. So often, salads are limp, but this was fresh and crisp.
Four sauces, all with their own sharp taste, including a tart but wonderful lime chutney, accompanied the dish.
On to the mains. Matin presented a selection to showcase what his chefs can do and we were not disappointed.
Each had a distinctive taste but none was overpowering. The chicken sag was moist and the spinach cooling.
The Bombay potato was memorable. The potato didn’t collapse on touch and the sauce was packed with flavour.
However, the undoubted star was the lamb Karat Gosh. It was beautifully cooked and the sweetness worked well with the sensational sauce.
Sometimes nan bread can be disappointing, but this was perfect and the pilau rice? Wonderfully aromatic and great to taste.
Itihaas source as much of their food as possible locally. Matin prides himself in only buying only the best meat and fish available.
The restaurant was busy but the slick staff never appear hassled. Situated prominently near the centre of the Midlothian town, is beautifully presented.
Flowers adorn tables covered by crisp linen tablecloths. The cutlery was spotless.
Itihaas enjoys a healthy take-away trade and also provides function catering but a visit to the restaurant is worthwhile.
Frankly, it would be hard to beat the value and my visit underlined what many had said to me. Itihaas is a gem.
Matin says: “When you come here you are in my home.” It was my first visit and I felt at ease. I’ll be back.