Having been somewhat extravagant, and pushing the limit on my expenses, I wanted somewhere close by, i.e. on the way back to the hotel and relatively cheap.  A quick scan on the Internet came up with Hanam’s nearby in Tollcross.  The advertising blurb says it is Edinburgh’s first authentic Kurdish and Middle East Restaurant.

Authentic it is. No alcohol for sale, though it is a BYOB, with no corkage.  The restaurant is small, and set with Ikea cutlery.  It was not busy, just one Kurdish couple eating.  The owner was jolly and chatted to everyone, including me.  He asked why I had come, where I had seen it advertised.  Later he explained about Kurdistan, how it was incorporated into Iran, Iraq, Turkey and another country. 

One interesting story about how he had to provide a takeaway for 100 people in Kent, from Edinburgh!

I started off with stuffed vine leaves, and then went on to the lamb casserole. The lamb casserole, I forget its real name, was served in a deep dish with lots of vegetables, not carrots, but onion and peppers.  It was served on a base of their nan bread which soaked up the juices and sauce.  The flavour was quite tangy. All this was washed down with apple juice.  Next time I think I will have kebabs.  The couple next to be ate Kebab with the Kurdish Nan Bread which is thinner and crispier than Indian bread.