I have somewhat mixed feelings about making a post for Yummy Yummy because it’s not super busy (as compared to its neighbor, San Tung) and I vastly prefer it. That said, this board has given me a lot, so…
Yummy Yummy is open from 10 AM - 3 PM and 5 PM - 8:45 PM every day except Thursday. In my opinion, they have the best pho ga (chicken pho) in the city proper. The noodles come slightly underdone but rapidly cook in the broth – this is not a leisurely sip and chat and nibble bowl of soup. Get the bowl, add the condiments (the obligatory cilantro/basil/lemon/jalapeno), and make friends with the noodles. Then, having tamed my hunger and tempted my tastebuds, I can appreciate the broth: bright with notes of white pepper and fish sauce, floral and sour and herby from the condiments, not super collagen-rich but deeply flavorful and satisfying in its own way. I find the shredded chicken to be more of a textural component than anything else, as most of its flavor has already been extracted into the broth. If you’re not too hungry, you can order a small; if you want to double down or share with a friend, go for the extra-large.
Another top hit for me is their Salt and Pepper Squid. The squid comes ever-so-slightly battered, piping hot, and shatteringly crisp – make sure to rearrange the pieces on the plate after it arrives to not let the steam soften buried pieces of squid. The salt and pepper flavors come through nicely, with a bit of chili and fish sauce; to be honest, I don’t know whether I prefer the squid or the stir-fried onions in this dish, with their strong onion-y flavor broadened by the savory seasoning.
If I’m feeling the need for vegetables, I’ll get the Shrimp Salad, which is mostly shredded cabbage, carrots, and basil, with a few pieces of poached and butterflied shrimp on top and some shrimp crackers/chips on the side. It’s served with a sweet/salty/sour dressing (of which I usually use half) and has a delightfully crunchy texture.
I’ve also had the rice plates (good to great), the fried rolls (good), the fresh rolls (good to great), and the lemongrass chicken plates (great), the bo bun hue (good), the beef pho (good but hard for me to judge), and the wonton noodle soup (good to great but not super deeply flavored wontons).
Minimum for credit cards is $20. They deliver on Grubhub. They might take reservations, but I’ve never needed them.
