Michael Nassar

The Bengal Lancers date their beginnings back to 1787 when the Nawab Wazir of Oudh created Bengal’s first regiment of cavalry and then further developed his horsemen into a whole army of cavalry regiments.  In 1865, by then under control of the British Indian Army, the force was expanded and reorganized with five regiments of cavalry becoming classified as proper Lancers.

While the majority of cavalry regiments carried guns, the Lancers were unique in that they were armed with bamboo lances between ten and eleven feet long and weighing just four pounds.  Lancers were able to jump hedges, cross ditches, scale walls and other obstacles and thus simply armed they were able to fight with an elegance that became legendary throughout the Empire.  From Abyssinia to Peking and Egypt to Persia the Bengal Lancers drew distinction as a fighting force but by the beginning of the 20th Century the needs of the Empire were changing and Lancer regiments were being decommissioned.  The last regiment of the Bengal Lancers left the service of the Crown in 1903.

The Lancers themselves may be a thing of the past but a trace of that legend lives on in the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh.  Of the many thousands of Indian restaurants in the UK, Lancers Brasserie has been called one of the best Indian restaurants in Great Britain as well as voted Best Indian Restaurant in Scotland.  Unassuming and incredibly friendly, the gorgeous dining room alongside the Water of Leith is a spot to seek out when you get a craving for a real curry or the intricate flavors of North Indian cuisine. (trust me:  the iPhone failed me here; these dimly lit photos do not do it a shred justice.)

Sabzi tikka:  shallow-fried vegetable fritters.

Chana on puri:  chick peas cooked with green herbs, medium-hot spices, and served with puffed fried bread.

Sabzi pakura:  deep-fried balls of flour, vegetables and spices.

Misti sag:  fresh butternut squash, cooked with green herbs, garnished with a touch of fresh ginger and green chilies.

Chingree massalam:  freshwater king prawns cooked with sliced garlic, fresh green chilies, coriander, chopped green peppers, spices, herbs and butternut squash.

Start with a freshly-baked white or brown roll at Oink, just off the Royal Mile on Victoria Street.  Spread a layer of sage stuffing or haggis on one side before stuffing it full of tender, juicy roast pig.  Top it with sweet onion marmalade or spicy chili jam and voila! – the best pig in town.  Plus at 3£50 it’s also one of the best lunch deals in town, too.

Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is the main artery of the original city, connecting Holyrood Palace with Edinburgh Castle.  During festival season it’s positively mental: bursting at the seams with crowds of festivalgoers, buskers, and thousands of people trying to promote their shows via both formal and impromptu high street stunts. The Screams of Kitty Genovese had a stunt the other day during a downpour, yet somehow this talented group of performers found a way to soldier on and gather a crowd.

The train journey from London up to Edinburgh has to be one of the most pleasingly tranquil five hours your can spend on public transportation in the UK.  Leave your baggage off at the luggage car in King’s Cross station and settle in for a wide window view of hills, dales, the Yorkshire moors and England’s scenic east coast.  The final two hours provide some of the prettiest scenery of all as the train hugs the coast from Newcastle to Berwick-upon-Tweed, before alighting in the center of Edinburgh at Waverly Station.

David Thompson has literally written the book on Thai  food in the UK, so I was excited to finally try nahm, his Michelin-starred restaurant – the only Michelin-starred Thai in Europe, by the way – at London’s posh Halkin Hotel in Belgravia.  As expected, it did not disappoint – especially as on the advice of the waiter I opted for the nahm arharn, a traditional Thai meal in which a selection dishes designed to whet the palate are served family-style.  It’s a luxury lunch to be sure but well worth it:  Thompson reveals the subtle complexity of Thai food.  I’d seriously rank it up there with French and Chinese as one of the great cuisines of the world.

An amuse bouche of vegetables, tamarind and palm sugar atop pineapple triangles and stuffed into mandarin segments.

Another amuse:  a chiffonade of vegetables, jalapeno peppers and coriander wrapped in spicy leaves and eaten like a wrap.

Geng Gwia Warn Plaa Grapong Tort:  a green curry of crispy sea bass with white turmeric and Thai basil.

Geng Gari Gai:  an aromatic curry of chicken and potatoes with cucumber relish.

Cucumber relish:  the perfect sweet and sour antidote to the fiery curry.

Yam Pak:  a salad of assorted vegetables dressed with tamarind, palm sugar and sesame seeds.

Pat Het Ton Grataim:  stir-fried girolles and king oyster mushroom with morning glory.

Korng Warn:  fresh fruit for dessert, including rambutan, papaya, and jackfruit.

Korng Warn:  young coconut pudding with sweet corn is served alongside ash pudding, an old fashioned Thai desert made from – you guessed it – ashes.

The Screams of Kitty Genovese opened at London’s Riverside Studios to a sold-out crowd and proceeded to sell out it’s entire weekend.  I couldn’t be more pleased.  Now we head up to Edinburgh to compete for the attention of theatergoers with some 2,000 other productions happening simultaneously.  I’d say that’s a bit more daunting.  All photos by Claire Shovelton.