Youeni
259 Old Northern Rd
Castle Hill, Sydney
It's an odd name - Youeni. Is it Latin? Is it a new superfood? Is it someone's name? No to all three. We asked and were told it's believed to be a mash up of the words you and I. We would probably not have picked that without being told though. Needless to say, it's a memorable name and a conversation starter! Youeni has two locations, the newer Castle Hill where we were and Surry Hills. The philosophy here is whole fresh foods done with flair. Yes there are cooked dishes and bland is not a word used to describe their food.
Sir liked the sound of the berry, almond and brown rice pancake. To be honest, he liked the sound of the berries and pancake the most but decided to give this new-to-him combo a go. It was described as raspberry lemon cashew cream, mango, strawberry, blueberries, rhubarb, toasted coconut, almonds, coconut yoghurt, crunchy bits, flaxseed, calendulia flowers and coconut nectar. It basically sounded way too healthy for him - but it turned out to be so pretty and very tasty. The colours popped off the plate and it had a great mix of flavours and textures.
Mlady went for the village salad and a side of smoked salmon. This dish changes daily so she had to ask what was in it - but she'd basically made her mind up to get it anyway. The salad arrives dressed so if this is an issue for you - ask what the dressing is first. The dish had texture and flavour and was massive. She struggled to get through it all - but of course soldiered on like a trooper and did!
We had a couple of drinks of course. Unusually we steered towards juices this time. Maybe it was because it was later in the day or maybe it was because of the whole "healthy food" buzz there. Who knows - but they were good though.
They sell there own coffee blend here too - and it seemed popular. They also do a roaring trade in take away coffee - so it's clearly a focus here. The tables and chairs fit the space well and there's also a secluded upstairs areas to sit in as well as an outdoor area too.
Youeni is popular in the hills area and people travel to go here. The food is healthy and has visual appeal and big flavours. We left full and very content!