Set back from the busy High Street in a beautiful converted school, with a Buddha in the quiet front garden and twin sets of stairs leading enticingly to the front door, Yum Yum Thai exudes a lot of class from the first moment. The large room is divided by carved wooden panels.
Firstly there is the bar area, which is subdivided into a private raised area and couches in front of the bar. The main dining room is divided in two with a huge number of tables with leather banquettes, dark wood tables, pink walls and lots of Thai statues. This is a far cry from the crowded, comfortable neighbourhood favourite I remember from a few years ago. Yum Yum has been reborn as a fabulous ‘destination restaurant’. But its not in Chelsea, or Fulham or Chiswick or indeed anywhere you would expect a joint with this level of design intelligence. Its in Stoke Newington. That’s right, Stokey. Not even Islington. The crowd is excitable, the room positively buzzes on a Saturday night and you know that people are having a good time. And why wouldn’t they? With a fabulous array of cocktails to sip while you wait for your table with exotic fruit nectars and spirits its hitting the mark before we’ve tasted a thing.
The problem is after a twenty minute wait, not the five to ten minutes we were promised on arrival, I’m a little annoyed. I start to suspect that more thought has gone into the ambiance than the experience.
Finally, we are seated, in the middle of the room, I ask to be moved to a quieter table on the side and while surprised, the waitress does so. Quite a lot of empty tables when I’ve been waiting for almost half an hour. No mind. The menu wipes away my irritation. So many choices – there are old favourites like Pad Thai with a huge selection of vegetarian options (pumpkin curry, aubergine hot pot) but we decide to balance out the new with the familiar and order squid with chilli & lime, kwah soy (noodles with coconut and spices) and a som tum (green papaya salad). About 10 minutes later the food arrived. All of it. 10 minutes.
This massive room which is only about 70% full (but with at least 30 people waiting for tables) and the food arrives in 10 minutes. The noodles are terrific covered in a creamy, spicy coconuty sauce with gentle aromas of lime and a sweetness giving the full spectrum of Thai flavour. The som tum is hot, but not so much to make your eyes though tiny, about a handful for £6. The squid is distinctly chewy and so-so. We finish up, I contemplate dessert, and we wait for someone to come and clear the table so we can see the menu which I know has a fondant as the couple next to us appear to be enjoying. And we wait, and wait and wait for someone to notice us. Another 20 minutes, with dirty plates piled up on the table.
The waiters are setting up tables to put punters on but no one seems interested in us. So we decide to skip dessert and eventually hail someone to ask for the bill. I know I sound like a whingeing hag, but we thought the service was absolutely shocking, they need to sort out their staffing levels (and competency) and learn to time the delivery of food.
Maybe I wanted too much of a cosy night in an environment now geared toward statement dressing. I feel like the elements are all there for an establishment that might live up to the promise of its décor and I will return at some point, maybe. Or maybe Ill just keep getting the takeaway.
Yum Yum Thai Restaurant
183-187 Stoke Newington High Street
Stoke Newington
N16 0LH
Tel. 08713320374
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