E-resistable - China Town

I was contacted by the guys behind www.e-resistible.co.uk and asked if I would like to try their new service. I was kindly given a complimentary £15 order.

E-resistible is a website that lets you search local take aways by postcode, browse the menus and then place an on-line order with your card. I was told that there was at least 15 take aways in the area available on the site, but when I searched 'Leeds' only 1 result came up. Searching by postcode yielded much better results.

At the moment most of the takeaways are based in the LS6 area, although I have been told more businesses are being added all the time.

I really liked the colour coded icons, showing the difference between Indian, Chinese, and Pizza, and the locations are clearly shown on a map. Clicking on a take away name brings up information and reviews of the take away and a menu. You simply click on the items you want and then the order shows up in the side bar with a running total.

You then enter your details and click the order button. A confirmation email was sent to me when the restaurant had received my order which was reassuring. I didn't really know much about any of the restaurants so I picked one at random.

China Towns menu looked like a fairly standard takeaway menu. I ordered 1/4 crispy duck, lemon chicken (boiled rice included) and spring rolls.

The order came very quickly. I also found with my order a fortune cookie and some prawn crackers. The portions were decent sized, and the crispy duck and spring rolls were tasty. The lemon chicken came served with chunks of pineapple and was barely warm and bit of the chicken were quite dry. It was served with a thin acidic sauce.

Ordering through E-resistible was very easy. If you don't know any local take away numbers or don't have any menus its a great resource. I also thought it would be useful if you are trying to order with large groups of people as the order can clearly be seen on the screen meaning that there wont be the confusion you get when conveying the orders over the phone.

Although I wouldn't recommend you try China Town, if you would like to give E-resistible a try to order from somewhere else you can take advantage of a 10% discount when ordering through the site, valid until 31st Dec 09. Just type the code LEEDSGRUB into to discount box when placing your order.

Order your take away here

Millies Fresh and Organic

I popped into Millies today to pick up some items for lunch. Millies won the Leeds Guide take away awards 2009 and I was interested to see why.

Millies is an interesting mix between health food store, farmers market and gourmet deli. I wondered through the shelves looking at the assortment of organic produce, dried whole foods, herbal teas, and fair trade cosmetics.

At the back of the store I found the take away counter. There was a delicious looking selection of sandwich fillings, cakes and pies. I chose a pork pie made locally by Paxton's. It was very reasonably priced at 99p and completely yummy.

I then moved on to the cheese counter. There was a good selection of cheeses, both from the region and from further afield. I also noticed that there were free range eggs, including duck eggs and freshly made bread and scones for sale.

This is not a traditional take away, but I can see why it has won awards with its fresh, tasty looking soups and sandwiches, perfect for a healthier lunch on the go and to pick up other tasty treats and supplies.

Millies Fresh and Organic
*Fresh local produce
*Organic and whole food staples
*Deli counter and take away

109 Vicar Lane
Leeds
LS1 6PJ
0113 2429 217

Website

Hansas Gujarati

Hansas Gujarati vegetarian restaurant is now in its 20th year and in that time has been building up an excellent reputation and array of prizes for superbly cooked authentic Indian food.

Today I went to sample their food for the first time. There is no formal service on a Sunday, the restaurant is open for just a 2 hour slot between 12 and 2. A simple buffet is laid out with 2 curry choices, rice, poppadoms, some fried snack dishes and a really large selection of cold salad and side dishes.

There was just one waitress who was running around serving drinks, collecting plates and taking the money and there was a couple of kitchen staff, including Hansa herself coming back and forth from the kitchen topping up the serving dishes with freshly cooked items. It meant that there was a really nice, casual atmosphere with customers wandering back and forth to replenish their plates from the serving table.
The curries were delicious, spicy but not too hot, one made with beans and a tomato sauce, the other with chunks of aubergine and cauliflower. There was also little fried potato cakes and cold salads of beetroot, potato, chickpeas, beans, a spicy carrot and apple mix and many others.

For the price of £8.50 you can eat as much as you like from this buffet, which I think is good value and a nice alternative for a Sunday dinner.

All of Hansas food is vegetarian and most of it is vegan. The food is so delicious you really don't miss the meat and it means that the food is a lot healthier than other curry options.

This restaurant really lived up to its expectations... I'm sure I will go back for the evening menu sometime soon.

Hansas Gujurati

*Vegetarian/ mostly vegan menu
*Authentic dishes
*Tasty food

72/74 North Street
Leeds
LS2 7PN
0113 244 4408

Website

Kendells 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 Kendells 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!'

Kendells 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