This new diner brings a taste of Japan to Chennai

If you’re craving a taste of Japan without leaving the city, then you might want to visit You Mee, a Delhi-based franchise that has opened its first outlet in Chennai. We recently embarked on a culinary journey through Asia at this vibrant diner, where the manga-inspired décor instantly set the tone for an immersive and inviting experience.

First up was the appetiser. We ordered the Tangy lotus stem, and it was undoubtedly the best one we have had in a long while. The crispy-fried lotus stems were glazed with tamarind and palm jaggery. The best part of this appetiser is that it is crispy yet soft and soggy at the same time.

With a variety of sushi flavours available there, we were spoilt with choice on what to order. Fortunately, the diner had sushi platters, where one can choose from three to 12 types of sushi from the menu. We ordered a mix of veg and non-veg varieties.

The You Mee garden dragon, one of their signature sushi rolls, had a refreshing and subtle taste in the mouth. Credits to the tempura-fried asparagus, avocado, and spicy mayo in the sushi. This is perfect for people who prefer a simple sushi with only a few ingredients.

However, our favourite was the Spicy chicken katsu. With a crispy, karaage-fried chicken roll topped with mayo and togarashi pepper, this sushi roll was delectable, leaving us to have more of it.

We also tried their Prawn tempura roll, a dish featuring shrimp (ebi) and crab, both coated in a light, crispy tempura batter and deep-fried with cucumber and mayo.

To elevate the lunch experience, we had their Ginger pineapple frappe on the sides. We loved its distinctive taste of both ginger and pineapple combined, with an added fizz in it.

Apart from sushis, You Mee is also known for the dim sums it offers. We tried their signature and one of their most recommended one, New York cheese & chilli oil dim sums. The cream cheese, button mushrooms, and water chestnut made the dish a softer variety of dim sums. Topped with chilli oil, it was less of a dim sum and more of a meltable treat—perfect for cheese lovers.

While going through the main items in the menu, we stumbled upon an interesting dish, Drunken noodles. The idea is that these noodles taste so good that you’ll feel drunk after eating them. While we cannot vouch for the second part of the statement, it definitely tasted delicious. Slightly spicy, this hawker-style rice noodles was tossed with red chilli, fresh basil, and herbs. It became our favourite dish in no time.

The final treat of this culinary journey arrived at our tables in the form of Coconut & palm jaggery pudding, a Japanese- style soufflé made with coconut milk.

Meal for two: INR 1,400. 11 am to 10.30 pm. At Express Avenue Mall, Thousand Lights.

Email: apurva.p@newindianexpress.com

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