In our latest Edinburgh Festival Fringe blog, comedian Chris Grace (who features in both 'Baby Wants Candy' and 'Thrones! The Musical' - that's him dead centre in the pic above) rates his favourite Fringe street foods.
The Fringe is back, and so is my need to fill my gullet relentlessly on the way from our cast flat to Assembly George Square One for our twice-daily performances of 'Thrones! The Musical' and 'Baby Wants Candy'. Luckily the gods of the Fringe have planted a number of delectable food stands and carts along my daily path (as long as I successfully avoid healthy choices like going to the supermarket and buying fruit). Here are my favorites this year, along with completely arbitrary ratings using other shows at the Fringe that I love.
The Jingle Bus (Assembly George Square)
The vegetable pakora chaat (£4) is a delightfully tangy mix of potatoes and chickpeas with pakora goodness on top. It's minty and fresh and filling all at the same time. The sweet yoghurt gives a nice finish. For a delicious experience that has an unexpectedly effective ending, I give it ten SARAH KENDALLs.
Crepes & Waffles (Gilded Balloon)
For a quick, easily-held snack on your way to a show at Gilded Balloon, how can you go wrong with the cheese and mushroom crepe (£5)? Answer: You can't. It's craveable from start to finish, and you can finish it while you queue. For a classic option that you can never get enough of, the satisfying crepe gets five JO BRANDs.
Wings and Dumplings (Assembly George Square)
The fried chicken wings with honey soy (three for £3) are a nice choice when I'm not terribly hungry. They are savory and tangy in a lovely way. For those moments when you want something that's a bit salty and rewarding that you'd like to nibble on all day, I give the wings here a rating of 11 JASON BYRNEs.
Pad Thai Shak (Underbelly George Square)
The Underbelly purple cow tent may have moved, but it's easy to find, and so is this food stand with Asian noodles. A few years ago some people wouldn't have known anything about chicken pad thai (£6), and now everyone is clamoring for it. For a product that started in obscurity and has risen to well-deserved popularity, I give this chicken pad thai a rating of six AUSTENTATIOUSes.
Alanda's Scottish Seafood Grill (Assembly George Square)
I love fish and chips. I'm sorry if that makes me someone that's susceptible to cliché or just a plain old rube. The haddock and chips (£8.50) is prepared beautifully, crisp and rich and somehow light at the same time. All my American friends like fish and chips, too. For something that was born in the UK that people from the US love when they finally try it, I'm giving this a rating of seven DAVID O'DOHERTYs.
Thrones! The Musical, Assembly George Square, until Aug 31, 5pm.
Baby Wants Candy: The Completely Improvised Full Band Musical, Assembly George Square, until Aug 30, 9pm.
Baby Wants Candy: The Improv All-Star Explosion, Assembly Checkpoint, Aug 24, 7.40pm.
See more Edinburgh Festivals recommendations on Time Out Edinburgh.