Kendalls Bistro

This should have been a review for Anthony's but unfortunately I didn't realise that for a table at the weekend you should expect to book 3-4 weeks in advance. Maybe another time then!

So when racking my brains for a suitable alternative I remembered that I was yet to try Kendalls Bistro. This little restaurant is a French style bistro, a romantic candlelit space (hence the slightly dark photos), with a tongue in cheek nod to its Frenchness by means of a bicycle and strings of garlic for decoration and the obligatory Toulouse Lautrec posters on the wall.

We decided to go for the early evening 'Tea Time' deal, available from 5.30 - 7.30, which offered 3 courses and 1/2 bottle of house wine for £21.95. The dishes are all straight down the line classic French... Onion Soup, Escargots, Porc Normandie, Coq au Vin et cetera.

I had the Roquefort, pear and walnut salad to start. The salad was beautifully presented. There were only small chunks of cheese, but the little explosions of flavour were enough to balance with the flavours of the salad leaves and pieces of nut. A simple dish but perfectly done.For the main course I had the chicken with stuffed with spinach with a tarragon sauce. Like the starter, the food was simple and well cooked, with all the distinct elements detectable, but combining into a well balanced dish.

The creme brulee pudding was creamy and rich with a perfect crunchy top, a classic done just as it should be.The staff were efficient and friendly, and as the restaurant is adjacent to the WY Playhouse, we were even asked when we arrived if we had to be out in time for a theatre performance. Its the little things like this that makes you feel like you are really being looked after.

The food and atmosphere were fantastic, and the Tea Time deal represents really good value. As I have said in the past, this kind of all inclusive deal is great if you are dining on a budget as you know the price including drinks is capped before you even sit down. It is also a great way at eating at somewhere really special that you may not otherwise be able to afford.

My Mum noticed this on the board as we left... what more can you ask for?
'Two chefs make all the food from scratch each day - SOLD OUT = FRESH FOOD!'

Kendalls Bistro

*Unpretentious good food
*Warm, relaxed atmosphere
*Good value Tea Time deal

Kendells Bistro
St Peters Square
Leeds
LS9 8AH

0113 2436553

Website

River Plate

I have been to River Plate on two previous occasions once for 'Home for Tea' and the other time for their 3rd birthday party/ menu relaunch, but never for a proper meal. This week I got the opportunity when I went with a group of 5 friends to dine.

There is no hint from the street what the restaurant might be like inside. You enter through a glass door and up a small staircase into the restaurant where you are instantly struck by the tantalising smell of grilled meat.

River Plate is housed in an old warehouse and the character of the building is retained with bare wood floors and brick walls, wooden tables and wicker chairs. The dining room is light and spacious and from certain points there are views over the Aire (alternatively if you take a seat at the back of the room you can watch Piranhas swimming about in their tank!).

Not surprisingly for a steak house the menu is based mainly on... steak, although there are a few classic Argentine dishes if you fancy something different. There is a good selection of starters, including mussels, chicken wings, and cheese based dishes. I had the chicken wings which were beautiful and tender and served with a fresh chimichurri sauce.

For the main event I chose to have a 225g (that's almost 8oz) rib eye steak, served rare. I debated about adding a blue cheese sauce to the order as I was concerned that the strong flavour would over power the meat, but I'm glad I went for it as it was delicious and was great for dipping the chips into. The side order of chips were crispy and light. The steak was perfectly cooked, with a sweet flavour and melt in the mouth texture.
For pudding I had vanilla ice cream laced with whiskey and decorated with 2 wafer straws filled with a boozy chocolate filling. All of this was washed down with delicious Malbec wine, served in huge glasses.

To cap it all we found that the service was warm and friendly and very efficient.

The food at River Plate is not what you would describe as 'budget' the bill including wine worked out at just under £40 per person. The steak alone was about £15 and the addition of sauces, and sides (necessary as the steak comes all alone on its plate, with only a sprig of parsley to represent a salad garnish!) meant that my main course came in at around £20. This does on the face look expensive, but then when you consider the quality of the meat, the fact that the food is cooked to perfection I think it represents reasonable value. (Also bare in mind that a rib eye steak meal at a Harvester will set you back £12, and there is no guarantee it will be cooked properly.)

River plate its a special place, which with the price may have to be saved for special occasions, but its worth it as the food and atmosphere is faultless.

River Plate

*Exceptionally good steak
*Great atmosphere and service
*Worth the extra cost

36-38 The Calls
Leeds,
LS2 7EW
0113 391 2792

Website

Breakfast at Anthonys Piazza

We decided to go out for breakfast in honour of my birthday. I chose Anthony's piazza as the venue. The brunch menu here is a bit more than a cafe, but not unreasonable with the prices starting at £1.95 for toast and jam up to about £8 for a full English.

I had the Eggs Benedict, which was made with a slice of brioche, and bacon topped with 2 eggs and the most delicious hollandaise sauce. I washed it down with a Bloody Mary. Liam had a Full English, with a pot of tea and extra toast, because to his disappointment that wasn't included with the breakfast.

The food was all delicious, especially the hollandaise which was really rich and buttery. I was interested to see what the service was like, as I have heard that it can be a bit iffy at the Piazza. It was absolutely fine but then we were the only people there (which is a shame, I miss the buzz of the old Corn X) and I also noticed that the staff looked a little scruffy, shirts not tucked in and straggly hair, like we had caught them all by surprise by coming a little early!This was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect breakfast in a beautiful building. The bill for 2 came to about £28, a bit on the flash side, but wonderful for a treat.

Piazza by Anthony

*Beautiful Building
*Wonderful Food
*Shame it wasn't busier

The Corn Exchange
Call Lane,
Leeds,
LS1 7BR
0113 2470995

Website

Cafe Create, Leeds Parish Church.

I have often seen the Cafe Create signs as I have walked past the Leeds Parish and Holy Trinity churches, so today I decided to pop in and take a look at the Parish Church cafe.

Behind the grand heavy wooden doors I found the entrance to a small, modern looking cafe. I chose a bowl of lentil and bacon soup with bread, a mug of tea and a piece of rocky road cake. I was told that the soup and cakes are all made fresh at Create's central prep kitchen.

The bowl of soup was huge and came with 2 chunky slices of bread. It tasted like all fresh home made soups do: hearty and delicious. The mug of tea was also enormous. Including the cake, the bill came to just £3.95.

My meal went down all the better knowing that Create provide jobs, training and opportunities for disadvantaged and homeless people in the city. The cafe is staffed by volunteers with the profits being ploughed back into the charity.

The primary reason to visit Cafe Create should be to enjoy the delicious, good value food on offer, but it is always nice to think that eating cake is contributing to charity. Whilst you are there, take a look around the Parish Church, its a truly beautiful building.

Cafe Create

*Home made food
*Stunning surroundings
*Supporting a good cause

Leeds Parish Church
Kirkgate
Leeds
LS2 7DJ

Create Website

Grub Excursion #15 London- Cha Cha Moon

When I was in London I took the opportunity to meet up with an old Uni friend for tea. She suggested we go for dinner at Cha Cha Moon.

This is a little noodle restaurant located just off Carnaby St. Like many other oriental restaurants you sit on long bench seats. There is low atmospheric lighting, and an open kitchen.

The menu has an interesting mix of noodles, soups and stir fries. The range of dishes is completely different to anything I had ever seen, which is explained by the blurb on the website: 'Cha Cha Moon... goes beyond noodle pop culture and in to the soul of regional Chinese cooking'.

I had the Crispy duck lao mian, the noodles were delicious and the duck was perfectly cooked and crispy. The spring rolls were very average, but the chicken dumplings were really special.

The bill for 2 of us including drinks was only £26, which is a bargain for a delicious dinner, especially in central London.

Cha Cha Moon

*Cool Noodle Bar
*Reasonable Prices
*Excellent regional dishes

15-21 Ganton Street
London
W1F 9BN
020 7297 9800

Grub Excursion #15 London- Neal's Yard Dairy

I do love cheese, and so no visit to London would be complete without going to Neal's Yard Dairy. This shop sells cheese mostly from the British Isles.

This place is a wonderful cheese shrine, with all the cheese stacked in huge blocks on the counter. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable, and will quite happily stand and chat with passion about the cheese whilst letting you try sample after sample after sample.

I bought chunks of Colston Bassett Stilton, Gubbeen, and Flower Marie sheep milk cheese, all totally delicious and all fairly priced.

Anyone who appreciates good cheese should make sure they visit this place, even if its just to experience the wonderful smell in the shop and to reassure yourself it's quite normal to get excited about cheese!

Neal's Yard Dairy

*Wide selection of British cheeses
*Passionate, knowledgeable staff
*Reasonable prices

17 Shorts Gardens
LONDON
WC2H 9AT
020 7240 5700

Website

Grub Excursion #15 London- Paul A Young Chocolate

After asking for suggestions for places to visit on Twitter, @chocablog and @nalsa both recommended that I visit the Paul A Young shop for chocolate. Looking at the website made me remember that I had seen Paul before on TV, and that made me really want to go try his chocolate for myself!

I visited the branch at the Royal Exchange on Threadneedle St. Its only a tiny little shop with the chocolate laid out on trays to one side. There was also a pan of wonderful smelling hot chocolate bubbling away on the counter.

The assistant in the shop was really helpful suggesting flavours. He told me that all the chocolates are made fresh by hand by Paul himself, making me realise that £13 for a box of 9 was actually pretty good value considering the quality and care involved in their production.

The chocolates were presented in a sturdy little box and wrapped with a ribbon. I also got a chocolate pecan brownie.Needless to say the chocolates were amazing, wonderful flavours, and shiny beautiful chocolate. My favourite was the Sloe Gin variety, that was just genius!

The assistant told me that they needed to be eaten within 7 days... no danger of them ever lasting that long.

I'm definitely coming back here next time I visit London.


Paul A Young Fine Chocolates

*Beautiful handmade chocolate
*Traditional and alternative flavours
*Top quality treat or gift

20 Royal Exchange,
Threadneedle Street,
London
EC3V 3LP
020 7929 7007

Website