The best restaurants serving Asian food in East Lothian Edinburgh and Lothian
2 Restaurants on GastroRanking
2522 Opinions in 3 websites
63a High Street, Scotland
A trip down memory lane…❤️ The Shish Mahal opened its doors in 1979 and quickly became not only a popular place to dine-in for the people from East Lothian, but many people would travel from a much further distance on hearing people spread their word of mouth recommendations. It soon became an institution somewhat, and built a wonderful reputation within the community, providing a warm atmosphere and welcoming service to all, along with dishing up some exquisite cuisine. For the duration of the 80’s Idris Khan (Founder) and the late Akram Awan (RIP) were the perfect team, and the restaurant was always busy and had a distinct buzz in the air, especially at the weekends. The noise often from the hall was full of laughter and happiness it was rather addictive and a very special place to be. Move forward into the 90s and Mr Khan and his eldest son really had the business growing year on year, it was such a busy yet charming, cosy restaurant that had not only a loyal fan base of regular customers who would visit weekly, it was a place where everyone knew your name… to this day many people still reminisce on how the decor was very warm, magical even, and the red carpeted walls do bring back so many memories for the people of Musselburgh and beyond. Younger generations grew up eating with their families only to become regulars themselves as they got older. In the early 2000’s business continued to remain consistent but as time was passing after the Millennium, The Shish had to make changes to the decor which did create a stir as the foundations from the past were in need of a facelift. This was a challenge as it does change the traditional atmosphere that was loved by all. Eventually with Mr Khans two eldest sons moving away from the industry as the years passed by, the restaurant has faced further challenges; including a pandemic, cost of living crisis and staff changes, it really is incredibly difficult in keeping everyone happy but with the remaining 3 brothers of 5 now running the family business, it’s really been amazing for me personally to see some innovative ideas put in to practice this year as more recent times standards had clearly slipped and the business sadly has suffered in comparison to past successes in the 80’s and 90’s which were the most incredible years, but it is possible to have the restaurant buzzing again and keeping those standards very, very high through dedication; hard work and passion for the business in providing a better atmosphere, award winning customer service and great food! With the recent refurbishment the premises are looking fresh and the best they have done so for several years. New customer facilities are a welcome and a much needed improvement. An exciting new menu has been introduced; adding some new flavours for everyone to try along with keeping the majority of all the dishes from the past that customers have enjoyed for many, many years. The Shish Mahal has been an important part of the restaurant and takeaway scene in the Honest Toun for so long, I would love to see the younger generation learn and gain experience which will take the business in to the future in what will be a very special time for The Shish, Idris and all the family. The restaurant and its 50th anniversary is not too far away and should be celebrated. I truly hope the community get behind and support the young gents as they themselves gain experience. Customer feedback is extremely important and I would encourage everyone to share their recent experiences whether you’ve had a takeaway or a sit-down meal at the Shish. BYOB has returned which was due to popular demand. Hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane, I know many will and many of you like myself, will have stories to tell on your experiences through the years… I’ve written this as I recently had the pleasure of catching up with some old friends and we all shared some very precious memories from times spent at The Shish Mahal.