Cafe Yumm! opens in Salem. My yummy! review.

I'm pretty sure today was the Grand Opening of the Cafe Yumm! restaurant at 2755 Commercial Street SE behind the French Press creperie and coffehouse. (Details here.)

I saw a tweet from EatSalem that Cafe Yumm! was open.

So after my Tai Chi class in downtown Salem finished about 6 pm, I eagerly headed home down Commercial.

My wife and I are huge fans of Cafe Yumm!

In November 2011 I blogged, 'Visualize a Cafe Yumm! in Salem, Oregon." 

Hey, my 2007 "visualize" blog post about Trader Joe's worked -- Salem has a store now. So I'm turning my New Age powers into manifesting a Cafe Yumm here.

Must have worked. Since they're here.

First impression upon walking in was very positive. Nice clean modern look, not suprisingly very much akin to the Cafe Yumm! in Bend that we eat at every chance we can.

I had no hesitation in ordering. Always get the same thing, the Southwest Tofu Wrap with a whole wheat tortilla. 

I memorialized my first Salem wrap with a photograph of the take-home receipt before I opened the box.

The Southwest Tofu Wrap was just as good as every other time I've eaten it. I realize that most people aren't vegetarian, like I am, and don't enjoy tofu as much as I do, which is a lot.

Still... give this wrap a try. It's terrific. (Meat-eaters also will find a lot to like at Cafe Yumm!)

Kudos to the Salem Cafe Yumm! staff for getting the crispness of the tortilla and composition of the ingredients just right.

Believe me, since this is what I always get at Cafe Yumm!, I am an expert in the ways the whole wheat tortilla can go awry. Not so much to make the wrap unenjoyable; just enough to make it difficult to eat.

Too crisp, and the wrap tends to fall apart when I bite into it. Too soft, and it is difficult to hold the wrap together (it is substantial; lots of avocado, tomatoes, greens, tofu). A few times it's been way too juicy, leading to the need for numerous beard-cleaning napkins. 

Not this time. This wrap was perfect.

As soon as I bit into it, I realized how much I'd been missing my oh-so-lovable Southwest Tofu Wrap. It just makes me feel so good! As did walking into the newly open Cafe Yumm! I felt like finally, Salem has what Bend, Eugene, Corvallis, and Portland have: a Cafe Yumm! 

We're just as cool as they are! (Well, my thinking wasn't quite as delusional as that.)

My order-taker was friendly and competent. With nobody behind me in line, we had a pleasant conversation about vegetarianism, the OK-ness of eating fish, and the evils of factory farming. I was pleased to see quite a few people dining in the restaurant on a first-day Monday night.

Cafe Yumm! is quite roomy. Larger than it looks from outside. There's another seating area in a nook to the left of the front door.

Great addition to Salem. Thanks for coming, Cafe Yumm! I don't know who is responsible for getting the restaurant open. Whoever you are, my wife and I are deeply grateful to you. We'll be frequent customers.

Almost forgot... I also brought home two tempe skewers, with a tasty dipping sauce. Makes a quick and easy vegetarian meal with a tortilla or rice. Cafe Yumm!'s tofu skewers also are good.

Comments

[Susann Kaltwasser]

You forgot to mention the address
2755 commercial Street SE
Located in Candalaria Crossing, just south of Life Source

and I see on the menu that for us carnivores they have chicken and turkey dishes too!

[Brian Hines]

Susann, address and other info is in the first paragraph "Details here" link. But thanks for mentioning the address. I'll edit the post.

Yes, Cafe Yumm! is yummy for carnivores also. Plus, they're over 50 percent organic. So healthy for both meat-eaters and vegetarians.

[ScanStan]

Eating fish disqualifies one from being vegetarian. The clumsy pescatarian label applies for those whose only animal flesh consumption comes from fish.

I agree. The arrival of Cafe Yumm is great for South Salem.