Taste the world, whilst at work!

At Quorum Park we pride ourselves on the quality and range of the on-site amenities we offer so that staff and guests alike are never short of lunch, snack, takeaway and even evening meal options. You can even order directly from the Quorum Park app so your taste buds won’t need to compromise, even if you’re short on time!

But with so much choice, it can be tough to know what to go for. So, in the first of a two-part series we asked Samantha Lade, a content and copywriting officer from qualifications provider NCFE, which is based on the park, to sample some dishes from Umai Mi Bento Box and tell us what she thought. Here’s what she had to say.

“Umai Mi is a fantastic choice for those looking for fresh, flavourful food at Quorum Park.

“As a hybrid worker based at Q6, it's an option I love when I'm working in the office. From hot bento boxes to chilled sushi burritos, I always find there is something here for everyone – whatever your fancy or dietary requirement!

“For example, sushi burritos offer eight different fillings, from meat and seafood to veggie.

“On my lunchtime visit I opted for the tofu yasai poke bowl. It was filled with sticky rice, crisp vegetables and layers of tofu. It had such an authentic and fresh taste to it, was incredibly filling, and also met my personal preference of being a plant-based dish.

“This bowl is definitely a favourite of mine. Plus – you can choose either small eat to go with your large portion, offering even more choice from both a price and an appetite perspective.

“Another great thing about Umai Mi is that all allergens are displayed clearly in store, and most dishes can be tailored to suit these needs.

“In future, I'm keen to try the evening buffet on offer from Umai Mi as this sounds like a brilliant option for a post-work meal one day – perhaps to celebrate a colleague's birthday, or even just as a treat!”

Umai Mi, which is named in honour of the Japanese words for ‘delicious’ and ‘taste’, is one of four permanent units serving a wide selection of food and beverages on the park every day of the week, and we get additional visits from many a street food vendor too.

Its traditional hot bento boxes combine rice or noodles (or chips if you’d rather go non-traditional) with a flavourful large protein of your preference (shredded beef, sweet and sour chicken, chicken curry, tofu and vegetables, or chicken katsu), tailored to your liking with curry, sweet and sour or tangy barbecue sauce, along with a small eat made up of your choice of vegetable dumplings, samosas or spring rolls, or for the carnivores, fried chicken wings, chicken balls, or some chicken and prawn toast.

Designed as a healthier alternative, there are eight poke bowls to select from, three seafood, two veggie and three meat, and your base can be either sushi rice or a crisp Asian-inspired salad, with Japanese mayo, spicy mayo or sweet chilli sauce. Gluten free and vegan meals are also available, and for those in a rush, the ‘Grab-n-Go’ fridge stocks some of the venue’s favourites, pre-made to take away.

A selection of hot and cold drinks includes standard and low-alcohol beers, green, herbal and rice teas, coffees, hot chocolates and chilled soft drinks, and you can follow the team on Instagram or Facebook.

Part of the Nudo Leisure group, Umai Mi is currently recruiting for takeaway drivers and new team members to work in its kitchen, as well as at front of house.

It’s all-you-can-eat licensed buffet is served from 4.30pm to 9pm each day from £14.95 for adults, £8.50 for children, and an infant price of just £2.50.

Next time, we’ll be sharing some dishes from Circo Italian to whet your appetite, so watch this space.

And don’t forget, you can keep up with Quorum Park news and events on our Facebookor LinkedIn pages, on X at @Quorum_Park or on Instagram, and you can call The Hub on 0191 691 0889.