Review of 'Yellow River Cafe (NOW CLOSED)'

This is the restaurant owned by the television chef Ken Hom located just a bit to the north of most of the other Islington restaurants. I visited on a Saturday for a pre-theatre meal (on weekends they are open all day but only during meal times during the week). The interior is very modern with a colour scheme of red, black and silver. The wooden floor and metal chairs does make the room very noisy. The chefs prepare some of the food on some grills just beside the rather small bar. The menu is fairly small offering some typical Asian dishes as well as some “fusion” cuisine. To start you receive complementary prawn crackers which are very spicy but quite tasty. I began my meal with the Tom Yum soup which I found very spicy – perhaps TOO much so as I could barely taste anything else (including the tremendously overpowered prawns). Next I opted for the main, imaginatively named, “prawns and scallops” which is what it says on the tin: With very little flavour and a modicum of sauce (which I was careful to make most effective use of) to accompany this I made the mistake of ordering the “Yellow River 'firecracker' rice” which was decidedly lacking in any flavour (except the occasional pepper). For pudding I opted for the pancake and vanilla ice-cream (which was very good – particularly the flavourful ice cream). All in all I was quite disappointed with the food though the service was very good (and friendly). It could be the time I visited but I was not entirely inspired by the rest of the menu (though the “Ken Hom's fillet of beef” looks appealing).

Rating: “Not great, but not the worse”

Review Date: 2006-06-10


Cuisine: Chinese

Address: 206 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1RQ

Public Transport: TUBE Highbury & Islington

Location: London (England) - Islington

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Telephone: 0207 354 8833

URL: http://www.yellowrivercafes.co.uk/