REVIEW: Yuu Kitchen, Aldgate

Yuu - haha - know when two Aussie's set up a restaurant you're in for a fun night. When those Aussie's are previously of ICEBAR, Nobu and Zafferano you're definitely in for a treat. And that, my friends, is exactly what Yuu Kitchen is.

Opened earlier this year as part of the regeneration of the Aldgate area, Yuu Kitchen specialises in the fun, freshness and flavours of South-East Asia and the Pacific ring. Comic book references and modern-manga pop art bring this refreshingly traditional cooking style right up to date, offering a point of difference against the hundreds of South-East Asian establishments across London.

The menu is decorated with South-East Asian turned London favourites: bouncy bao buns, 7Up-braised pork belly, poke bowls, jalapeño tostadas, pot stickers and so much more. Plus, the open kitchen means you can chat with your chefs while they prepare these delicious dishes! I also love the fact that wine, bubbles and beers are all on tap, creating a casual vibe for all-night feasting! 

We began with pardon peppers which were slightly sweet from the yuzu dressing  and could have done with a little more salt. Alex then enjoyed a bowl of chicken wings which were really tender with a salty and sweet sauce. The wings were not too sticky even though covered in sauce and remained crispy - no mean feat

Next we tucked into spring rolls. The chicken and pork spring rolls had lots of different flavour profiles with a slight aniseed touch from star anise. Sadly there was slightly too much salt. The veggie spring rolls were filled with rice noodles sweetcorn and shiitake and enoki mushrooms then wrapped in salad leaf with shiso, coriander, Thai basil red onion and chilli with zingy chilli dressing. YUM!

The scallop and prawn dumplings were sweet yet meaty and worked excellently with the black vinegar. There was also a peppery finish from cracked black pepper on the top. Contrastly, the butternut squash dumplings were served with a dulce de leche textured sesame sauce. The flavour was sweet and warming, with a creamy texture to the filling. The small sweet corn kernals gave a little crunch.

Our highlight dish of octopus was cooked for 50-60 minutes (depending on size of octopus) then soaked over night in sake, mirin and soy then soaked. It is then finished on the Big Green Egg. The topping salad of red onion, baby coriander, normal coriander and red aramath and dressing of garlic and ginger brought so many flavours and textures to the dish, but the octopus was never overwhelmed. The meat was perfectly tender, basically the best octopus ever, and not at all tough to chew. 

Alex's dish of Iberico baby back ribs, marinated low and slow in 7Up, ginger, garlic and five spice was also finished on the Big Green Egg. The meat simply slid off the bone and was, in his words, just mmmmmm.

Gosh, we really ate so much! We opted for two types of bao: the wasabi mayo with soft shell crab wasn't too hot at all but sadly really overwhelmed the delicate crab and I could hardly taste it. The pork bao had the crunch of peanuts which worked brilliantly against the soft bun and tender pork, with subtle hint if chilli  to end.

Finally we ended with a dish of aubergine, caramelised and served astonishingly hot. The sugary flavour actually worked nicely with the melting, soft texture of the aubergine. Our final dish of Kobe fish was served with green beans and shiitake, then finished with hot sesame oil. The green beans had a nice crunch, the fish a firm texture (almost cured and similar to seared tuna) and the dressing was very light. 

What can I say, we really went for it at Yuu Kitchen! I would absolutely thoroughly reccomend you going RIGHT NOW. The chef is an absolute dream (sit up at the bar for chats) and the food is exceptional. Yuu Kitchen currently host a range of deals and offers with more coming in the new year. You can check them out here: http://www.yuukitchen.com/yuu-promotions/

Thank you Yuu Kitchen for hosting this review. All opinions and images are my own. 

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