In a city saturated with burger joint after burger joint, it is always refreshing to discover somewhere new to eat. And Yuu Kitchen with its quirky Manga pop art themed interiors is certainly that.
Headed up by Stephen Lowe (previously of London's Icebar) and Jon de Villa (previously of Nobu, Nobu Berkeley and Zafferano), Yuu Kitchen's flavours are said to be heavily influenced by South East Asia and the Pacific Rim. I was invited to the Yuu Kitchen launch last night and knowing the directors' background in the food industry, I had the highest of expectations. And you know what? I was not disappointed. It all started with a champagne reception, wandering around marvelling at the decor which the directors described themselves as modern Asian style meets Shoreditch. There was an industrial, East London edginess with exposed pipes and chains hanging from the tables - but with Manga inspired pop art on the walls and the overhead lighting contained in bird cages.
Salmon and shrimp spoon with papaya salad
Soft salmon that melted in your mouth and sweetness from the papaya salad, which gave the dish great texture
Bao buns with crispy tofu and peanut
I didn't think tofu would be so full of flavour, but it was and the crushed peanut added a wonderful texture to it.
Spicy tuna tostada
Compared to the other dishes, this wasn't the prettiest of foods, but it was by far the tastiest. The tuna was cooked to perfection and even though it was spicy and I don't usually do spice, it tasted so good and so right, I went for it!
Vegetable spring rolls with sweet chilli dip
These were hands down the nicest spring rolls I have ever had. I usually find vegetable spring rolls very bland, lacking in vegetable and packed out with cheaper ingredients. These were generously filled with big bits of vegetable which you could see right from the very first bite.
Salt and pepper prawns
These were a good size, not too heavily seasoned, and had that awesome meatiness you get with a larger prawn.
Sweet soy glazed beef
Tender, melt in the mouth, and really more ish.
Headed up by Stephen Lowe (previously of London's Icebar) and Jon de Villa (previously of Nobu, Nobu Berkeley and Zafferano), Yuu Kitchen's flavours are said to be heavily influenced by South East Asia and the Pacific Rim. I was invited to the Yuu Kitchen launch last night and knowing the directors' background in the food industry, I had the highest of expectations. And you know what? I was not disappointed. It all started with a champagne reception, wandering around marvelling at the decor which the directors described themselves as modern Asian style meets Shoreditch. There was an industrial, East London edginess with exposed pipes and chains hanging from the tables - but with Manga inspired pop art on the walls and the overhead lighting contained in bird cages.
But enough about the decor (even though I could quite literally talk about it all day!)
Because the real star of the show was the food.
Salmon and shrimp spoon with papaya salad
Soft salmon that melted in your mouth and sweetness from the papaya salad, which gave the dish great texture
Bao buns with crispy tofu and peanut
I didn't think tofu would be so full of flavour, but it was and the crushed peanut added a wonderful texture to it.
Spicy tuna tostada
Compared to the other dishes, this wasn't the prettiest of foods, but it was by far the tastiest. The tuna was cooked to perfection and even though it was spicy and I don't usually do spice, it tasted so good and so right, I went for it!
Vegetable spring rolls with sweet chilli dip
These were hands down the nicest spring rolls I have ever had. I usually find vegetable spring rolls very bland, lacking in vegetable and packed out with cheaper ingredients. These were generously filled with big bits of vegetable which you could see right from the very first bite.
Salt and pepper prawns
These were a good size, not too heavily seasoned, and had that awesome meatiness you get with a larger prawn.
Sweet soy glazed beef
Tender, melt in the mouth, and really more ish.
Yuu Kitchen is now open
29 Commercial St
Spitalfields,
London
E1 6NE
29 Commercial St
Spitalfields,
London
E1 6NE
Go check them out
- Yuu would be mad not to!
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