The Orient Express lunch

Bento Box and Miso at Tang's

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Japanese food has fallen victim to its own notoriety. Contrary to popular belief, there is a medium ground between the affluence of Nobu and the pre-packaged gems of Pret a Manger. The Japanese market in the West has for some time been labouring against several generalisations about its food: that by Japanese food we mean sushi, by sushi we mean healthy, by healthy we mean expensive and by expensive we mean exclusive.

When Nobu first opened in Manhattan in 1994, Japanese food became fashionable and elitist. Backed by Robert DeNiro, Nobu attracted a celebrity clientele and by 1997 had established itself in Britain. With its high quality ingredients and miniscule portions, Japanese food was an exotic alternative to the "haute-cuisine" dominating the bourgeois market, providing the same delicacy of portions but offering a side-serving of health benefits. The first Asian restaurant to receive a Michelin star, it heralded a gastronomic shift that led to the rise of sushi and its bedfellows. Japanese restaurants became the refuge for the wealthy and the skinny.

However, there was a backlash. Satisfying the demands of those who were unwilling to take out second mortgages for the Nobu experience, the supermarkets and chain restaurants cleverly capitalised on the image of the emerging cuisine. Yo Sushi, a veritable power magnate, opened in London a decade ago and brought with it the incorporation of Japanese fare into the fast food market. With sushi pieces from £1.50, conveyer belts for easy access, and sterile eating environments, Yo Sushi offered a taste of Japan for those on a budget, those pressed for time and those excited by the novelty of the experience.

Courtesy of a wave of dieticians who extolled the health benefits of the food, the public made Yo Sushi, Itsu and Wagamama regular lunchtime destinations. Perhaps its popularity was down to the fact that it simply tasted better than anything that had come before it. Perhaps it was down to celebrity endorsement, an impressionable public, and our unyielding pursuit of a consumable source of eternal youth, beauty and vitality. Considering the success which Tescos, Sainsbury’s and other supermarkets have had in shifting their distinctly average pre-packaged attempts at Japanese food, I’m inclined to believe the latter.

The real victims in this endless PR machine are independent Japanese restaurants which, whilst achieving some success in cosmopolitan hubs like London, are barely given the chance to prove themselves in smaller urban locations. In Edinburgh, whilst the European, French and mainstream Asian restaurants seem to dominate, some really decent Japanese offerings have been overlooked. The success stories in Edinburgh tend to have some sort of extra pull factor to entice the hesitant Edinburgh clientele. The Omni centre’s Arawana, whilst offering great sushi and teppanyaki, has the benefits of also offering Chinese food—a safe option—and of being next to the cinema, becoming the obvious overspill location for post-chick flick crowds. However, its location within a complex and its less than pleasant views of escalators and loitering crowds prevent one from feeling that there is anything "authentic" about the place.

The same goes with Lothian Road’s IZZI. Despite what is essentially good sushi, the sterile setting, Chinese fusion, and questionable take-away style window display, prevent it from truly satisfying. On Potterrow, Koi offers a purely Japanese dining experience and does so at reasonable prices. However, the layout, sheer size, and canteen-like appearance of the place results in a chain restaurant atmosphere. Whilst none of the aforementioned will disappoint those in search of some decent Japanese food, there is one Japanese restaurant which is exciting both because of the food itself and the fact that it is humble, unfussy and relatively undiscovered, despite its central location. This week's recommendation satisfies a momentary impulse to support the underdog.

Tang’s

Situated just off North Bridge, Tang’s lies where Old Town, New Town and the Grass Market converge. Its exterior is perfunctory and pleasant. Its partially shielded windows offer some privacy for its diners and the interiors are unashamedly simple. There is something achingly charming about the place. The staff are eager to please and attentive without veering into the realm of annoying. There is a grace to the way the food is served, the focus being on understatement and traditional preparation and presentation methods. Cutlery for the main dishes is restricted to chop sticks, miso soup is drunk straight from the bowl and green tea comes in the typical Makisu cups. The restaurant, which seats no more than twenty, is small and intimate. Neither an ideal date setting, nor the location for a matey piss-up, Tang’s promises no more than the ritual of an authentic Japanese meal in a calm and ungimicky setting.

Everything at Tang’s is understated, even the food. However, this works to its advantage. Rebelling against the trend for over-salted, over-sauced, over-nutted and over spice noodles, the flavours are delicate enough for this to be a suitable location for either a light lunch or a heftier dinner. For a student clientele, the lunch deal is marginally pricier than the average George Square offerings but will, if tactically chosen, come within the bounds of a tenner. Six pieces of Maki sushi are around £4-£4.50, and come with the obligatory complimentary miso. The more expensive options of salmon and eel sushi cost around £3.00 for two. Whilst the sushi is certainly fresh and palatable, the focus of the lunch menu is on noodles and the Bento Boxes.

A safe option is the Chicken Yakisoba, stir-fried udon noodles which are gluttonous without being too heavy. Unlike Wagamama’s forays into the Yakisoba field, the flavouring is less heavy, making the noodles, not the accompaniments, the focus of the dish. At £6.90, the Yakisoba is a little pricey but certainly fills you up.

However, in the presence of the Bento Boxes, the other lunch offers seem superfluous. The Bento Box is the sophisticated Japanese equivalent to compartmentalised TV dinners. Presented in a large, black wooden box, the lid is lifted to reveal four compartments with varying options. The Ichibann Bento, at £6.95, contains a portion of beautifully done teriyaki chicken on a bed of finely shredded vegetables, four pieces of sushi (two vegetarian maki, two fish stick and avocado), a selection of vegetable tempura and some sticky Japanese rice. Other varieties offer sashimi and vegetarian alternatives.

There is also the soon-to-be-added detox Bento, which is the restaurant's only playful nod towards the earning potential of popularised diets. The bento is a novel approach to the set meal and, to be somewhat immature, is just plain fun to eat your way through. It balances the indulgences of the deep-fried vegetables and teriyaki with the healthy bonus of the sushi, neither over indulging on the rich aspects of Japanese food, nor capitulating to the health fads attached to it. It is this balanced approach to dining that makes Tang’s worth a visit. That and a desire to prove once and for all that there really is much more to Japanese food than the salmon skin roll.

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