Chaaty man: Tony Singh joins Edinburgh's Bonnie & Wild with Radge Chaat
Trialled as a pop-up in the west end Toll Cross area of the city during the recent lockdown, Radge Chaat was developed by Singh and his brother Lucky with the aim of one day opening a more permanent city centre location.
Radge Chaat has a focus on chaat, a savoury snack that originated in India and which is often served from roadside stalls or food carts. The word is derived from ‘chaatna’, meaning ‘to lick’ with chaat characterised by their sweet, sour, spicy, tangy, and crunchy taste.
It serves menu items such as samosa chaat; pakora chaat; and chana chaat as well as monthly specials including a vegan butter chicken tikka dish; dosa; gol guppas; and fur fur, which are described as being like ‘Quavers crisps without the cheese ... but on steroids, with a Bollywood makeover’.
All dishes on the menu are vegetarian with vegan and gluten-free options also available.
“I launched Radge Chaat in 2021 because I wanted to bring high quality, authentic Indian street food to Edinburgh. Amid the pessimism of lockdown, especially for hospitality, I wanted to give people accessible, colourful and soul-lifting Indian food,” says Singh.
“After the success of our pop-up, I wanted to take the next step and open a city centre venue. I’m really excited to be joining Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace. There’re already some great chefs involved, and I’m delighted to now be part of this community.”
The concept has so far opened with a trial menu, with the full menu launching on 25 May.
“Tony and Lucky are brilliant additions to Bonnie & Wild,” says Ryan Barrie, operations director at Bonnie & Wild.
“Their quality banter and characters are matched by their exceptional cooking, and like us all at B&W, they are focused on promoting Scottish food and drink, and bring another example of the range and diversity of cooking and ingredients available here.”
Radge Chaat joins operators at Bonnie & Wild, including Gary Maclean’s seafood restaurant Creel Caught, Jimmy Lee’s Salt & Chilli Oriental, El Perro Negro, east PIZZAS, artisanal gelateria Joelato, and the boutique bottleshop from Inverarity Morton.
