16th August 2008
Nice atmosphere, mediocre Thai food
Yum Yums is situated in a beautiful listed building just around the corner from Church Street on Stoke Newington High Street. The restaurant is large inside, nicely decorated and when full is quite lively. It's a nice place to go for a meal with friends or on a low-key date.
Compared to the range of other options in the vicinity (Turkish, Indian, Seafood) the food is rather overpriced (2.50 for prawn crackers) and fairly bland, as far as thai food goes. The seafood Tom Yum contained some nice meaty pieces of scallop, prawn and squid but the broth was insipid and the seafood felt like it had just been thrown in at the end. At odds with another reviewer, I felt the classic Pad Thai was greasy with overcooked prawns and beansprouts and no crunchy peanuts to be seen. Similarly, the scallops with basil and chili was a waste of perfectly good seafood. The sauce tasted grainy and cheap.
Service was average, though our party was largely left alone towards the end of the meal and we felt in no way rushed out the door. Meal for three with starters and one bottle of wine came to £80.
If you are looking for fresh and beautifully cooked Thai, this is not the place to go but does provide a comfortable option for an average meal.