I’m not huge on Asian cuisine but this past week I got a craving to eat some Ramen. My craving probably had something to do with the fact that I was sick and I didn’t want to eat traditional soup to help myself feel better. It was a Monday and it kind of surprised me that MOST places for Ramen were closed. I had to wait until after 4PM to get some good ramen around here (shame on you, Charlotte). On my list of Ramen places, I had Yume near the top. Yume opened up back in August and had a decent amount of buzz going on for itself. Honestly, I just never made time to go try it out after their grand-opening but I’m also a firm believer in not reviewing a restaurant until after they have been open for more than 3 months. This allows restaurants to get the kinks out and get their recipes juuuust right.
Anyways, I was sick, I wanted Ramen, and I got it!
Arriving at Yume I noticed how much parking sucks. Yume is located in the SouthEnd neighborhood and sits right on a corner street (so ya can’t miss it) but parking leaves a lot to be desired. You can try to park in the small lot they have right behind but I wouldn’t bet on that every time. Walking in, Yume is very cute and comfortable. The restaurant has big and wide windows which allow a lot of natural light in. The decor is clean, modern, and homey.
 
I sat at the bar and was greeted by their bartender, Shawn (or Sean). He was super duper friendly, knowledgeable, and gave me great recommendations. If you’re at their bar you should ask for him, he knows what he’s talking about.
I kicked off this review with a cocktail because duh, who would I be if I didn’t? Here you see a “Plum Rose” cocktail which is more of a light and re-freshing cocktail because it contains either wine or champagne (I forget, and if I’m wrong please let me know).
For starters, I tried out the Octopus Hush Puppies (they are ONLY $5 on Mondays from 4-6PM) and immediately fell in love. I’m naturally not an octopus person but the octopus here was not too chewy and was actually flavorful and crunchy. It’s deep fried and drizzled with sauce. If you’re on the fence about an appetizer here, try the hush puppies.
Next, I got their Tori Ramen which comes with chicken broth, pork, corn, seaweed, sesame seeds, and a soft boiled marinated egg. Overall, I would eat this ramen again but there were some things I liked and disliked. The broth was good a bit salty for my liking but still good. The meat had a hearty meat flavor which I really enjoyed and would eat again. When it came to the corn, i’m not sure how I quite feel about it. Imo the corn didn’t add any value to the ramen in terms of tastefulness but maybe texture wise. Last but not least, the soft boiled marinated egg. I’m not an egg person that much but this egg y’all… THIS EGG WAS PERFECTION. I have never ever ever in my life ate an egg that was so good. This egg was packed with sweetness and creamy, oozy, perfection.
I guzzled the ramen down but I still made room for dessert (don’t ask me how) and I asked Shawn to pick out a dessert of his choice. He came back with a red bean ice cream. I’ve never had red bean ice cream before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Red Bean is an asian flavor and i’m still not quite sure on how to describe the taste, except that I will get this same dessert next time I go back. The flavor isn’t too adventurous that even someone that loves vanilla ice cream could enjoy a red bean scoop.
All in all, I enjoyed my meal at Yume and I’m already planning on heading back getting some more ramen, octopus hush puppies, and for sure trying out their sushi. If you’re in the South End area I recommend giving them a try!
Xoxo,
Wynee
