22 August 2012

Cath at the Bollywood Box

When Cath was here in Edinburgh, I had to take her to my favorite neighborhood haunts. The most important stop being The Bollywood Coffee Box.

When I first wrote about this place back in February I described it as an undiscovered gem. And gem it still is, but undiscovered it is not. The evening Cath and I stopped by, there was a hefty crowd of devotees lining up for a taste of owner Nutan’s famous chai and curries.

Cath and I agreed that the reason this place is so fantastic is that you aren’t just nourished by Nutan’s cooking, but by her wonderful warm and generous spirit too. Do you remember that Holi party, that she threw for all of Edinburgh?

And now The Bollywood Box is more than a place to eat delicious food, it’s become a mini-cultural institution and art installation. Nutan made one of the exterior walls of the box a gallery to share the work of local artists. Nutan herself is an artist (she has a masters in sculpture from Edinburgh College of Art), and the exterior of the box has been painted by her:

And even if you don’t stop by for a chat with Nutan herself, a passerby can have a chuckle at her pun of the day or feel inspired by the quotes she posts and changes weekly:

Art, culture, laughter, delicious food, and generosity of spirit all in a teeny blue box! I’m convinced that every city needs a Bollywood Coffee Box equivalent, don’t you agree? Do you guys have similar gems in your ‘hoods? Cath and I would love to hear about them!

—–

Dear Cath,

I think Decatur would be a perfect place to have a Bollywood Coffee Box, don’t you? Too bad we don’t have any abandoned police boxes stateside. I guess it’s equivalent to a stationary food truck, huh?

I’m so glad you got to meet Nutan when you were here! Argh, I still can’t believe your visit is already over though.

 

Category: Cath's Style, Edinburgh
8 Comments

8 thoughts on “Cath at the Bollywood Box”

  1. No, nothing as amazing as the Bollywood Box. We have a couple of delicious hole-in-the-wall joints like Mama’s (a Lebanese bakery) and Senor Mango’s, which serves up Mexican-style fruit salads and licuados. But no one like Nutan 🙁

    Reply

  3. Hi Lauren and Cath! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you both, but we should definitely reconnect sometime. I’m down in Atlanta pretty often these days!

    I’ve actually been keeping up with your blog for the last few years, thanks to Facebook.If you’re looking for an Indian food fix, I’d recommend Naanstop! It just opened downtown and it has really great Indian food on the go! I can personally vouch for it since my bf is a co-founder:)

    naanstop.com

    Hope you two are doing well!
    Bidisha

    Reply

    1. Hiii Bidisha!
      It’s soooo good to hear from you! I can’t believe you are down in Atlanta often. You and Cath definitely have to meet up some time soon — and if you’re down there around Christmas, I’ll be there too!
      I just looked up Naanstop and that looks incredible! It’s on my list for when I’m next in town. Indian is probably my most favorite type of food (after Chinese and Cajun of course ;). I’m literally eating leftover curry right now.
      Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment. Hope we can see you soon!
      xoxox,
      Lar

      Reply
  5. Pingback: AsianCajuns | Cath at the Bollywood Box: Bombay Point

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