TO ME it was a post-Christmas miracle and all down to the mystical powers of Japanese restaurant Yamato, which you’ll find in the Tollcross area of Edinburgh.

Our visit proved an eye-opening and seriously impressive introduction to another country’s culinary delights – and even made me consider the hated Brussels sprout in a different way.

I’ve always thought of them as horrible, smelly, rock-hard green balls of vomit-inducing veg; my stomach generally flips into spin cycle at Christmas when I get a whiff of their noxious odour.

So when our friendly waiter at Yamato said we should definitely try their special dish, and that he guaranteed we’d like it, out of politeness I didn’t tell him where to go and instead raised my eyebrows to the highest alert.

A quick glance at Dave’s ashen face told me he wasn’t keen either.

Still, the crispy Brussels sprout leaves with yuzu sauce and pine nuts found their way to our table.

Wondering if I could get away with the old school dinners trick, hold your nose and swallow the unwanted morsel as fast as possible, we eyed the dish with some trepidation.

With brave hats on, we tackled the green enemy and ... still hated it.

No, in all honesty, it was absolutely lovely and we ate the lot.

We were sold. A blank page as regards Japanese food, almost totally ignorant beyond vague concerns about raw fish and an acknowledgement that Wagyu beef was supposed to be top stuff, we were open to trying anything.

In-depth research – wikipedia – revealed that Yamato has numerous meanings but none, I can now confirm to my literal dining companion, have anything to do with tomato.

According to the restaurant blurb, it’s one of Japan’s most ancient names and a source of national harmony, and after a nice surprise with the sprouts we weren’t about to dispute that.

Off to a good start with an old favourite, Asahi beer, we were guided gently through the culinary offerings with some helpful explanations and suggestions – ‘it’s cold outside, have a warm sake’ – which were accepted gratefully.

Placed inside a pot of hot water, the sake was very nice, warming and aromatic. Lord knows how they get such a tasty liquid from rice.

Rather than murder the language and offend our hosts, we opted for the gormless tourist approach and mostly pointed to what we wanted from the menu when it got tricky.

They didn’t seem to mind, or laugh too much. I just wasn’t sure how Chawammushi should sound anyway.

Luckily, it tasted great; a small, creamy bowl of warmth filled with scallop, prawn, shimeji mushroom, truffle sauce and egg.

There was so much to choose from and, with a little assistance, we dined tapas-style with small dishes arriving at regular intervals for sharing.

Karaage, sake-marinated fried chicken, and Gyoza, pan-fried chicken dumplings with a little dipping sauce, were devoured quickly although I was flying solo with the Takoyaki, an octopus fish cake that Dave felt was just out of his reach.

The King Prawn tempura was so crisp and light, and there was a whole range of sushi and delectable little rolls on the menu we just couldn’t get through.

The Teppan Teriyaki salmon, with flakes of beautiful pink fish drizzled with a yummy sauce and topped with tasted sesame seeds, was delicious.

The star of the show was the beautifully marbled Wagyu – it translates as Japanese cow – which is renowned around the world for its quality.

We tried the grilled Wagyu nigiri, with the meat rolled round a portion of rice and topped with gold leaf, and it was so stunning, and gone so quickly, we swiftly ordered more.

Yamato is at 11 Lochrin Terrace, near the Cameo cinema, and it’s a beautiful restaurant with a relaxed ambience and traditional and tasty Japanese dishes, friendly and efficient service at a reasonable price.