Sakae

Close to University of Edinburgh, Sakae offers locals and students to Japanese cuisine with minimal styles of white wallpaper and wooden decors. It can be crowded at lunchtime (I came as the first customer that day) I tried the pork curry rice. The sauce is flavorful but personally mild for Thai foodies. The okonomiyaki is a popular dish. I tried seafood one. The portion is surprisingly big and it is again flavorful with sweetness, savory and the flavour of seafood. The texture is soft and crispy. My friend tried its famous omakase sushi set (8 pieces) every pieces is well made and the best one, based on my friend’s comment, is the ‘hokkigai’. The chef is Japanese and very friendly. Also you can observe how he prepare sushi from his sushi bar. If you have student card with cash it’s 10% discount which is quite good deal. The toilet, however, is not within the restaurant but shared with adjacent one. ‘It’s not easy to find good Japanese restaurant in Edinburgh ’ is what I normally say. Sakae is one of that exception.

Delicious home-cooked japanese food. The atmosphere is relaxed, the staff are extremey friendly and welcoming. The chef is particularly accomodating with gluten free variations, and the gluten free okonomiyaki is spectacular. Very good sashimi and sushi, too, try the sea clam (pictured). Cannot recommend highly enough. Two years later, this is still the best Japanese in Edinburgh!

Stumbled upon this place while craving to eat at a homely japanese eatery! The Japanese chef and Korean lady taking care of of the house made my meal even more enjoyable, didn't expect to find such a place in Edinburgh! • Omakase set - torched prawn, octopus, salmon belly, tuna, salmon, sea bream, mackerel, arctic surf clam • Torched salmon aburi nigiri • Okonomiyaki with kewpie mayo, bulldog sauce, fried onions, spring onions, fish flakes • Agedashi tofu w/ soy broth, scallions, seaweed, chilli threads

I did not expect to find Okonomiyaki in Edinburgh. It is a Japanese savory pancake originated in Osaka, and has been popular among Eastern Asian countries. As we preferred a more traditional flavour, we ordered the single topping with pork and Japanese mayonnaise. The pancake tasted great and it was well fried. Since the batter was made of egg and flour, together with shredded cabbage and meat, it delivered a rich flavour. We like the rolls and udon in curry soup as well. The udon was in great texture, and this type of noddle has always been great when complimented by curry soup in my opinion. Sakae seems to be run by Japanese. Though not necessarily a guarantee of authenticity, the food they delivered was simply delicious and authentic.

Blown away! The sushi was delicious, it’s obvious that the chef knows his craft. Highly recommend the omakasae, you can feel that the ingredients were fresh, and that the rice was quality. Only thing I would improve is the decoration/lighting, but otherwise the service and experience was impeccable 👌