FOOD : Hope Omurisu, Japanese BBQ, Edinburgh
Hope Omurisu has recently opened in Edinburgh bringing us a taste of authentic Japanese food using local ingredients. It specialises in Omurice and Japanese BBQ.
Omurice is an example of yōshoku consisting of an omelette made with fried rice and thin, fried scrambled eggs, usually topped with ketchup. It is a popular dish both commonly cooked at home and often found at western style diners in Japan. I am a massive fan of eggs but weirdly not omelettes so we tried out their other speciality, the Japanese BBQ.
REVIEW OF HOPE OMURISU, EDINBURGH
The restaurant is located on Nicolson St in Newington, Edinburgh. I’d refer to this area as student central as it is surrounded by the various learning departments of Edinburgh University. The restaurant itself is narrow but as will all things Japanese, it’s well thought out with every inch of space in use and used well. Inside, it’s spacious with ample seating and decent sized tables to hold your BBQ and plates.
The one sheet BBQ menu is filled with images and prices of the BBQ skewers on offer. You’ll find alot of meat available from beef to tongue, chicken to pork, but they also have vegetarian skewers available like corn tofu curd, king oyster mushrooms and padron peppers. On the reverse you will find all the omelettes and on another menu, sides like steamed rice and chips.
They recommend that you choose 3-4 skewers each.
An absolute must try is the sake. Beautiful bottles of Plum, NAKATA KISHU NO UMESHU AKA or Strawberry, OZEKI NIGORI STRAWBERRY (both £23.00). I love all their crockery and their Ochoko cups (small sake cups).
The food here at Hope Omurisu is cooked to order in the open kitchen which runs the length of the restaurant. Glorious aromas of charred meat and caramelisation whaft through the air and once cooked, your server delivers the cooked skewers to your table along with a hot gridle which sits perfectly atop the Hibachi grills.
The sizzle from the skewers will make you glee-ful!
Here’s what we chose:
Beef Fillet (£9.00) - gorgeous big chunks of succulent melt in the mouth beef. A must order.
Ox Tongue (£2.80) - very tasty but with a slight chew.
Chicken Thigh and Spring Onion (£2.50) - succulent, lovely chargrill taste.
Pork Short Rib (£2.50) - this was extremely chewy and not pleasant to eat at all.
Pork Belly and Spring Onion (£2.50) - again too chewy to enjoy.
Bacon and Asparagus (£3.00) - loved this.
Aribiki Sausage (£2.50) - loved these too, but the are tiny so worth ordering at least 2-3 portions.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed dining here but for me it’s a great lunchtime spot. You’d be well fed for around £15pp and walk out with a very happy belly indeed.
The staff are lovely, very friendly and knowledgeable. Service is efficient and there is a sense of occasion about the serving and placement of your food and drink. It’s all served with purpose.
A most welcome addition to the Edinburgh food scene!
Hope Omurisa, 80 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9EW. www.hope-omurisu.com
My Spoon Award : Silver Spoon 8/10
I was invited by Hope Omurisu to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.