Muna’s Ethiopian Cuisine, Edinburgh

Joy. It's an old fashioned word, not used nearly enough these days. It was much loved of the early 20th century writer Thomas Wolfe. Reading The Web and The Rock many years ago, I lost count of the number of times I was on the verge of abandoning it, only to be brought back by the regular purple patches of writing. Visions of joy filled many of them. The central character, George Webber, dreamed of a perfect love, of a time when he and the lady in question could drink strong joy together. We read of victory, joy and wild hope surging through his blood. There is much, much more in the same vein, but you get the gist.

To change the mood, it's 6.15 on a dank Edinburgh winter evening. Hands up who knows where Gillespie Place is, though if you're an Edinburgh dweller you will have driven along it. (It's actually a tiny length of road just south of the King's Theatre before you get to Bruntsfield.) There you will find a bright green sign, and a door which leads into a room which can only be described as eclectic, not to say chaotic. The mood changes. Within half an hour there will be not a seat to be had. You cannot fail to be aware of a bustling lady wearing an oversized hat in the Rastafarian colours, distributing good cheer and terrific food in equal measure, then whizzing back to the tiny kitchen to make more. That, of course, is Muna.

I'm here to meet LH, aka @veggieburgh, who is now, I'm delighted to say, becoming a regular co-muncher in the wonderful world of Tom Eats! This is an ideal spot to dine with a vegetarian, or even a vegan. The menu features more veggie dishes than meat ones. Given the fact that few of us will be familiar with Ethiopian food, it was absolutely sensible to offer a number of combo platters. On the vegetarian one you can have three vegetarian dishes (which are all vegan, I think): the meat version offers you meat and two veg, as it were.

They're served on injera bread. Confused? Well what if I tell you, as Muna's daughter Mhairi told me, that it's made of teff flour? Still struggling? It's like a very large crumpet, teff being a very hardy grass native to Ethiopia. Muna also uses a lot of Ethiopian flavourings so I can't help you there, save to say that everything was delightful. Chickpeas and lentils feature a fair bit, cooked to very good effect. For the former, I can't remember if LH went for the Shiro Wot or the Kik Alicha. (Don't worry, the menu contains clear descriptions.) My dish of brown lentils with garlic and ginger (Defin Misir Wot, since you ask) was daal-like, but a very good daal. I could also have done with more of the Key Sir, which comprises spiced beetroot and potato. I think we both thought the Gomen (slow cooked spring greens) to be the star of the vegetable show.

My token meat dish was one of two lamb options, Awaze Tibs  a gentle, mildly curried stew, seasoned with awaze which is, apparently, a type of Ethiopian chilli. Muna has been open for only three months, but is already making her mark, evidenced by full tables, happy customers and near straight 5/5 reviews on Trip Advisor. In this column service is very important. We cannot forget the lovely Mhairi who looked after us so well all evening. Our two platters plus a side of rice would have left change from £40.

I can't let the story of the evening end without a reference to A Wee Taste*, the tiny pink place just across the road where we retired for a glass or three afterwards. Run by the redoubtable Karly, it offers a selection of grazing boards and some really excellent wine. The best advert possible came in the shape of a group of very happy ladies finishing off a birthday meal. I suspect a review may feature one day soon, but that's not to say you can't check it out now.

Thank you Muna: thank you, Karly. Bringers of joy, both.

*A Wee Taste

36 Leven Street, Edinburgh EH3 9LJ 

0131 228 2734 www.aweetaste.co.uk