Review: Yokohama Sushi, Dalziel Place

Girdy & Birdy were set for a night of story-based gaming at Edinburgh Indie Gamers, but first they needed sustenance! Yokohama Sushi had been on the radar for a little while, so it made perfect sense to stop there first.

I started off the evening late. I hate being late. Usually it’s our very own Edinburgh Reviews’ Girdy who’s the late one, and constantly ‘behind’ – but I was late due to no fault of my own, and bus chaos. Oh well.

Girdy was well settled in by the time I had made it onto London Road, and eventually was able to give the go-ahead to make our order. By then he was well acquainted with the menu thanks to the helpful tablet Yokohama Sushi’s staff had given us to place our order.

Girdy said: “I imagine the ‘order by tablet’ won’t suit some people but I found it really helpful. I was confident I was ordering what I wanted to order, I could order on my time, and it made it easy to order for someone on their way — and I still could talk to the front of house staff about my order. It was the best of both worlds.”

When I got there, our food wasn’t out yet, but I didn’t have long to wait, either – it was all timed very well, and it turned out we weren’t in too much of a rush to get to our gaming session. Win!

Yokohama Sushi’s vibe

It’s quite a relaxed vibe at Yokohama Sushi – the restaurant is small and exceptionally clean, without being clinical – and certainly NOT without character. I like the contrast of the two walls here, and the chairs are quite comfy, too.

We were seated right before the reception desk, so as you might be able to tell from the photo above, there’s not a huge amount of seating. It was also quite quiet, but that only meant we got plenty of attention.

Yokohama Sushi’s food and drink

I was absolutely delighted to realise – ahead of time, because that’s just the way I sushi roll – they had softshell crab sushi on the menu. If there’s one way to win me over, it’s with a perfectly prepared softshell crab roll! So, of course, it goes without saying that I filled my boots whilst I could.

I ordered a softshell crab roll, and also a softshell crab hand roll. I found the choice of marie rose sauce a bit different compared to other ways I’ve eaten it, but the sushi itself was fabulous and I ain’t complaining.

As for Girdy, he had the hiyayakko with tempura sauce, and steak poke with summer sauce – both of which he also really enjoyed. We both left feeling quite satisfied with our meal, and very appreciative of the staff. Speaking of which…

Yokohama Sushi’s staff

Yokohama Sushi’s staff were friendly, welcoming (but not overly chatty), and very efficient with our food. Girdy was right to wait until I was on London Road to order, as we really weren’t waiting long once I’d arrived.

We were never waiting long for drinks, and asking for the bill was easy enough. Overall, a very good experience was had from the staff at Yokohama, and neither of us had any complaints!

Things to do near Meadowbank

Not far along the road from Yokohama sushi, is Edinburgh Palette at St Margaret’s House, where there are often fun art exhibitions and things to do and you’ll know it when you see it, as it has a big ‘ART’ sign on the wall. There’s also Meadowbank Sports Centre.

If you like the historical aspect of the ‘Burgh, you’ll find the remains of the old St Margaret’s Railway Engine Turntable are nearby, with the Craigentinny Marbles in the other direction – both are good for Instagram snaps when the weather gets a bit better.

Directly across the road from St Margaret’s House you’ll find a few coffee shop options, too. As for buses going in that direction, you can get 4, 5, 26, 44 and 45.

Overall

As an independent Japanese restaurant, Yokohama Sushi seems to be a little bit of a hidden gem for sushi/Japanese food lovers in Edinburgh, and we’re more than prepared to shout about it! It’s also available on Just Eat, if the Meadowbank area seems a bit out of the way for you – either way, they deserve your support, and we’ll definitely be back.