As the Scottish summer waves goodbye and freshers flu rears its ugly head, only chilli and garlic can save us now. Thankfully, salvation can be found within Broughton street’s barbie-pink eye sore, the fresh-faced Lucky Yu. Remaining dependably full for a restaurant in its first year of business, upon first glance, Lucky Yu seems more bougie beauty treatments than small plates, but this self-proclaimed ‘asian-ish’ establishment is certainly stocked with enough sake to silence the skeptics.
After a friendly greeting and menu walk-through came what we know to be the most sensitive part of all mealtimes. Decision time. Seduced by the specials, we picked the king prawn cracker with ginger and yuzu – a Chi-Chi rendition of a takeaway classic that eased us into the evening with a bit of salty goodness. Next up was a round of bao buns, a traditional Chinese delicacy gone so mainstream that even Wagamama’s got its paws on them. That said, expectations were comfortably surpassed, as a crispy prawn situation came generously accompanied by a tangy sauce and “umaminaise”, putting any fears of it being too dry decisively to bed. Vegetarians – fret not! The miso aubergine was arguably the stand-out of the night – chewy bites just as juicy as their carnivorous counterparts, coated in a miso sauce I could drink by the bucket and sesame studs for added crunch.
Now, every restaurant has a control dish, a duff to let the others shine. For me this fell to the chicken karaage, a mistake of my own making in expecting fried chicken to be, well, more than just that. Whilst not a stand-out, it fulfilled the batter-quota necessary of all meals out, and proved easy to share, an element particularly appreciated as we attempted to divide the house special ‘dirty rice’. Speaking of, the individual elements of this surf n turf mixture may have remained just as ambiguous before, during, and after eating, but the hefty portion size, generous nuggets of protein and texture-adding garnishes did prove a crowd-pleaser. Last up on our savoury list was some well-seasoned pak-choi, a tokenistic plate of greens to add to the technicolour table, dosing us up with some vitamin smugness after trying just about every meat in wok-fried form.
As a restaurant where sharing truly is caring, Lucky Yu really stands out from the ‘bird food’ offering we’ve come to expect from so many of its ilk, providing sizeable portions that make sharing a benefit and not a compromise on value. Another welcome surprise? The buzzing atmosphere sustained on a blustery Monday night!
My verdict: this eccentric spot is bridging the gap between gastronomy and a girls’ night out. You heard it here first, out with the pornstars and in with the sake.
Rating: 5 stars!
Photograph provided by Charlotte Martin