Cardiff’s food scene has just added something completely new, with the opening of Umi, a South Chinese cross bridge noodle hotpot restaurant on Churchill Way. Tucked away underground, it feels like a little slice of Yunnan brought straight to the city.
Umi is run by a mother and daughter team and is the first restaurant of its kind in Cardiff. The focus here is on authentic cross bridge rice noodles, a dish that works very differently to the hot pots most people are used to. Instead of adding ingredients one by one, everything goes into the pot in a set order. By the time the final topping is added, the dish is ready to eat. It is quick, comforting and full of flavour.
You start by choosing your broth base, including a rich golden pickled broth, then pick your noodles and add any extras you fancy. The result is a steaming bowl that is ready to slurp straight away, with no waiting around.
Alongside the noodles, Umi also serves a small selection of classic Yunnan style dishes. Think pig’s ear salad, pork bites and crushed cucumber salad. They come with a gentle heat and plenty of flavour, making them ideal to share alongside the main event.
Yunnan cuisine is shaped by the region’s rich biodiversity and its many ethnic minority cultures. The food is known for being mildly spicy and sour, with herbal notes that can feel surprising in the best way. Everything on Umi’s menu is made in the traditional way, using ingredients imported directly from China.
Once you’ve finished eating, the experience does not stop there. Guests are invited over to the tea table to try a selection of fine Chinese teas with Helen, the resident tea lady. Each cup offers something different, making it a lovely way to round off the meal.
From the food to the atmosphere, Umi feels genuinely authentic and unlike anything else currently in Cardiff.
You can find them at 22 to 24 Churchill Way, CF10 2DY, or follow them on social media at @umi_cardiff.
