Yougot, Pedistrian Northern Chinese

A restaurant that had been on my radar for a few months was Yougot, a Northern Chinese spot with a wide and fancy menu full of my favourites growing up. Unfortunately when I initially arrived the restaurant was closed for renovations and continued to be so over the next few weeks when I continually went for a visit. Having lost interest at that time, Yougot faded away in my memory until finally I saw the neon fluorescent open sign! Subsequently texting anyone available for a quick meal, I grabbed a colleague and ran down to Yougot.

Clearly the renovations were due to a change in ownership as the menu I was expecting (and saw on Zomato) was completely gone. Instead Yougot features a simple array of finger foods and bowls of noodle and meat soups. While initially upset at having a completely different expectation of my meal, there was enough here to get warmed about. For starters they serve an array of kebabs, ranging from the usual beef to strange varieties like chicken gizzard or heart. Next are a few dishes simply named "staple foods" which actually are the noodle soups. And finally a few options for cold salads that should work to compliment your main meal. A simple menu that is fairly restrictive in its options, but should be enough to keep most happy. Note sorry for the poor quality photos as to the lighting was subpar here!

Every table received this Seaweed Salad as a freebie starter. A Chinese favourite, the dish simply takes boiled sea kelp and serves it cold with a soy marinate. The kicker here is the addition of chili oil to the dish which helps blend a nice spicy contrast to the decidedly bland kelp. A topping of peanuts acts as a textural crunch to finish off the dish. Not bad for a freebie!

Feeling a bit limited by their menu, we felt obligated to try something off of their starters set and decided on Lamb Kebabs and Honey Garlic Chicken Wings. Although very plain looking, the lamb was actually well done, perfectly cooked and dusted with a cumin based spice mix. The chicken wings however were less impressive with only a slightly hint of honey or garlic flavour and meat that resembled that of freezer quality chicken.

Seeing every other table order this Rice Noodle made up our mind quickly. The dish gives you the option of two meats and two vegetables and is served in a huge clay pot to keep the entire thing piping hot during the meal. We opted for beef slices, fish balls, yuba and enoki mushrooms. The key here was the herbal chicken broth that had a bold and deep chicken flavour which served as a nice contrasting flavour to the tender rice noodles. A huge pot bursting of flavour makes this an excellent option for those hunting for something warm in the winter.

Yougot is a mixed bag of Northern Chinese cuisine. While the rice noodle dish was great there is very little else here to suggest should someone not be in the mood for that particular dish. And while it is tough to fault a restaurant for having a limited menu, it felt too restrictive to warrant a recommendation.