Yamato Edinburgh

Yamato is sandwiched between tourist traps and souvenir shops in the shadow of Edinburgh castle. Its unassuming frontage ushers you in and unfurls beyond a narrow bar into screened booths and a lovely semi-private space that holds a large round table for group dining.

Part of its charm is its juxtaposition to its surroundings. It’s light and bright inside in contrast to the dark stone of Edinburgh’s ancient streets. Japanese food is also about as far from haggis, neeps and tatties as you can get.

While there are plenty of doe-eyed daters around, we’d suggest Yamato as the perfect place to go with a gaggle of pals. All the better to try a bit of everything.

The pictograph menu might feel at odds with the interiors, but it’s a fairly traditional Japanese style and also helpful to manage expectations of less familiar dishes.

Little plates tumble out of the kitchen. An ostentatious sounding lobster, Wagyu and truffle sushi roll sounds all style over substance but in reality is sweet and earthy and absolutely face-stuffing stuff. Tipis of long, fat prawn tempura pieces come next, with umami-rich black cod and a satisfyingly fresh seaweed salad. So far so familiar, but there’s also room for seasoned eaters to find something new. A little set savoury custard, for instance, or crispy fried Brussels sprouts leaves with yuzu. It was an unexpected highlight, transforming an often soggy veg into an addictive appetiser.

Agedashi tofu sits in that wonderful space that feels healthy yet indulgent - crispy on the outside from being deep fried and sitting in a bright, savoury dashi sauce. There’s also sesame ice cream for after, and yuzu sake too.

Some very nice wines and extremely sweet, patient service completed the dining experience for one that feels unique in Edinburgh - a place to turn when the carbs and comfort food all get too much elsewhere.

Yamato is Kanpai's latest development, bringing Japanese flavours and pairings to Edinburgh. The menu has been designed to offer Scots traditional Japanese cuisine, paired with exceptional service, all served in an intimate and elegant environment.

Sushi is what begins the menu at Yamato, and offers the very best that's available. After all, sushi is the most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan. You'll find prawn and avocado hand rolls, snow crab legs and spicy salmon on the menu. If you prefer nigiri to hand rolls, try the sweet bean curd, bluefin tuna or grilled wagyu gunkan. Then there are the tempura dishes – the Japanese way of deep frying seafood and vegetables in tempura batter. You can choose from mixed vegetables, king prawns, squid, and hand dived scallops. Teppan yaki uses an iron griddle to cook, and there are divine options, from grilled aubergine, black cod in saikyo miso, yellowtail cheek and sirloin.

There's a selection of Japanese classics on the menu, which includes the favourites you'd hope to find. There's salmon and avocado cream dressed with lumpfish caviar and ponzu sauce, wakame seaweed salad with sesame, and a wonderful selection of gyozas. In house specials include the dobinmushi with scallop, clam, prawn and brown shimeji mushroom, along with the snow crab vulcan made with onions, scallion, bonito, yba, ponzu and tobiko. For bigger plates, try the BBQ eel rice or mini grilled kaisen donburi.

It’s definitely worth ordering some sake to go with your meal, as this beverage has been enjoyed in Japan for thousands of years. To this day, the drink remains an important part of Japanese life and culture, and has become incredibly popular across the world. There are several options to choose from, some that are served hot, whilst others are cold, and many come in single serve options whilst others are bigger bottles.