Kukina Edinburgh
The borek place
I have to confess I actually had to google the name of this place before I sat down to write this article. Everyone I know just refers to it as the Borek Place.
Kukina is located about halfway down Leith Walk, just after you cross the official line entering Leith. It's a small, unassuming purple shop mostly hidden behind tram works at the moment but well worth hunting it down.
There's a small bar on one side to sit but I usually grab something to go and head round to Pilrig Park for a seat. Once you get more than two or three people inside it starts to get quite crowded!
As our naming suggests, it's known for boreks, and there is always a wide range on offer every day. I've not had a bad option yet but I would recommend the potato one.
A couple of weeks ago, I was persuaded to diversify away from the borek and try the gozleme and I don't think I'll ever look back! Gozleme look a little like filled crepes and are made fresh to order. I've had the chicken and pesto, which was spectacular. I've also heard folk rave about the vegan one, and next on my list to try is the Turkish version with sucuk and tomatoes and cheese.
If you can find space after, the baklava is also worth a try. A wee word of warning though - they are incredibly sticky!
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