YO! Sushi Bon Accord: This Is Tokyo Menu Launch

Welcome to Tokyo! Or YO! Sushi in the Bon Accord Centre for that matter!

Originating in Japan, sushi has diversified in a number of ways over the hundreds and thousands of years it's been around for. Originally relating to meaning "sour" reflecting back on its origins of being preserved in salt, sushi has come a long way over the years, so much so that contemporary sushi itself is now postmodern in the fact that traditional methods of making sushi are now extremely popular again.

Since January 1997, when the first YO! Sushi opened in Soho London, the has launched hundreds of franchises all over the country, even taking on world domination. Last week the business launched it's latest menu, This is Tokyo, focussing on offering up the very best dishes you can find everyone in Tokyo getting stuck into.

This is Tokyo sees 25 new dishes added to the menu, bringing its offering up to 100 dishes. With highly qualified, passionate chefs, the business ensures its staff can deliver the varied menu, ensuring that there's something for everyone's tastes.

Taking inspiration from the gastronomic variety of taste experiences coming out of Tokyo, and honing in on what the locals favourite dishes are, the new menu tells the story behind Tokyo's food culture, a melting pot of Japanese styles fusing old and new cooking techniques and flavours.

So when I was invited along to YO! Sushi, situated in the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen, to check out the new menu, I was incredibly keen on investigating what you could really expect to see on the menu's of Tokyo's restaurants...

The conveyor belt was an array of colour, showcasing the new cold dishes available, and hot dishes were cooked as and when guests ordered them. Andy, YO! Sushi's sous chef, also made a conscious effort to go around the tables, talking guests through the different dishes which was great.

With a variety of warm dishes at the mercy of my mouth, a few favourites would have to include Buta No Kakuni, slow braised pork belly with daikon in an aromatic soy sauce on rice, and the Salmon Teriyaki, fresh pieces of tender salmon served straight from the grill. The best warm dish for me had to be the Maguro Katsu, a special blend of tuna, onion and mayo accompanied by one of the best wassabi sauces I've tasted yet.

What I love about this new menu is that the menu itself is styled like a magazine, and features local fashion, art and gaming news from Japan with thanks to Metropolis Japan. A nice touch into learning more about the new talents coming out of Tokyo at the moment.

Spoiled for choice, the cold dishes also boasted a large offering of different dishes. A personal favourite would definitely be the Dynamite, a salmon and avocado nori roll with rayu chilli oil, sriracha mayo and spring onion, and the hoisin duck nori roll, with duck, cucumber and spring onion in a nori roll with hoisin and orange sauce on the side. Being the daredevil I am, I even tried the Tako,  which is slithers of soft-poached octopus with wasabi and nori, although I would only recommend this if you like salt, and a lot of it. Not for me...

How there was space for dessert is beyond me, but in true style, I managed, sampling the matcha roll consisting of premium green tea sponge swirled with fresh cream and azuki beans and a Japanese soufflé cheesecake - so soft and so moist. The matcha roll sold it for me though.

Not forgetting the drinks I tried out Japan's oldest and most popular soft drink Ramune Soda, also known as 'marble soda', as well as Yazu and pear juice and fresh-dressed watermelon juice. The marble soda was the winner in this category for sure - some seriously delicious pop.

So to say the new This is Tokyo menu is a success would be a definite in my eyes. With a huge selection of unique dishes, the global business has really tried hard to capture the heart of Tokyo and present it to us in the best way, which, in my opinion, I'd say they have achieved.

Not only did the guys at YO! Sushi Bon Accord put on one hell of a spread for us, they also presented us with some awesome goodies to take away. I must admit the prawn sticks/crackers were not what I was anticipating but the chocolate sticks were pretty darn good. Huge thank you to the General Manager, Christian Paduch, and the team at YO! Sushi Bon Accord for their fabulous hospitality. I'll definitely be back! 

  For Now...

Just Julia

Melt: A cheesy affair

There's something quite admirable about someone who decides to take on the world and start their own business. Ambitious, well driven and personable are all key traits I think any good innovative business person will boast. So when I got chatting to the owner of Aberdeen's latest start-up and first ever grilled cheese takeaway, Melt, I knew straight away she was going to prove a huge success.

Born out of the idea of following her dreams, Mechelle Clark brought the takeaway concept to Aberdeen after seeing a rise in this type of offering in London and the US. The grilled cheese takeaway which is located on 58 Holburn Street in the city centre, is any grilled cheese sandwich lovers fantasy. Offering up a tasty selection of cheesy delights, Melt dissolves those lunch or dinner time hunger pangs, leaving you fully satisfied on so many levels.

Walking into the takeaway you'd immediately feel like you were stepping into your granny's kitchen back in the 70's. Unfamiliar with the era - seen as I'm a 90's kid - the traditional orange and brown interiors represents exactly what every house would have looked like at the time. A little psychedelic, and very retro, the eatery is definitely bringing something unique to the city. With the 70's style wallpaper and pictures hanging on the wall, to the cabinet full of granny's finest teapots and ornaments, Melt really does take you out of Aberdeen and transport you somewhere which feels strangely familiar.

Aberdeen is screaming for new, interesting business' which bring a whole new character to the city, and with Melt catering to vegans (coming soon), vegetarians and those looking for gluten-free options, there's something for everyone at Melt.

The melt's, which take about three minutes to grill (providing the grills are at optimum temperature), are all prepared fresh. Created with sourdough bread, which has been locally sourced by The Bread Maker - the only producer of sourdough bread in the North-east, there is nothing quite like these massive melts, ready to fill the bellies of hungry Aberdonian's.

Last week I was invited along to an exclusive event at the eatery, and of course I was going to accept. Rocking up a tad early Mechelle and her friendly staff welcomed us out of the cold and into the shop where we did ALOT of chatting. You can tell straight off this woman is fabulously passionate about everything she does, and she really knows her stuff, which I admire. I felt straight at home in the eatery and I partly think that was because of Mechelle's all round fantastic nature. A grand host, she welcomed everyone accordingly, said her piece and encouraged us to dig into the samples she had cooked up for us to indulge in. And indulge we did...

Six or seven, or maybe eight pieces of grilled cheese sandwich later, I was well and truly stuffed. A personal favourtie, and one I would definitely recommend would be the Haggis Grilled Melt. Haggis, bacon, peppery rocket and gruyere cheese on sourdough bread, its safe to say there is such a thing as cheese heaven.

A massive fan of all things sweet I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the Choc & Cheese tasted. I'm not going to lie, initially I was pretty certain I would not enjoy the melt, however, if you like the taste of smores, but can imagine them tasting even better than you remember, that's what the Choc & Cheese tasted like. Yes, yes, yes.

The grilled cheese sandwiches themselves are pretty large in size, and very filling. I'd recommend the Choc & Cheese as a more of a dessert or a treat, rather than something you'd get stuck into for lunch. 

The refreshments offering at melt is also pretty awesome too. With Lemony lemonade, Gingerella ginger ale, Karma cola, and a number of fresh fruit juices to quench customers' thirst, the eatery has a lot to offer. With weekly specials going to be introduced into the core melt offering, with over 100 different specials choices that have already been designed to be implemented into the menu, Melt really is going to be one-to-watch in the coming year.

I caught up with Mechelle, owner of Melt, at the launch and got chatting cheese, cheese and more cheese. Highlighting her top five favourite grilled cheese sandwiches, I just had to share them!

TOP 5 GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

1. CLASSIC GRILLED CHEESE: Gruyere and strong cheddar cheese, sourdough bread (buttered on the outside), and a layer of béchame sauce inside to keep it oozing.
2. MAC AND CHEESE MELT: Homemade macaroni cheese made with Marshall’s Scottish macaroni, smothered in melted gruyere and served on sourdough bread.
3. HAGGIS GRILLED CHEESE: Pan-fried, good-quality haggis served with smoked bacon, peppery rocket and Gruyere cheese on sourdough bread. (A Just Julia savoury favourite)
4. SWEET GRILLED CHEESE: Mascarpone cheese, Nutella and a sprinkle of Fleur De Sel salt served on buttery brioche bread. (A Just Julia sweet favourite)
5. RAGU GRILLED CHEESE: Home-made beef ragu with a generous amount of gruyere and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, served on sourdough bread.

Us Scots always seem a little hesitant in welcoming new, innovative businesses to the market, and our 'just because it works in London, doesn't mean it's going to work here' attitude really does need to stop. Look around and embrace what's to come, change is good and our city needs to change. Bring on all the foodies because hell yes I'm all about that! With very reasonable prices for impressively large toasties, there's no excuse not to try one of these fancy melts! I've already been back  to visit lasting one day without the gorgeously good gooeyness.

So if you're looking for a grate feed (pardon the pun) on-the-go in Aberdeen, then Melt is definitely the place for you to visit. Brie there or be square!

For Now...

Just Julia