A friend introduced me to sushi a few years ago in a food market in Palma de Mallorca – not the most authentic experience and I admit it sounds like a terrible idea, but I trusted her it was pretty good sushi. Loving most Asian food, it was hardly surprising it was a hit with me, and I like to fool myself that I am choosing a healthy option. In moderation I’ve no doubt that it is healthy, but probably not if you eat the equivalent of your own body weight.
Sushi was a favourite lockdown Deliveroo option when I lived in Leith, but without such delivery services in East Lothian, I assumed in attaining the dream of a house and a garden, I would necessarily be moving to a sushi-less wilderness.
Fortunately for me, in 2015 Jennifer Kerr who returned from living in Australia, also couldn’t bear the idea of a sushi-less existence and set up Minato Sushi, currently based in Cockenzie. The business offers freshly-made sushi rolls and platters for collection or delivery to East Lothian, Midlothian and the east of Edinburgh.
The list of options is long, with a range of maki, nigiri, temaki and California-style rolls available, as well as gyoza, inari and dorayaki pancakes. In addition to the usual veggie, salmon, tuna and tempura prawn you can expect from any respectable sushi restaurant (and Yo Sushi – just kidding, I love Yo Sushi), they also have a variety of meat options like the chicken teriyaki dragon roll, katsu chicken roll and steak roll.
Although collection on the day is available, deliveries have to be booked at least a day in advance, particularly if you want sushi at the weekend, as the service has become incredibly popular. Having identified a genuine gap in the market and thanks to the excellent quality of the food, the business has been such a huge success that, six years since its launch, Minato Sushi will soon be opening a ‘grab and go’ sushi shop on Haddington High Street.
At a time when hospitality businesses are still struggling under pandemic restrictions, independent food delivery services have really come into their own and this is a most welcome and well-deserved success story.
