Yume Kitchen, Cotham Hill

Yume Kitchen
9 Cotham Hill,  Bristol,  BS6 6LD
http://yumekitchen.co.uk


I have seen Yume Kitchen pop up all over my news feed recently and with a hankering for katsu curry, I decided to check it out.

Booking was easy, a quick email to the team which was answered politely and quickly. Getting there was also easy with the Wessex Red bus service dropping us off at the top of Cotham Hill.
Our reserved table was right next to the front counter with a direct view into the kitchen through the serving hatch, just the right seat to see everything going on. The restaurant has a relaxed café/bistro feel with a number of tables at street level and then some extras downstairs. We arrived at 8pm and there was a steady stream of custom throughout our time there. It was a bit of a mix between table service, counter service, eat-in or takeaway. We were completed boxed in at our table so had to assume table service would be forthcoming which it was!

We had decided to try and share a variety of dishes that took our fancy so we selected the chicken katsu curry, chicken teriyaki, beef yakisoba, potato korokke and chicken gyoza. I also warned the staff of my mushroom intolerance and they were great, suggesting an alternative "side" for the chicken teriyaki as the stir-fry veg it normally comes with included mushrooms. We didn't order anything from the sushi and sashimi menu as we didn't fancy it, but seeing the wonderful plates coming out of the kitchen I might be tempted on a return visit.

Our food arrived hot and fresh out of the kitchen in the order it was prepared so everything was piping hot. The chicken teriyaki came with a seaweed salad instead of the stirfry vegetables and all the dishes were delicious, our favourites were the katsu curry, the gyoza and the korokke with the latter two being so steaming hot we needed to wait before attempting to eat!

We were sat in a prime seat to watch the kitchen and the front of house. There were frequent confusions over orders; which I think comes with being so busy, but each time I could see it was sorted swiftly and without fuss. There was a table which complained about a wait time of 45 minutes which was hard to understand with how swift the service was but the staff jumped straight in and jiggled a few orders around to make it work!

Overall, we had a great time. The service we received was good, the food excellent and the bill reasonable for how stuffed we left. I can really only compare to places like Yo! Sushi which rely on conveyor belt gimmicks but over-priced for the small portions. You pay more a plate at Yume Kitchen but for double the food.

I would be happy to visit Yume Kitchen again and seeing as they are open from 12noon until late it would be a perfect stop for early dinner or lunch whilst out and about. We will be back!