With the growing number of vegans and vegetarians in our earthy home of Eugene, there ought to be more places like Cafe Yumm. This little nook, tucked inside the burgundy- and butternut-colored Meridian indoor mall on 18th Avenue and Willamette Street, has delicious items sure to please all health nuts. Dishes made to order, goodies from the adjoining coffee shop and take-home treats all burst at the seams with character and flavor.
Cafe Yumm serves its delicacies from a counter that is already overflowing with assorted bonbons to buy and nibble on, such as truffles, ginger drops and sesame nuggets. The menu has many vegetarian options and is based on the cafe’s original dish, a rice and bean bowl. Three sizes of the bowl and variations of the recipe are available, along with soups, salads and sandwiches ranging from plain turkey to garden pesto. The hearty, colossal tofu wrap comes filled with red and black beans, avocado, diced tomato, olives and melted cheddar; it’s sure to satisfy large appetites. A tasty dish to order is the Yumm ‘N Greens plate — a bed of salad greens covered with fluffy brown and jasmine rice, the cafe’s signature creamy garlic-almond sauce, beans, slightly spicy salsa and a circle of tortilla chips. The only flaw in these two dishes is there are too many beans.
Along with the cuisine, the cafe sells a wide array of other items. Cafe Yumm offers its own signature vegan sauce in original, spicy and smoky versions; they also have a line of beans. The adjoining coffee shop, also run by Cafe Yumm, offers classic espresso, organic teas, monstrous pastries and a steamed milk-mango-granola concoction. There is also great service at both food and coffee counters. The employees are laid-back, friendly and seem excited to be working at such a unique, tasty and health-conscious restaurant.
There are two other Cafe Yumm locations in Eugene — at the Oakway Center and at the Fifth Street Public Market. Addresses and hours can be accessed via the restaurant’s Web site, www.cafeyumm.com/.
Cafe Yumm is a great choice for vegans, vegetarians or people who just want great food. Check it out for lunch one day — by the time you leave, you’ll honestly be saying, “Yumm!”