Maki & Ramen – West Richmond Street

Unlike many other Japanese eateries in the area, Maki & Ramen has stayed true to its roots; authentic and honest Japanese food is at the heart of what owner and chef Teddy Lee does. Ten years ago when Teddy first ventured into the culinary scene in Edinburgh there were limited options for traditional Japanese food. Now Maki & Ramen occupies four venues across Edinburgh, and Teddy’s foodie empire looks set to get bigger and bigger. With big chains focusing on serving everything, Teddy and his team of incredibly talented chefs have dedicated their skills to ramen and sushi. This has been perfected thanks to several of the kitchen team who have gone to Japan and Singapore to specialise in ramen and sushi making.

Popular dishes from the menu are the salmon teriyaki roll as a starter and the tonkotsu ramen as a main. The broth is cooked for eight hours to ensure an intense and powerful sauce is created and as much flavour as possible is extracted from the pork bones. Those who enjoy spicier dishes should try the Hell ramen, a very popular noodle dish. Thanks to the kitchen focusing on either ramen or sushi, the food is always served quickly here. This makes Maki & Ramen an ideal location to have a quick lunch that is guaranteed to be delicious. The drinks on offer at Maki & Ramen are varied, with the likes of beer, sake, wine and Japanese soda, ramune. This means that whatever your tipple, there is a decent variety of soft and alcoholic beverages to complement your meal.

The venue has an intimate ambience with warm lighting and a dark, low ceiling. The seating is almost on the floor, in booths that mimic traditional Japanese restaurants. Owner Teddy’s Japanese travels have allowed him to develop and hone his skills in Japanese food whilst also learning more about the culture that he can then bring back to Edinburgh. The open sushi bar allows diners to watch the highly skilled chefs create intricate sushi. With jazz playing in the background, it’s hard not to relax and enjoy the calming atmosphere. Visit one of the three Maki & Ramen venues in Edinburgh and see for yourself why this Japanese restaurant is still dominating the market.