'Jeezo. Does that actually say £67 for a sashimi platter?'

It would be wrong to say we are fully zenned out by the time the Specials Menu arrives but what with the reassuring geometric shapes, the fresh wooden surfaces and staff who whisper gently and politely we’re probably registering at least semi-zonked on the bifter scale.

I lift the menu anyway and my eyes cascade dreamily on past tempuras, donburi, sea urchins, pictures of raked and pebbly gardens forming in my mind.

Then Joe says. “Jeezo. Does that actually say £67 for a sashimi platter? And £38 for Wagyu Tatki?”

Insert the sound of gently applied brakes here as I too switch focus, seeing prices which settle gently on the bottom at £12.90 for Uni Chawanmushi (an exotic and tiny custard) before bouncing back up to £18 for Sea Urchin Tempura and then soaring off into fine dining heaven.

Read more Ron

• It is not every day I get chased by a 5ft-tall Chinese waitress

• I'm hot in the city - and so is the surprisingly cool Haylynn Canteen

• We’re getting into high-brow toast & cheese land in this taco joint

“Sea urchin is Friday night only”, says an apologetic voice to my right which turns out to be our waitress who has quietly appeared and may, awkward this, have heard some of our top price chat.

Startled, I react order. From the middle of the price list too. Hearing the words: “Lobster tempura please,” leaving my lips as £25 takes flight from my wallet.

Then we realise, ah, hahah, there’s another menu. Upholstered, laminated, not quite sticky but with photographs, yes seriously, and prices that far more easily touch base with us common people.

What follows is a staccato and face-saving series of semi-random orders, which will be easily and very lightly and fairly quickly consumed leaving a bill for £125.73 (including service) as a memento of this evening.

Full disclosure? My old pal Joe will say: 'Nah' when asked for his overall views later, but then he is more of a square-meal man.

“Not even the kaarage,” I’ll say referring to those crisp, almost oaty, textured, deep-fried hunks of still moist chicken (£8.90).

We learned it’s pronounced with a hard g incidentally.

“Aye, they were good,” will come the reply. The Crispy Brussel Sprouts (£6.90), individual leaves really, savoury then sweet, like honeyed feathers?

“Meh”, comes firing back. I disagree with this and try once more. “The Lobster Tempura surely”?

Now, this arriving as it did with decorative tail shell setting senses racing, involves clouds of the crispiest, lightest, and best tempura batter ever - to steal a line from M&S - with bites of sweet and tender crustacean inside. It looks fabulous.

“Yeah,” comes the reply at which I remember: it’s actually up to me.

So here is my take: We had four very juicy, pan-sticky crisp chicken and vegetable gyozo at £6.20. I could have had more.

From the chill fish counter beside us, arrived two salmon nigiri, maybe a little too cold still, but refreshing and then five sweet prawn sashimi on a bed of ice, their little black eyes staring back, tail shells removed and that sweet pink tail meat gone in a slurpy sparkle of sudden flavour.

Get Ron's review two whole days before it appears anywhere else.

Of course, there was a bowl of Kaisen Donburi (£18.90); sticky rice, jewel like roe, salmon, white fish and a lot of flavour and a Snow Crab Vulcan that cold, salady almost, very savoury, combo of onion, spring onion and citrusy ponzu. The little white nuggets of crab meat being teased out of corners until the dish was cleared.

But for me? Those two grilled mackerel Nigiri, the fillets so simply presented, blackened, presumably, with a blow torch. These are the flavours I will remember.

Oh, before we go and this meal does sort of fly by in a fairly fluid stream of dishes, we have assorted Mochi. Those rice and ice-cream ball desserts that, yeah, Lidl does a good line in these days. I’m not normally a fan, but these are boldly flavoured with Matcha, or black sesame and chocolate.

Kinda strange then, is Yamato? At first, it feels like there’s a gulf in class between the two menus, not just in price but in aspiration. But then I realise: there isn’t.

Yamato

11 Lochrin Terrace

Edinburgh

0131-466-5964

Yamato is a stylish spot (Image: free)

Menu: Donburi, kaarage, sashimi. You’ve eaten in this movie before but there’s enough sweet shrimp sashimi, lobster tempura and crispy brussel twists to keep it lively. 4/5

Service: Restrained, relaxed and very calming. All good. 4/5

Price: The big padded menu is down there with the kids price-wise, they’re at a stretch on the Specials menu prices, but, hey, feel the quality. 4/5

Atmosphere: Simple, calm, quiet and yet comfortable too. 4/5

Food: There’s little here that hasn’t been done before, so it’s really down to quality which I thought was extremely high. No need to order the lobster as it shines throughout. 8/10

Total 24/30

Ron Mackenna reviews restaurants for The Herald.  He always pays his own way and never announces his presence at the restaurant. He also never accepts invitations or freebies – which is why you can trust his reviews.