Sushiya

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £5.50 (set lunch)
   £13.50 (evening meal)
• House wine: £13.95 per bottle

• Hitlisted
• High point: Its edgy atmosphere
• Low point: Chairs don't work if you're in for a long session
• Food served: Sun-Thu (not Tue) noon-2.30pm, 5-10.30pm; Fri/Sat noon-11pm. Closed Tue.
• Open since: 2005
• Also offers: Take away

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Well, it's not Lost in Translation, but this West End sushi and noodle bar offers the closest thing to Tokyo as Edinburgh can offer. Sushiya is super-slick; its edgy atmosphere is created with high tables, bar stools, a television with looped Japanese cultural oddities (sushi-making for Westerners; dragging cars with various parts of the anatomy, that sort of thing), Japanese pop on the stereo, and a little sushi bar at the far end. The focus here is on the excellent sushi, and the claim of using best quality produce bought in daily can be made with confidence. Construct a whole meal of sushi with a side order of miso soup and you've got a quick, nutritious meal. First-timers can try the sushi as a starter or choose from the selection of 'small eats', such as the plump, succulent tempura king prawns encased in a delicate, crispy batter, or mixed vegetable skewers in yakimono (soy-based) sauce. The main meals are divided into 'wok-fried noodles', 'soup-based noodles' and 'Japanese rice'. While not the place to linger over a meal, Sushiya is a great place for a stop-off on the way home or for a quick pre-club/pub bite.