Asu, the latest culinary project from the team behind Glasgow’s much-loved Five March, is set to open at Brown’s of Leith this month. Launching on Friday 24th July, Asu will bring the vibrant flavours of Asia to The Shore in Edinburgh. Owned by restaurateur Joanna Nethery, Asu is her latest venture, which will boast a menu of fresh and exciting Asian-inspired dishes. The menus and kitchen team will be led by Five March’s executive chef, David Cleary, who previously headed u

What began as pop‑up dinners exploring the flavours of the Portuguese spice routes has become Macau Kitchen, the UK’s only Macanese restaurant. For Kei de Freitas and Hoeyyn Ngu, each dish is a link in a long Luso‑Asian story — a diaspora cuisine they are still uncovering. Kei de Freitas and his wife, Hoeyyn Ngu never wanted to run a restaurant. Now they have one of Edinburgh’s most happening eateries but their story began long before Macau Kitchen opened its doors. The coupl

A few weeks ago, I went to the opening night for Uncle Tiger, a new Asian-fusion restaurant with a fun pop-up menu twist. Tempting delights floated through the crowd, and I was instantly addicted to the flavours and fancies on offer. As everyone’s “fun, favourite uncle”, keeping it fresh, fun and fascinating is what Uncle Tiger is all about. While I’m a creature of habit who frequents the same places and eats the same meals on repeat so I am intrigued by the concept of a rota

When Sabzi, a Punjabi restaurant, joins forces with the Portuguese-Chinese fusion of Macau Kitchen, the result is a pop-up experience that transcends simple dining. Hosted by Sabzi’s charismatic Stevie Singh and Macau Kitchen's masterful Chef Kei De Freitas, the evening feels like an intimate invitation into their shared culinary heritage. Chef Kei, a natural storyteller, guides us through the provenance of each dish, while Stevie ensures the hospitality is as warm as the spi

Bodega, Lucky Yu, The Captain Darling and now Uncle Tiger : the Edinburgh‑based hospitality firm Òir Group has launched its fourth new restaurant on Bristo Place. When I pull up with Simone to taste the Hong Kong edition of a rotating suite of Asian‑inspired menus , I recognise the space as the former Forest Café, then Checkpoint. The student‑cum‑fringe energy still hums through the industrial, cavernous room where the music properly thumps. Scarlet mushroom‑shaped table la

A small Southside spot turning out seriously good Korean fried chicken, handmade kimchi and generous, comforting bowls — CrispyQ is the kind of unassuming place you walk past once, then never again. Wandering down Nicolson Street early one Saturday evening (moderately busy given it was the weekend before payday), CrispyQ Asian Kitchen is inconspicuous among the surrounding supermarkets and barbers. A red neon sign promises Korean fried chicken , diners sit in the window chatt

Minimalist, warm and quietly confident, Umi delivers a lunchtime escape where precision, comfort and serious flavour meet—at prices that feel almost implausible for the West End. We tumble into Umi on a chilly February lunchtime. With its minimalist wooden décor and cosy booths, it feels like a neighbourhood eatery you’d find down a side alley in Tokyo. The light wood, soft lighting and gentle buzz of conversation set the tone: this is somewhere you can happily linger over

It took 2500 bookings before it even opened, and as a result the owners felt compelled to close their new restaurant to walk-ins for the first few days. What, you might wonder, was the attraction? An expertly-curated social media campaign? That obviously helped, but the location of Kochchi, Glasgow’s new Sri Lankan restaurant, must surely have played a part. It’s situated down a very cute mews lane off Byres Road in the city’s bustling West End , is close to the University

I have to confess that before my invitation to visit Glasgow’s new city‑centre sushi restaurant, I am beginning to weary of the East Asian culinary influence that’s been trending across the country for months. But Sticks’n’Sushi , Scotland’s first outlet from the popular Danish‑Japanese restaurant group based in Copenhagen, forces me to confront this niggling aversion with what can only be described as a deep dive into a completely new experience. If it’s true that we eat fi