In the trendy and active 4th Street in Parkhurst, nestled on a corner lies YuMe, a sushi, noodle and dimsum restaurant with playful decor and friendly, charismatic staff.
Now I know Asian cuisine and restaurants seems a dime a dozen these days, each with their sushi conveyer belts and novelty red & black decor, but YuMe’s staff and food make it stand out from the rest. While we did find the overall restaurant slightly cramped and itching for space, we had a lively view over the balcony, so it didn’t seem all too bad.
Connor and I received good service with only one or two hiccups here and there and an incredibly friendly waitress who was attentive and engaged when questions were asked. Yes, wait staff is important when it comes to dining out, but when you have a great waiter/waitress, it can make a giant difference.
The menu is huge; in size and contents. If you can’t decide what you want, I don’t blame you. The variety is phenomenal, with over 100 different types of sushi. Connor and I ordered sushi to begin with, but unfortunately had to grab it for take away, as our other food came first, and only with an explanation after (they’d dropped our plate of sushi and had to remake it). This is where we experienced a slight delay in service.
We ordered the kiko roll (chicken katsu, peppadew and feta) and the 4x4 (California rolls topped with prawn tempura and chilli mayo sauce). The sushi held together really well, and tasted delicious. They were well made. They also have vegan options, for those interested! I mean, I’m not, but it’s good to know everyone is catered for!
What impressed us as well was how the wasabi was piped. I know it doesn’t take a lot of effort, but that attention to detail showed us the care for customers and presentation. The wasabi did remain untouched, though. Not to preserve the sanctity of the beautiful piping, but rather because I’m a scaredy cat with no tolerance for heat and spice.
Then we were presented with our mains. This meant we were left with no other decision other than to unbutton our pants in defeat when we were done. YuMe – 1, Steph and Connor – 0.
In all seriousness, our food was absolutely delicious, short of us licking our plates. We were in public, what can we say? Our food was presented very simply, with the food speaking (and smelling) for itself.
I’d ordered the chilli chicken BBQ pot stickers and the prawn, cream cheese, bamboo shoot and chive steamed dim sum (say that three times fast). The pot stickers were crispy and had great flavour, not overbearingly spicy. It was served with a mild BBQ sauce that added some tanginess to the little fried dumplings. The steamed dim sum were just adorable and beautifully constructed, all served in an authentic bamboo steamer. Did that stop me from eating them, you ask? Absolutely not. While the texture of steamed dumplings may be off putting for some, they were perfect for me. The filling was very subdued and subtle, but when paired with the spiced sauce, it came alive.
Connor ordered the chicken ramen, and this is where we’ll get a little, irritatingly technical. What we received (while outstandingly delectable) was not ramen. It was actually udon, the noodles being too thick for the thin noodles that make ramen.
Okay, that is our only complaint about it. This stuff was the bomb diggity. (Do people still say that? They do now!) While there was a slight wait, it was worth it for freshness we received. The broth was full and flavourful, the veggies were cooked al dente and the noodles were soft, with slight bite. The meat was spiced and tender. This whole experience in this wide set soup bowl was warm, cosy and delicious.
It also gave me an awesome opportunity to get some action shots of Connor trying to secure a noodle on his chopstick!
Success!
Our experience at YuMe wasn’t badly priced either, sitting at R350 for two types of sushi, dim sum, pot stickers, ramen, drinks and our tip! Actually, it was really reasonably priced. That being said, I think you can anticipate a hefty bill if you keep plucking plates off of the conveyor belt! Your wallet says no, but your stomach says yes.
Overall, our experience at YuMe Parkhurst was an exceptionally pleasant and delicious one. With only one or two instances where our waitress decided to take a mid-shift sabbatical, the service proved to be good, our food proved to be delicious and left us walking out significantly wider.
We definitely recommend YuMe. While it may seem slightly stereotypical when it comes to restaurants, their authentic food stands out and is able to make anyone smile, like it did for us.
Stay hungry for adventure, friends.
Steph and Connor.
4.5/5 pot stickers