Cambridge Street Collective: New eatery Kyoyu opens in the rooftop of Sheffield food court - and it’s rather special

Cambridge Street Collective is of epic proportion, furnished with long tables lined with stools. Despite being on three levels and home to four bars, a range of eateries, a cookery school, and a play area, this place is always packed out on weekends. Sometimes it’s standing room only.

We sent our reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin to try out their latest foodie offering.

From fancy egg muffins to dirty fries, bubble tea, and hearty Palestinian and Malaysian grub, this place has it all. There’s a children’s play area, photo booths, and an AR darts room.

It really does feel like I am being catapulted back to my travels in Southeast Asia with all of the state-of-the-art quirks and the incredible aromas. The only problem with any large social venue is once it fills up it can be hard to chat with friends. I do however enjoy such good grub in these informal environments.

Blend - the company behind Cambridge Street - has now launched their latest, more formal, offering for people craving something a little different on the top floor called Kyoyu.

Kyoyu literally means “sharing.”

This place is based on the concept of sharing experiences with friends and loved ones. The tables are large, suitable for groups but more plush and spacious than the standard food court. There’s a BBQ grill in the middle of each table as well as ample room to place food and plates with windows overlooking the lower food court.

At Kyoyu, food is a fusion of the Korean grill with Japanese sushi, poke bowls, and Southeast Asian-inspired small plates.

I couldn’t get over the amount of vegan and vegetarian options there are as well as gluten-free on request.

I had a vegetarian grill menu and my parents had a Chef’s Special platter of freshly made sushi to try. My dishes included succulent roasted aubergines in a soy glaze, lotus and sweet potato chips, bean curd, and a tasty vegan steak. The chef pre-prepared these dishes with seasoning for me to place on the grill.

It was delicious. Each bite was jam-packed with flavour.

I love the sociable experience of grilling at the table. My daughter, aged one, loved the sticky rice, miso soup, and bean curd to chew on.

The only thing missing was a cup of Japanese green tea to wash it down.

My parents devoured the sushi with the masterpiece being the Steak Signature roll with melted cheese caviar. All the dishes had been freshly prepared in the open kitchen.

You will want to share an experience here but like me, you may have second thoughts about sharing delicious food.