[Photos: Nikki Goldstein]

Smoked fish and eggs are a part of lots of breakfast meals, but curried rice? In Scotland, apparently—the three are joined with sweet peas for one of the most unusual brunch dishes I've tried to date. By day, West Village gastropub The Highlands is a stomping grounds for Scots, Brits, and others with genuinely cool accents. So when I wondered whether Arbroath Smokie Kedgeree ($13), the mélange of smoked fish, eggs, and curried rice, was really something Scots would hanker for, it wasn't hard to find an answer. The waitress, the charming older gent next to me, and the woman beyond him all gave me a resounding yes.

But would I hanker for it as they do? I'm not so sure. Each component of this dish was delicious—the smoked fish in particular was lovely—but no matter how many bites I took, the flavors competed more than they complemented. That said, the engaging and interesting company made it a worthwhile adventure.

But next time I'll stick to the Scottish Veggie Breakfast ($12)—two eggs alongside madras lentils (yes, more curry), yogurt-spiked creamed spinach, buttery cremini mushrooms, and stewed tomatoes.

The Highlands

150 West 10th Street, New York NY 10014 (map)
212-229-2670
highlands-nyc.com