On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, we headed down to Edinburgh's new hot spot Asian restaurant and we will definitely be back soon.
The popular Lucky Yu reopened on Broughton Street in March, serving elevated Asian-inspired street-style food by ex-Gardener’s Cottage Chef, Duncan Adamson.
The eatery was conceived by John Howard, owner of the Leith's beloved Bodega in 2018 opening first on Leith Walk and then in Tollcross - gaining acclaim for its takeaway dumplings and chicken wings.
READ NEXT- Gumball 3000: Hundreds flock to Edinburgh city centre for supercar rally
Much to the delight of Edinburgh foodies, it's back with a suave new location in the city centre of town serving exquisite cocktails and a variety of unique Asian dishes from Japan, China, and Vietnam.
We opted for a number of small dishes including Korean BBQ short-rib yakitori, corn ribs with yuzu and miso-glazed salmon skewers and two Kyoto 93 cocktails made from yuzu sake, lychee cordial and cava.
While the meat ribs were a little dry, the starter was saved by the corn version, which came with a delicious sauce complimenting the stunning salmon.
That was followed by bao buns with sticky five-spice brisket and another stuffed with chilli, ginger, soy cauliflower and pickled cucumber. You only get one in a portion for £7 which doesn't really work for the sharing style of the restaurant but it does clearly say this on the menu.
These were really tasty and I definitely preferred the veggie bao bun as the pickled cucumber finished the flavour sensation from the ginger and chilli perfectly.
One of the highlights of Lucky Yu is the cocktail menu and expertly crafted drinks using unique spirits like sake, sherry and mezcal which we sampled throughout the meal.
The dangerous part is how easy they go down as you can barely taste the booze but the attention to detail was outstanding, garnishing the drinks with frosted leaves and frozen fruit.
Next up we shared a crispy whole seabass with soy, ginger, Kaffir lime and lemongrass sauce for a very reasonable £19 which was the show stopper of the meal.
The dish was huge and the fish was drizzled in the light and fragrant lemongrass sauce but seasoned subtly enough to still enjoy the delicate flavour of the seabass and was easy to share.
Finally, we had both desserts on the menu which were beautiful. The dark chocolate miso and black sesame delice was so rich and creamy but not sickly at all.
The lighter more refreshing option was the matcha pannacotta with poached rhubarb which melted in my mouth, I'm not usually a dessert girl but I loved both of these and the portion sizes were ideal.
Overall I really loved the experience, the location is ideal for some small bites and cocktails before the cinema at the nearby Omni Centre or just a catch-up with friends.
In a city like Edinburgh where we are privileged to have so many independent restaurants I try to stick to those when I go out for food instead of chains and have a roster of my favourites for every cuisine.
Lucky Yu is a perfect addition and somewhere I am excited to bring family and friends in the future, the well-thought-out cocktail list is incredible and worth a visit alone.
The interior which was designed by co-owner Meredith Wilkie is also absolutely stunning and feels very stylish - plus a perfect background for pictures.
We definitely recommend booking as it's always busy and booked up in advance. You can find out more and book here.
READ NEXT:
Toddler rushed to Edinburgh hospital as parents warn of everyday object dangers
Mum left 'livid' after best friend breastfeeds her daughter at a wedding in secret
Edinburgh woman speaks out after being 'bed-bound for two years' with endometriosis
Edinburgh issued with yellow thunderstorm warning as weather set to take a turn
'UFO' spotted speeding past the Red Arrows leaving viewers baffled
