Yum Som restaurant review
Yum Som
1-6 Leadenhall St, EC3V 1PP
WHAT? A recently opened Asian fast food restaurant serving up giant salads, grab and go boxes of meat and tofu noodles, as well as subs, soups, sushi and those neat little rice paper rolls.
WHERE? It’s on the corner of Leadenhall Street and Bishopsgate, by everybody’s favourite towering glass wedge.
WHO? Yum Som has been launched by Ed and Tom Martin, whose collection of restaurants across the city also includes the nearby Botanist. The store’s interior has been designed by Russell Sage, who has previously worked on Dishoom and City Social’s cannily furnished innards.
ORDER THIS… If you’re charging around Leadenhall with no time to spare, pop in and grab the Tofu Yoyo. What sounds like it might be a bit of bean curd tied to the end of a string is in fact something else entirely: a hearty and well-packed to-go box stuffed with soba noodles, avocado, cabbage and, well, tofu. The Super Yum salad box brings together kale, red cabbage, edamame, and avocado on a rice noodle base, with a fresh and zesty orange kick.
BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? There are a few tables here for those who have time to stick around, but Yum Som is a busy and informal little diner. Best to grab a few things to take back to the office. Chopsticks make a great gesticulational aid in the boardroom, after all.
NEED TO BOOK? It’s not that kind of place, sunshine. Just rock up and get fed.
THE VERDICT… Huge takeout boxes ensure you won’t go hungry after a Yum Som lunch. And for the recently health-minded, you’ve got the choice of cold pressed juices and smoothie bowls.
ONE MORE THING… If you missed breakfast, try the Shao Bing sandwich (pictured), an omelette in flatbread, filled with either aubergine, smoked bacon, spiced prawn or chilli pork.