Located opposite the Festival Theatre on Nicolson Street, Pomegranate Express is the fifth restaurant to join the Middle East in Edinburgh group.

Run by Jamal Ahmed, the new venture joins the already established Pomegranate Restaurant by the Playhouse, Hanam’s Restaurant, Souq Restaurant and Laila’s Bistro.

As likely to appeal to the area's large student population as it is to theatre-goers, Pomegranate Express offers a similar array of dishes from the Middle East as the existing Pomegranate Restaurant on Antigua Place.

The difference is that it has more of a relaxed, café feel.

Street food

Jamal Ahmed said: 'We are really excited with this new project. Street food is so popular right now and we see this as a natural evolution of the brand. We pride ourselves on the authenticity of our cooking and our shawarma is always very popular. We cannot wait to welcome everyone in. We just want to have some fun and feed our happy customers.'

As well as lamb and chicken shawarma and kebabs, Pomegranate Express serves mezze such as halloumi fries, chicken wings, falafel and ful medames - slow cooked fava beans with cumin. Main pic is from Pomegranate Express Facebook.

Other options include bowls filled with combinations such as battered and fried cauliflower, couscous, beetroot salad and whipped feta.

Those with a sweet tooth can finish their meal with baklava, chocolate cake or even cheesecake topped with Turkish delight.

Along with the usual soft drinks, Pomegranate Express sells non-alcoholic beers and ciders plus virgin cocktails.

Guests can also BYOB for a corkage fee.

The hot drinks selection includes smoky Arabic coffee, Persian cardamom tea and mint tea.

New life in Edinburgh

The restaurant trade has long proved fertile ground for people who come to the UK to make a new life for themselves and Jamal has prospered since launching Hanam's on Johnston Terrace in 2006.

He is originally from Halabja, the Kurdish city which Saddam Hussein gassed in 1988.

His early life was far from easy. By the time he was twelve, Jamal was a member of the pershmerga fighting against the Iraqi army.

He left for Turkey in 1999 and, after a year in London, arrived in Edinburgh where he worked as kitchen porter in hotels as well as doing stints in KFC, McDonald’s and as a bus driver for Lothian Regional Transport.

Naming his fledgling restaurant after his mother, he opened Hanam’s as a way of promoting Kurdish culture as well as supporting the family he started with his Scottish wife.

He has built his mini-empire of Edinburgh restaurants one chargrilled kebab at a time and we wish him every success with his new venture.