Food Review: Kim's Mini Meals

Love Food, Love Your Health & Body More...

I am a lover for food and drink. If I had the money, I would be dining out every evening in different places of different food! Sadly I am still a poor student, with a piling debt.
If you know me in person, you might know that I actually eat loads even if I scream I should diet. I don't believe in diets to be frank. I eat whatever floats my boat, I eat with no worries....well that might be a lie. What you do is if you think eating all that food is going to make you regret, you'd exercise. There's no easy way about it and I do get very annoyed when girls ask me how to lose weight without exercising! First of all, you won't earn anything in life by being lazy, second of all, liposuction it is for you then! Exercise doesn't have to be painful like a spin class, but you could maybe go outside and take a long stroll, walk your dog if you have one or put some upbeat music on and just dance crazily or flap about in your room (possibly when no one is looking). Of course it will also keep your body healthy with a bit of exercise, after-al, what is the point in being slim if you can't enjoy it for longer? Your health is your own responsibility and yes I do nag at my friends to stop starving themselves because I fear it will damage their health! Dare say I'm not the healthiest though I do try.

There's a hype about anything that is Korean these days. Korean dramas seem to be the thing that lit the candle, then it was Korean music (Big Bang, 2NE1, SNSD, Brown Eyed Girls to name a few....and back then for me it was SG Wannabe and Epik High). People began to obsess with Korean culture; their food, their fashion, their make-up, their brands -we could go on and on!
I admit it, I'm one of them! I'd watch Korean dramas, laugh and cry along with them. I'd listen to the latest "K-pop" and chant along loudly in my car as if I knew how to speak Korean. I would Youtube "Korean-look" tutorials and product reviews. And then all of a sudden, in Edinburgh (my home-town) someone had opened up a Korean restaurant!  For the first year it had opened, it was talk around town and we were all eager to try it! Over the years, I would hear other cities opening a restaurant serving Korean food here and then and in Edinburgh, someone opened a Korean take-away or something, while this year we had a newcomer: Kim's Mini Meals.

Korean grape juice. Yes those are actual white grapes.

When you first enter the restaurant, you'd feel this warp of warmth; the place is small but cosy, rather homey? Don't be startled if you have join somebody else's table because you honestly have to forgive them for the lack of space they have. I went "on my tod", so I was given a little table at the corner, which is just as well!

Mushroom Soup

 The menu was limited, but there are mixed feelings when it comes to how many dishes you should offer; some prefer a small list to keep choice-making easy, others would like to see a whole range. I don't really give a toss as I believe that if you only had one dish to offer and it had satisfied me, I'll still be back. Price wise, was really decent. If you are a student like me and looking for a meal out, this would be perfect. I think my meal (excluding my drink) was around £10? The meal comes in a set with soup of the day, a dish of tasters and your chosen main accompanied with rice (all pictured).

Tasters: courgettes, mushrooms, omelette and something that's like spam? Of course there was kimchi!

I ordered the set that was with beef, but they said they had ran out and it would take quite sometime to wait for it. As to why, I wouldn't have a clue, perhaps they would have to marinate the beef and wait until the beef soaks up the marinate? I was slightly gutted and reluctantly ordered pork even though I'm not a "pork-fan". But I thought chicken would be awkward stir-fried with the Korean spicy sauce - don't ask me how I suspected this!

Stir-fried pork in Korean spicy sauce, with side salad

I wasn't keen on having the sprinkle of  sesame seeds, but I guess it's just one of those things you can't help but would notify them the next time you are in. The pork was lovely, but it's probably not the best if you prefer a blander taste. Asian food normally are strongly flavoured though and I myself grew up with a strong taste bud. The salad is also as tasty as everything else, there is something about that salad sauce but I don't know what it is! I can't even begin to describe it...

Purple rice? 

You must be asking if this purple rice has artificial colouring in it. I don't believe it does. There is a type of rice that is grown to be purple and it is most popularly used in desserts. In Chinese it's called 紫米 (zi mi). This rice will have it's own particular fragrance which makes it unique as well as the colour. My brother told me that you could get free refills of rice, but I think unless you were extremely starving, you won't be needing a refill as the entire meal fills you up pretty quickly. I, unfortunately couldn't finish my meal.

Overall I was rather pleased with my meal. I can't say it's the comfiest of places, but it has this homey-feel and  you will be interested at the little pieces they display on their window sill - very cute indeed. Seats are very limited too and I had seen quite a few people being rejected because of a lack of space. I don't know if this has affected their business. It was also rather surprising that the son of the owner had went to the same high school as me ( he was the year below me and was in the same class as my brother). Coincidence?

Find it at:

5 Buccleuch Street

Edinburgh

EH8 9NJ

Tel: 0131 629 7921 

Web: http://kimsminimeals.com/ 

Opening Hours:

Mon-Sat: Lunch (12-3pm) Dinner (5:30-9pm)

Sunday: Closed (although group booking is available upon advance booking)