Yum Yum in my tum tum
Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday August 2, 2022 06:00
At inception they served ice cream, tea and coffee. The current owner bought it in June of 2021.
She decided to craft a new menu that could sustain the business through all seasons, which I believe was an excellent move as Batswana aren’t generally inclined to see ice cream as a first option during the chilly winter months.
Aunty Poppy, as the kids who visit the shop affectionately call her, is a well-travelled individual who is also a foodie. This is how she decided to bring Asian Cuisine and Fries served with an amazing homemade Hot Sauce made by Rati, onto the menu as her way of capturing her clientele.
This is understanding the business landscape and navigating correctly. My son, 10-year-old Leboko approached the establishment to get us this review a few weeks ago and so he took the lead in conducting the interviews with owner and one of the service leaders, Lala.
His little brother, six-year-old Shalom, also got an opportunity to ask Lebo the other service leader, questions. It was a fun excursion as well as a learning experience for the both of them as they had to write short notes.
Before this review, I had always seen the Yum Yum branding but not gone inside. It is, however, very bright, colourful and attractive and has always caught the kids’ attention. I am as happy as the kids to have had a Yum Yum experience! They are so unique in that they are the only restaurant selling Thai Roll Ice Cream. And oh my goodness...The noodles!!!!! They are served in a wok box and are as authentic as noodles can be. Their fries are served using miniature forks, which is quite a fine touch. These small details make for an unforgettable presentation.
A regular customer passed by while we waited for our food, we were told he loved the chips, he smiled so hard I had to ask him what I should expect. Di monate!!! He said. What makes them so good I probed? A re the sauce.
The chips are indeed very addictive, very reasonably priced and yummy. They are crispy, and a generous portion. The sauce was served on the side as I wasn’t sure I could handle the heat but I got into it. I found myself quickly looking for another opportunity to come back very soon. Back to the Yummy noodles. An authentic taste of China. They have Beef Chow Mein and Vegetable Lo Mein.
I couldn't have discovered these at a better time as the Chinese restaurant in the neighbourhood recently closed down. I am saved! They are the real deal as they possess all the flavours and numerous oils that give Chow Mein ‘that thing’. Ke gore monate ole wa teng.
We of course were looking forward to trying their best seller; Roll Ice Cream. The ice cream is rolled in front of the customer and it’s quite an interesting process. One can’t help but watch it from start to end in complete awe. It looks simple and at the same time it is evident that it is a skilful craft. Balancing flavours, textures and most visually exciting, the different colours that go into each tub.
A popular choice is chocomess flavour and the name says it all. It’s lots of chocolate, its sweet and is absolute messy goodness. If you are a chocoholic, this one’s for you.
Leboko thought it tasted phenomenal and couldn’t get enough of how he was spoilt for chocolate goodness choice. Razzle Dazzle is very popular amongst young ones. It’s colourful, with a raspberry sauce that has a ‘lil zang’! Almost like those popping sweets kids love that seem to have a burst of sherbet like powder. Garnished with frosties, Shaloms eyes sparkled as he gazed at his order.
He said it tasted like a circus..lol. I laughed about this because he has only ever seen circus acts on telly, unlike his older brother who has been to the last Boswell Wilkie that was by GSS grounds...kante ba ile kae le bone? I tasted both the kids’ ice creams and got myself a Morning Call, which has coffee as a main ingredient.
One thing I found to be constant with all of them was that they were balanced, obvious flavour, not overly sweet and big portions. YUM YUM ka monatenate! Make sure to pass by the corner shop with the Yummy treats.