Yauatcha
Yauatcha, Soho, London
There are some venues that lend themselves naturally to al fresco dining. the De Beauvoir Arms, my local, is one of them. At 3.30pm on a Tuesday you can find patrons basking in their collective freelance glory, shoving their very free freelance freedom in your face while you’re nipping to Tesco for a tin of tomato soup.
On the other hand, a dark, moody, dim sum restaurant smack bang in the middle of Soho doesn’t exactly spring to mind.
Yauatcha Soho - the dim sum mainstay in question - is recognisable to many as the original location of the now global brand, which opened in 2004. Having twice visited this former Michelin starred haunt, which offers authentic and modern Cantonese cuisine, I was intrigued to see how the restaurant - which has occasionally struggled under the weight of its stuffy and unapproachable air - would fair in an outdoor setting.
The vibe.
Bar the fact we were sitting on the side of the pavement, I’ve struggled to pinpoint the exact vibe of the Yauatcha “terrace”. No really, we were in the street, because there’s nothing more inviting than being atop a gutter and seeing a Tuk Tuk driver hop off his bike and piss in a pop-up urinal outside The Ivy Brasserie.
At least it was more welcoming that the interior, which we all agreed made us feel a little homesick. It had that A&E clinical ambience which only really lands with an abundance of candles. Trouble was it was 2.30pm and going to the toilet felt more like a visit to Wetherspoons to pick up your phone from the night before.
Outside was a refreshing experience, watching the world go with a glass of wine in my hand was nourishing, and I enjoyed seeing Soho bustle with life once again. This was especially poignant considering just a month before our visit, central London had been a ghost town. Similarly joyful was our waitress, who was an absolute riot, making my family feel comfortable while walking us through a menu that was similar in length to War and Peace.
The food.
Which brings me on to the food, the ordering of which was absolutely no fun thanks to my sister. The military operation to kill Bin Laden probably had more levity as I was instructed to open the notes app to make clear references to which dishes we would like and how many.
One particular highlight - which I’ll be dining out on for months - came courtesy of a hidden dish. As we were fumbling our way through ordering, I delivered the classic ‘is there anything you’d recommend?’, to which the waitress responded with a recommendation of a dish that wasn’t on the menu. She didn’t have to ask me twice.
The dish in question, a fragrant coconut battered squid, was the first of a sea of dishes that exploded with flavour. Tray after tray of perfectly cooked dim sum arrived, each with a clear identity and flavour profile, showcasing the very best of Yautchua’s extensive Cantonese menu.
While the classics were great - sesame prawn toast, crispy duck rolls etc - the real stars of the show were the dumplings. My sister, on very good authority it turns out, insisted on ordering two of the prawn and bean curd cheung fun - a multilayered dumpling which combines succulent and sweet prawns with crunchy bean curd all wrapped up in silky rice noodles.
They were to die for, and after devouring my body weight in those, as well as soft, fluffy char sui buns, we couldn’t possibly have eaten another mouthful.
Until we did could, ordering three mains at the suggestion of our exuberant waitress. Kung pao chicken, stir fried rib eye beef and garlic pak choi rounded off our meal. I can’t say I remember too much about them, but that’s likely due to the amount of rosé that had been consumed.
The verdict.
As we approach the end of the UK’s venture into alfresco dining, it turns out that with a few layers and a bottle of wine, outdoor dining can work anywhere, regardless of cuisine or how much the pavement smells like urine.
The removal of the austere and occasionally pretentious nature of Yauatcha’s interior image gave this mainstay of Soho a fresh new buzz that let the great food speak for itself. I hope this energy is taken forward as Yauatcha moves indoors.
Was the food stunning 4/5 - Some standout dishes
The vibe 4/5 - Devoid of any vibe, which perhaps was the vibe - discounting the urinals
Scream factor 4.5/5 - Did I mention that we had a squid dish that wasn’t on the menu!
Pricey? Yes, great for when the parents are in town
Would you recommend to someone you just met at a party - Yes, and you MUST get two portions of the prawn and bean curd cheung fun