Riverplate Steak House Leeds

“A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A TASTE OF EXCELLENT ARGENTINEAN FOOD”.

And it certainly is!

We bought a voucher from Living Social Leeds; the deal was steak lunch for two with a starter each for £25. I’m not typically a steak lover but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good steak.
When my partner and I arrived at Riverplate (With a pram and baby in tow!) the staffs were very warm and welcoming and made a special effort to sort us a table out so we could place our pram next to our table and it was quite busy on a Saturday Afternoon. We sat at the back of the restaurant overlooking the river and it was a beautiful sunny autumn day and the restaurant setting was very warming with a rustic dinning feeling.

The waitress explained to us with our deal we could have any steak up to 300g and on the starters if we decided to opt for their “Famous House Ribs” it would be the small portion.

I ordered the Home-made Chorizo Criollo (£7.95) to start and the 300g Rib Eye Steak (£17.95) to follow, my partner ordered Riverplate’s Famous Garlic Prawns (£7.95) to start and 300g of Fillet Steak (£23.95) to follow, we ordered a portion of Home-made Fries (£3) to share along with a portion of Seasonal Vegetables (£3.70) and a Tomato and Red Onion Salad (£3.70).

When the starters arrived they looked and smelt great, the Garlic Prawns were in a lovely creamy garlic and chilli sauce with a splash of lemon drizzled on top, the prawns were nice and big and went well together with the sauce. My Chorizo sausage was moist and subtlety spiced.

When our steaks arrived with the sides these were certainly not shy portion sizes, I’m glad we actually ordered sides to share otherwise I don’t think we would of finished it all! The steaks were cooked to perfection, medium rare just how we like it and in my opinion how a steak should be eaten. They were so soft and juicy to eat packed with lots of flavour, I have to say though I do prefer the Rib Eye steak for flavour more than fillet but that’s just my personal preference! The vegetables were soft and buttery, the salad was fresh and the chips were amazing! We did manage to eat it all and I have to say we were left very satisfied.

We decided to order coffees seen as we were in no rush to get off and the staffs were certainly not rushing us off to take our table (Which is a pet hate of mine when eating out!). We were handed the menu again and couldn’t help having a peak at the dessert section, well we couldn’t resist and both decided to order a dessert each and coffee to wash it down with. I ordered the Banoffee Pie (£4.95) and a Latte (£2.50) and my partner ordered the Dark Chocolate Torte (£4.95) with a Filter coffee (£2.50). The desserts again were a decent size and sweet and decadent.

Overall we were in the restaurant about 2 hours and our bill came to approx £35 for all the extras we had (Including 3 soft drinks) and I have to say it was well worth it. It was a great relaxing atmosphere the service was excellent and the food was even better! The staff even helped us out with our pram on leaving the restaurant (Via the lift).

I would happily go again (and again!) and would definitely recommend this restaurant, especially for all you steak lovers out there!

Riverplate Steak House
36-38 The Calls
Leeds
LS2 7EW

0113 391 2792

Website


View v1.1 in a larger map

Eastzeast - Riverside, Manchester

After a great night at Manchester MEN watching Peter Kay, four of us left the venue feeling a little hungry. The waves of people took us along Corporation Street. Once we were able to get to a quiet point we stopped to consult Google places. Within minutes of searching Indian Restaurants we were on our way to "eastzeast Riverside" following the directions on the phone. After 5 mins of walking we had found it, from first impressions it looked like a bar on a busy Friday night.

After going inside we enquired about a table for four to which we were told it could be up to a 20min wait. Whilst waiting we took a seat at the bar for a drink. The bar area was nice and airy with an intriguing frosted glass area, which was for private dining.

We were called as our table was ready and shown down stairs. The seating area was deceptively large and busy for the time of night, the decor was nice and even had big palm trees dotted around, which we couldn't work out if were real or not.

Although we had said no to poppadoms they were bought to the table on the house with an impressive pickle tray containing the usual lime pickle, raita, mango chutney but also some not so usual ones like a very testy garlic chutney and a tomato chutney, all labelled on the bottom of the tray.

The starters where brought out very fast, 3 Onion Bhajis (£2.95) and 1 Lamb Chops (£5.95). The lamb chops had plenty of meat on them, they were nice and tender if a little too charred in places from the tandoori oven. The Onion Bhajis were fresh and light but had a very fiery chilli kick to them.

The mains soon followed, I had a Tiger King Prawns Biryani (£13.95) served with a punjabi raita and a hot curry sauce. I could taste the subtle spices in the rice and the sauce complimented it well, another plus to the dish was they weren't shy with the Tiger prawns. My dining guests had  Karahi Gosht Dopiaza (£10.95), Karahi Murgh Tikka Masala (£9.95) which wasn't the normal dayglow orange colour and a Prawn Rogan Josh (£8.95) to which we were asked if we would like tiger prawns or small prawns with the Rogan Josh. As the comment from across the table was "Mmm this is by far the best Rogan Josh Ive had in a while." I just had to have a try. The rich sauce with tomatoes was nice and thick and almost creamy. It was a very good Rogan Josh indeed!

The bill for the four of us came to just under £80. Very reasonable for the quality of the food being served. On our way out we noticed an ice cream and coffee counter so we couldn't resist in having one for the road. The quality and service of the whole place was great from walking into the bar to chilling in the ice cream and coffee lounge at the end. Definitely a great find from Google and certainly worth a visit if your over the Pennines and fancy a good curry.

Eastzeast Manchester Riverside
Blackfriars Street
Deansgate
Manchester
M3 5BQ

Website


Tel:0161 834 3500

Opening Times
Monday to Thursday: 5.00pm - 11.30pm
Friday & Saturday: 5.00pm - 12.00 Midnight
Sunday: 5.00pm - 11.00pm



View v1.1 in a larger map

The Leeds Kitchen By James Martin

Following my post back in February regarding James Martin's new restaurant at Alea casino I thought it would be nice after a lazy Good Friday to see if all the hype was worth it.

With it recently opening  I decided best to book, getting through was easy and spoke to someone straight away, unfortunately I had left it a little late to get the time we wanted but they managed to reserve me a table at 6pm. After a few details for the booking system I received confirmation via email together with a copy of the menu which I thought was a nice touch.

On arrival you need to give your name at the entrance to the casino and once inside The Leeds Kitchen is the first thing you come to. We were given the choice of having a drink at the bar or being seated at the table, we choose the latter.

We were swiftly brought some warm bread with salted and unsalted butter to nibble on whilst we perused the menu. Our drinks arrived fast and were given the choice of iced tap water which the glasses were regularly topped up throughout the meal.

My partner chose Cod and monkfish collops in a vodka and tonic batter cooked in beef dripping with watercress and tartar sauce (£6.75) to start. I struggled to decide between two dishes to which the waitress enquired which they were and give her informed choice. I opted for the Course chicken liver terrine with Black Ale mustard (£6.50). Whilst waiting in anticipation for the starters the waitress brought to the table a wooden tray containing the 3 iconic British accompaniments, Sarsons malt vinegar, HP sauce and Heinz tomato ketchup. The starters came out of the kitchen fast and fresh, both looked lovely. The chicken liver terrine was served with two warm slices of thick crisp toast tucked between a warm napkin and a small quaint  jar of Black Ale mustard. The batter on the cod and monkfish was very light and crisp with the tartness of the the tartar sauce complimenting it well. It seamed a popular choice as most tables seamed to order the dish.

We are both suckers for bellypork so when we saw it on the menu we knew we didn't have to look at anything else and chose the Cured and slow-braised Robinson pork belly with seared scallops and apple (£18.50), with sides Roast leeks with brioche and cheese (£3.25) and Chips (£3.25). Thinking about how hartey the dishes the Yorkshire chef cooks on his TV series and Saturday Kitchen I was a little disappointed when presented with one of my favorite meats. The portion size I felt was a little small verging on a taster menu size.

We still had room for a desert my partner chose the Cox's apple custard tart with Yorkshire clotted cream (£5.75) and I went for my favorite Classic sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce (£5.75). Unfortunately the sticky toffee pudding didn't taste as good as it looked with the sauce tasted bitter and treacly.

The bill came to just over £80 which included a few drinks each. All in all its a lovely restaurant with attentive staff, I just can't help feeling a little disappointed and let down especially compared to some of its competition.

Alea Leeds
4 The Boulevard
Clarence Dock
Leeds
LS10 1PZ

Reservation Bookings: 0113 341 3202

Website

Opening Times
Monday to Saturday 6pm - 11pm
Sunday 12pm - 3pm







View v1.1 in a larger map

Giddy Kippers

A friend a while back introduced me to a little sandwich shop in Calverley called Giddy Kippers. I always try and call in if I'm in that part of Leeds around lunchtime.

The shop is for take away mainly but does have three stools along the back wall for those wanting to eat in. The standing area in front of the counter feels a little tight if there are more than four of you waiting.

They serve a selection of hot and cold sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes and cakes all made fresh on the premises. The sandwich selection is a lot more adventurous than most shops featuring the Italian Club - chorizo, salami, dolcelatte cheese, sweet pickled pepper, green leaves and mayo or the Smoked salmon, cream cheese, black pepper, lemon juice and cucumber.
The sandwiches come on a traditional breadcake or you can choose to have a baguette or ciabatta for an extra 20p. They are all made to order and wrapped individually in grease paper. The sandwiches are top notch but you have to pay top notch prices for them, they start at £2.20 for an egg mayo with most around the £3 mark.

They offer a range of homemade salads from Ginger and chilli noodle salad to coleslaw. I've found the portion sizes for the salads vary massively. Not good when your super hungry and you open your carton thinking it must have come open and some fell out. The cakes on the other hand are portioned generously and the bakewell tart is a must for any frangipane lover.

Great sandwich shop shame they are city centre prices.


Giddy Kippers
62 Carr Road
Calverley
Leeds
LS28 5RH
0113 255 6444
Website



View v1.1 in a larger map

Red Chilli

Red Chilli say they are a restaurant with a mission to enchance your experience in Chinese food, they certainly manage that with the varied menu, they have the standard Chinese dishes but for the more adventurous why not try the Sea Cucumber and Assorted Meat Caserole or the Dry Braised Frog's Legs with Onion, Mangetout, Red Pepper in Big Grandma's Chilli Sauce Stew.
Amongst there accolades they won the Tsingtao Legacy of Taste award for the best Chinese Restaurant in the North of England 2008.

We had visited Red Chilli on Great George Street before and was impressed with the food so thought we would try the lunch menu. They do a Standard 3 course set lunch (£9.00) or Executive Choices (King Prawn, Duck, Fillet Steak or Sliced Cod Fillet) 3 course set lunch (£12.00)

The set lunch consists of Soup, Dim Sum and Main Course. I opted for the Beijing Hot and Sour Soup which was as the name suggests if a little watery. For the Dim Sum course I had Spring Rolls that were lovely and crisp served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. The main course is the choice of Beef, Chicken, Pork, Mutton, Mixed Vegetables, Beancurd or the Executive choices cooked in one of eleven sauces served with boiled or egg fried rice. I had beef cooked in satay sauce with egg fried rice all cooked perfectly. I also ordered a check bottle of Tiger beer (£3.50) to wash it all down.
The portion sizes were just right for a lunch time, I went away feeling full but not stuffed as you sometimes can. Defiantly the best Chinese restaurant in Leeds City Centre.


Red Chilli
6 Great George Street
Leeds City Centre
LS1 3DW

0113 242 9688

Website





View v1.1 in a larger map

Baan Thai

Unless you live in Morley you probably won't have heard of Baan Thai. After several different recommendations we thought we would give it a go and boy we weren't disappointed.

The restaurant is tucked away around the back of Commercial Street with only a small sign directing you to its compact car park, keep your eyes peeled as you could easily drive past and miss it.

The converted mill building has high wooden ceilings, bamboo blinds, original hand carved artefacts and the staff, who can't do enough to make sure your dinning experience is special, wear traditional dresses.

On arrival we were shown to our table and offered a drink, they stock imported Thai beers and wines as well as an extensive selection of European wines and beers.

The menu it's set out in a similar format to most eastern restaurants with main courses categorised into the dish type with about 90 dishes to choose from as well as 3 set menus for those of you who are indecisive.

As there were a group of us we thought we would go for a selection of dishes and share. For  starters we ordered Baan Thai mixed starters for two (£6.50 per person) containing chicken in batter, prawn toast, spare ribs and chicken satay. Deep fried spare ribs (£5.25) and deep fried stuffed chicken wings served with sweet chilli sauce (£5.25). There is nothing healthy about the starters but certainly some of the best around.

For the main dishes we choose stir fried pork with seasoned garlic and white pepper (£8.40), beef massaman curry (£9.10) a traditional dish from southern Thailand served in a medium spicy sauce with potatoes and onions. Chicken green curry with coconut milk, courgettes and sweet basil (£9.00). The green curry is by far the best I've had, a lovely green sauce and moist chicken. To accompany them we had egg fried rice (£2.75) and Thai style fried noodles with mixed vegetables. (£4.15).

If you have room, the desert menu is a bit of a let down with the choice of either ice cream or banana fritters, but if like me the banana fritters bring back a bit of nostalgia and kerb you sweet cravings.

Baan Thai is a hidden gem, if you enjoy Thai cuisine forget the rest in Leeds and give them a try. All the food tastes super fresh and is very flavoursome. If you intend to go on a Saturday make sure you book as it does get busy but it's no surprise why.

They have an Early Bird menu (£11.99) Available from 6-7pm Tuesday - Thursday
& Sundays. Choose a starter and main course (excluding seafood dishes) with either steamed or egg fried rice accompanied with tea or coffee.



Baan Thai Restaurant
51d Commercial Street
Morley
Leeds
LS27 8AG

Telephone 0113 253 5328

Website



View v1.1 in a larger map>

Malmaison Brasserie

With it being valentines day I thought I would treat my fiancée to a bouquet of flowers and a nice meal out. I had heard that the brasserie at Malmaison was putting on special valentines pixe fixe including a cocktail from the bar list for £45.

Keeping with the theme of valentines each course contained one choice which was available to share.

When we arrived we were told our table was ready but was asked if would like a drink in the bar first, as we were both hungry we opted to be seated, with our drinks order taken and offered fresh bread with served with butter and tapenade while we perused the menu.

To start we chose the lobster macaroni, baby spinach and Riesling sabayon to share. It served swiftly on a wooden board between us for us to potion on to our individual plates. The lobster macaroni was served in a hollowed out French baguette. The dish was luxurious and comforting although I didn't particularly like the texture of the bread with the sabayon sauce. For main course we sat eagerly awaiting the fillet of dry aged beef, smoked pommes puree and glazed shallots served with seasonal veg (crushed sweed and boiled new potatoes). We weren't disappointed the beef was cooked medium rare as requested and was so tender. The smoked pommes puree was the surprise on the plate, lovely smoky taste, I'm going to have to try and recreate them at home. The jus complimented the whole dish and the veg cooked just to my liking. For dessert we selected the valrhona chocolate fondant and pistachio ice cream. We told it would be 15 mins as it was cooked to order, this was fine as we wanted time to chat and let the first two courses settle. The fondant was served and was umptiously gooey inside, the ice cream was nice but the chocolate over powered the flavour of the pistachio.

The meal was lovely the staff very attentive. Although the bill for the two of us came to £108 including drinks, we do recommend you go and try it out for yourselves. They strive to keep there produce local which is shown in their cooking, lovely fresh flavours. They often run special promotions the current one I noticed was two courses, a bottle of wine and coffee for two people for £30. Well worth a visit.



Malmaison - Leeds
1 Swinegate
Leeds
LS1 4AG

0113 398 1000

Website