Comedian, cook and general face-off-the-telly Hardeep Singh Kohli is one of the personnel behind the newly-launched VDeep restaurant in the Shore area of Leith. Occupying the premises of the former Vintage restaurant in Leith, the venture combines Kohli's love and knowledge of Punjab cuisine with the craft beer smarts of the Williams Bros brewery and the general culinary genius of head chef Ruairidh Skinner.
Ruairidh Skinner and Hardeep Singh KohliPaul Johnston at Copper Mango
Says Kohli, 'My whole life I’ve heard people saying "I’m going out for a beer, then for a curry" but nobody has ever put them in the same room.
'I was always nervous at the prospect of trying to reinvent Indian food while remaining authentic. Then I began to question, "What is authentic?" Food has developed and changed for centuries. VDeep is the next dynamic change in Indian food.
'When you go to the pub, you always end up having a chat to the people next to you; that’s the pub experience. At the heart of Punjabi dining is a shared experience too. We don’t have food served to us on individual plates, we have empty plates and bowls of food for sharing. Everyone just gets piled in. VDeep is very similar. It isn’t just about craft beer and curry, it’s about a real shared experience.'
Paul Johnston at Copper Mango
Items on the pun-friendly Punjabi-British menu include Bangras & Mash, Cauliflower Cheese Curry, Venison Korma and Pork Cheek Vindaloo, with the promise of a cardamom-infused Vindabrew IPA among the small batch craft beers on tap.
Paul Johnston at Copper Mango
VDeep will be open to the public from Sat Feb 21, with bookings taken via phone – 0131 563 5293 – and online via vdeep.co.uk.