In our home, on any given day, if you should ask where we should go for supper, the answer will be YuMe, please.
This from a 6-year-old who has picked up with ease the knack of using chopsticks because of his visits to our sushi heaven, YuMe, a Japanese restaurant at Montecasino.
You would not expect that my son would appreciate sashimi or any of the other offerings on the menu, but you can give full credit to YuMe for his appreciation of the art form that is sushi. We have not had a poor meal there.
Fresh fish and interesting sushi combinations put them a slice above the rest. We take friends there and those who don’t eat sushi are happy to try the cooked options.
Let me take you through my regular order. First up are four portions of tuna rolls. Two for me and two for my wife. Trust me, you can’t order one to share, the craving has to be satisfied. The tuna roll is a perfect combination of rice wrapped in tuna, topped with a few dollops of mayonnaise covered in chilli oil and finished with slivers of chilli. Not for the faint-hearted, it packs a punch of heat, but it has to be the most divine combination. The heat doesn’t singe your tastebuds, so you can eat other delights that come floating by.
On to the next delight. The sweet prawn toast is a firm favourite. It is a toast round with a prawn topping, dipped in crumbs and deep fried. Small in looks but big in flavour.
The Hong Kong Pears are next up. They each look like a mini deep-fried pear, but when you bite into them, there’s a chicken centre engulfed in a potato coating. It is a taste of greatness. Somehow the chefs at YuMe get all their dishes done right the first time, all the time. We have yet to send something back to the kitchen.
Another deep-fried option is the calamari tubes tempura with a cream cheese filling. YUME! But we are here for sushi, so moving along …
The kudu carpaccio is an interesting combination for the more adventurous. It’s a combination of smoked kudu with figs, cucumber, naartjie and Parmesan. You have to try something new every time you eat somewhere new. It keeps your palate educated.
My son’s favourite is the tuna sashimi. It is served with slices of avocado and a shot glass of soy sauce over a bed of slashed cucumbers. It is always fresh, cooling and refreshing.
If you are a lover of dim sum, you will be in potsticker heaven. The chicken, ginger and spring onion dim sum is a must. Also be sure to try the prawn, celery and spring onion – you won’t be disappointed.
There are not too many dessert options, but with the Kawasura rolls you don’t have to look at the other sweets.
It is a spring roll filled with strawberry, hazelnuts, and dark and white chocolate, and served with ice cream. Every bite is a treat, the combinations work so well. You have to end your meal with this dessert.
Beware, there is nothing cheap on this menu. It may seem cheap to pay for each plate, but it all adds up. What I can say is that it is definitely worth it. There are specials on a Monday and a Tuesday.
There are also branches in Parkhurst and at the Clearwater Mall.
YuMe Montecasino
Phone:(011) 511 0169
Shop 57B
Monte Casino Entertainment Complex