Yum Yum

Yum Yum! This place holds a special spot in my oft drunken heart.
After a long night out (as most nights are in Scotland… if you’re doing things right that is), I would routinely found myself in need of a falafel/​Donner (as one does), but had no idea where to start my quest for greasy nirvana. Now if you don’t know, not all chip shops are created equally; they all lure you in with the heavenly aroma only triple fried meat and potato can make, but few live up to the hype. You could try one of the small ones on Rose Street, or stand in line with tourists on the Mile, but you’ll end up with basically the same level of food; it will absolutely get the job done (trust me!) but won’t leave you super happy. If you’re looking for something that is better than average, Yum Yum is the answer. I personally like the one on George 4^th Bridge, but the other one (which I’ve only been to in a fog, couldn’t tell you the address) was also quite good.
The guys running the place got to know us over the week we were there (good thing… not sure lol), and were very friendly every time we showed up. Walking in, you won’t find a lot of space to sit, which was A-​OK with us, as we were on our way home every time we stopped by*. The place next door (painted red, can’t remember the name), is huge and also smells heavenly… but the guys are rude, the food is meh, and the extra seating allows youths to sit/​loiter for extended periods of time (thanks, but no thanks). Speaking of food, Yum Yum is spot on. I recommend the Donner and chips, but the pizza is good, as are the pies and fish. Seriously, you can’t get hurt at Yum Yum**
If you find yourself out past last call in this amazing city, and need some Donner to soak up some of the party you just drank down, look to Yum Yum for the hook up.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
*Just a side note; chip shops like this should only be visited in the wee hours of the morning, if this is your main stop for lunch you’re doing Edinburgh wrong.
**This is a lie, if you eat here too often you will most definitely die of a heart attack… but hey we only live once right?

This place has moved to George IV Bridge, unless it’s a second outlet as well as the Cockburn Street one. But what you need to know about Yum Yum is that they do the best falafel wrap in Edinburgh.
I realise that that’s a bit like saying that someone is the best blues guitarist in Kazakhstan, but to those of us who love a good falafel wrap, Yum Yum is the place to go, because of the level of service you’ll get. Most people seem to go there late at night in search of lamb-​filled pitas to soak up booze, but I went there on a weekday lunchtime, starving after getting up early with a baby, and I asked for a falafel wrap.
What followed amounted almost to an interrogation into my personal preferences for garnish, but I ended up with the single most delicious (and generously-​packed) falafel pitta (I think he misheard me about the whole ‘wrap’ thing) that I have ever held in my hands. The falafel were crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, the pickled cabbage was sharp, spicy and crunchy, the hummus was earthy and garlicky, the other salads were various, the sauces were perfectly judged and the whole thing was a justification, if you needed one, for never eating meat again. I am not a vegetarian, but on contemplating food as good as this, I’m tempted.

I am indeed a fan– looks like not much from the outside, but it is much more than a late night takeaway and somewhere we go regularly when in Edinburgh as we love felafel and it is close to Waverley station.
They have 10 seats inside, some at tables and others at bar stools. We ordered two felafel portions, but one was a wrap and one in pitta. The spiced onion accompaniments are very tasty, as are the different sauces. Three large felafel are in each portion, which is the perfect size for a takeaway.
The staff are lovely– so chatty and happy to personalise your meal pretty much anyway you like (no salad, tonnes of salad, no lettuce and all the rest of the salad, garlic mayo or hot sauce. you get the idea). They do pizzas, chips, kebabs and burgers but we know it as a good refuel with felafel stop. Tasty and yum yum!

I happened upon this place during the Fringe. I was hungry after my show, I needed falafel inside my face, and I was in the area. It was late in the evening, so Yum Yum seemed like as good an option as any place. The prices are decent, and the ingredients looked fresh, so Let’s Go!
As a vegetarian, I was not tempted by… any of the other options than Falafel, but that’s okay. I don’t think I would have been when I was a meat-​eater either. See, I have a problem with any fast food place that can sell such immense heaps of meat for a few quid. I think of the animals that meat came from and while I don’t care what BIT of the animal is used, etc, I doubt very much that this is free range organic to put it that way. But that’s to be expected from these sorts of places and it’s not something I’m marking Yum Yum on.
The falafel was tasty. Not the tastiest I’ve had, but tasty. The sauces were nice, and the wrap was absolutely full of veggies. I love eating something like that and feel like I’m actually putting a good mix of nutrients into my body. It’s a quick, reasonably healthy fix of energy and it’s tasty! Can you really ask for more?
Okay, you want more? Well, how about sitting inside and enjoying yourself while tourists haul their suitcases up the stairs in the rain, moaning and complaining? All the while not realising that they could have just gone up Cockburn street instead. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it myself!

Yum Yum probably makes my favorite shawarma. But it’s also the priciest of the late night kebab places I venture to and also kind of out of the way (for me at least) so I rarely ever go here.
The staff are friendly and the ingredients taste fresh. Can’t go wrong with Yum Yum, especially after a night of drinking.

As soon as you walk into Yum Yums, it becomes apparent that these guys are running one of the only fresh but fast food joints around.
Sure, pizzas, kebabs, burgers probably don’t typically fit under the ‘healthy’ category, but at least Yum Yum makes them from fresh ingredients — you just need to take a look at the cold display cabinet to know that this lettuce hasn’t been sitting there since last bank holiday. Everything looks clean and the staff are friendly and helpful.
And because it’s cooked fresh, you get to make it how you like it, with as many or as little condiments, sauces, fillings that you like. Plus, the prices for what you’re getting are well below your local chippie — basically, you really get the feeling they wouldn’t try and pass off a deep fried rat as a mars bar melt… nice of them.