Soul: Union Street, Aberdeen

IT HAD somehow slipped our minds that the first Friday after pay day means pandemonium in town.

But despite the host of sophisticates sipping wine, the staff in Soul Cafe Bar found us a quiet booth far from the madding crowd.

As my glass of pinot noir (£3.70) slipped down nicely, I decided to go for the coconut and lime chicken noodles (£9.95).

And while my better half sipped her long vodka (£3.90) she opted for an Italian BMT (£6.95) with crispy shoestring fries (£2.50).

I was glad I’d built up an appetite when my plate arrived, as the pile of tender noodles drenched in a creamy, delicately spiced sauce was delicious and incredibly filling.

While I found it impossible to leave any of the food – despite saying several times that I was full – my only criticism would be that it could have been just a bit more limey to justify the name.

My other half’s Italian BMT had a crisp, fresh taste, with the smoked bacon, mozzarella and crusty baguette combining superbly.

Served with crisps and a leafy salad, she thought there was a slight overload of tomatoes on the sandwich but it didn’t stop her demolishing it.

The shoestring fries were the perfect consistency – not too crunchy and not too soggy.

I managed to abstain from dessert and our meal came to a reasonable £27.