Restaurants, Far East

Shilla is the sole Korean restaurant in Glasgow and the sister venue to the Edinburgh venture of the same name. This small unassuming space is located in the perennially up-and-coming cool neighbourhood of Finneston. A handful of tightly packed beech…

Rumours Kopitiam seems to have it all – a great location on a busy Bath Street corner, tasty Malay dishes and more than reasonable pricing. All this ensures that even on a wet weekday night, punters will steadily stream through the door. Sure, the…

A marriage of Scottish and Thai cuisine might seem a doomed alliance, and some of the menu options sound more like a drunken scramble around the kitchen than haute cuisine (lasagne chicken curry, anybody?), but don’t be fooled – this contemporary outfit…

Bonsai Bar Bistro provides a clear rebuttal to the notion that Japanese cuisine in the UK is expensive and exclusive. The small but perfectly formed restaurant is known for its welcoming atmosphere and has a wide-ranging menu that offers something for…

Kampong Ah Lee Malaysian Delight is a compact, canteen-style restaurant serving authentic Malaysian food in basic but comfortable surroundings. Its small shop front may be easy to miss, but it remains well known and popular with students seeking an…

Newly extended at the end of 2012, Pho Vietnam House remains small but by no means cramped, with plenty of elbow room and a multi-coloured interior that has more than a hint of chilled-out beach hut to it. Owner Jodie Nguyen sweeps efficiently between…

Quicker than you can say 'tablet computer', there's a grimly punning new restaurant, Thai Pad, on the scene. It is, in fact, a new incarnation of the fairly short-lived Love You Long Thai restaurant in the basement of the Richmond House Hotel on London…

The stylish City Centre branch of Bar Soba attracts a cosmopolitan mix of shoppers sipping wine, pre-clubbers enjoying unusual cocktails and diners looking for contemporary Asian food. All rub shoulders with ease as the bar area, with subdued lighting…

Slap bang in the middle of busy South Bridge, noodle bar Yocoko has developed a knack for packing 'em in. The location is one factor, bringing in a steady stream from tourists at lunchtime to late-night revellers taking advantage of the 11.30pm closing…

Perched atop the rise of Bruntsfield Place, Thai Lemongrass is a solid bet for those who like Far Eastern fare dispensed with a liberal spoon. The large glass-fronted space is rather draughty and could feel lacking in privacy if you’re after a venue for…

Sandwiched as it is between two of the capital’s foremost arts venues, the Usher Hall and the Lyceum Theatre, this smallish concern will never lack for footfall. Pleasant and unobtrusive staff, gold-accented décor and soft lighting on small tables…

Sushiya is Edinburgh’s bite-sized taste of Tokyo, as tiny, bright and inviting as the futo maki sushi. With only 25 covers it is undeniably small, but the stylish, minimalist interior keeps the feel spacious even when it’s busy and there’s a steady…

Worth seeking out at the top of Renfrew Street, Thai Lemongrass offers an oasis of calm from the hustle and bustle of City Centre life. Dark wood and warming gold dominate the intimate space with luxury red-upholstered booths, canopied with heavy…

The west end outfit of Bar Soba is a more student-oriented affair than its arguably more stylish city centre sister. Exposed brick scrawled with Asian graffiti adorns the walls, while a large wooden block table with matching high stools runs the length…

Translating from Japanese into English as ‘one’ this noodle bar and sushi stop has been busy since opening on Dumbarton Road ten years ago. In common with its Queen Street twin, diners take up their places on benches alongside large wooden tables amid…

Oishii is everything you would expect from a Japanese restaurant, from its shining black walls and benches to the red accents and white paper lanterns in the window. Take a seat at the sushi bar and watch Chef Katsuo deftly fold, roll and slice…

Small and staunchly independent, Tollcross gem Passorn is now approaching its fourth birthday. Owner Cindy Sritsotorn has carved out a niche among larger and longer-established haunts by holding true to her passion for good cooking and uncompromising…

A perennial player in the mix of Edinburgh's top Thai restaurants, Dusit proves that consistency needn’t be dull, dishing up the same brand of polished, Thai fine dining in the heart of city for over a decade. Nestled on Thistle Street away from the…

One can't help being overwhelmed when entering Tusk; the vast, high-ceilinged former filmhouse carries off a contemporary Asian-inspired design with a luxurious flourish. At centre stage sits a giant golden Buddha, and the faint smell of incense drifts…