White House Café, Otley Chevin

I wasn't going to bother blogging this. It was a hiking pit stop where I ate a cheese and beans toastie and drank a pot of tea. Oh, and a can of Irn Bru. To give me strength.

Photo credit

I changed my mind because it turns out the café is run as a social enterprise, providing gainful employment for people with learning disabilities. I could be way off the mark, but that sounds like exactly like the sort of enterprise that needs a subsidy, is going to lose its subsidy in the foreseeable future, and needs more custom to justify its existence to the bean counters.

Whatever their funding status it's worth a visit regardless, especially if you're having a tramp round the forest park. There are picnic tables on a terrace looking out over Otley town astride the Wharfe in the valley below, and the toastie wasn't half bad for £1.50. Yes, £1.50. Including green salad, potato salad and coleslaw.

Cheaper than chips, grand scenery, friendly service and noble intentions. What more do you want?

7/10

The White House
Otley Chevin Forest Park
Otley
Leeds

Fish&, Leeds

There's a bit of a fledgling street food revolution going on in Leeds at the moment. This is one London food fashion that I'm more than happy to see heading up the M1.

Right at the heart of the city centre, in the pedestrianised area around the junction of Commercial Street and Lands Lane there are now three mobile food units. Delizza pizza (not bad for the price) has been there for ages, but has now been joined by a burger/hotdog stall (has anyone tried it?) and by Fish&.

If I'm honest I got off on the wrong foot with Fish&. I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to fish and chips, so their marketing spiel of 'not like fish and chips as you know it' and 'fish and chips with a twist' didn't really chime with me. Provided it's done properly I like my fish and chips exactly as I know them, and don't think they need a twist. They were getting rave reviews on Twitter though, so I thought I ought to look past my prejudices and give them a try.

On my first visit I only wanted a light lunch, so ordered the mackerel bap (£3.50). They were very busy and the ordering system seemed to be getting a bit chaotic, which resulted in my order somehow being forgotten or misplaced. After a gentle reminder I eventually got my bap, but after a wait of over 15 minutes. At this point I wasn't feeling much love for the place.

But god it was good. So simple but so effective. A very fresh mackerel fillet, griddled until just cooked through and the skin crisped, lemony mayo and good quality bread. I absolutely adore mackerel, but only when it is really fresh like this. It turns really quickly, going rather pungent and fishy in no time at all. Given the success of my mack-bap I thought it only fair that I pay another visit to sample the fish and chips.

This time I turned up during a quieter moment and there were no service problems at all. You can still expect to wait, but that's a positive point because everything is cooked to order. Haddock (sustainable Icelandic) and chips this time (£5).

Once again the fish was the star of the show. Each order deposited into the fryer is timed using one of a series of stopwatches. This attention to detail really pays off, as it was the best piece of haddock I've eaten this year. Cooked until just flaking, the flesh was beautifully sweet and moist. The batter was much thinner than the chip shop norm, providing no more than a delicate casing for the fish. I chose the traditional batter by the way, the twist being provided by a lemon, lime and chilli alternative. I remain unconvinced, but perhaps I'll give it a try.

Chips were nice, but I always find those fried in vegetable oil (which Fish& uses) to be a little lacking in flavour in comparison with dripping fried chips. I can't comment on the peas because they don't do peas. Can we have peas please?! On the drinks front they've got Ben Shaw's pop, the only sensible choice for the discerning Yorkshire chippy proprietor.

So ultimately they won me round for one very good reason: the fish is excellent. Recommended.

8/10

in the middle of Commercial Street
Leeds
LS1 6EY

Tues-Sat 1100-1800

http://www.fishand.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fish/262355588765?sk=info

A Leeds Pub Crawl

Leeds isn't as obviously blessed with great pubs as Manchester, but there are plenty of them out there if you know where to look. With a little bit of time and effort you can fashion a very good pub crawl.

Here's the route a friend and I took last night, taking in Holbeck and the lower end of the city centre:

The Adelphi
The Grove
The Cross Keys
The Midnight Bell
(The Hop)
The Scarbrough Hotel
Leeds Brewery Tap

We started out with some superior bar snacks (pictured) and a decent IPA in the Adelphi. Chorizo, sweet potato chips, and humous. All very good, and priced fairly at £10 for the three plates. Onwards to The Grove, there's a bit of a walk involved here but walking's good for you so stop complaining. I'd recommend a shortcut through the Asda car park.

The Grove is a slightly down at heel pub, with a traditional multi-roomed interior and a wide selection of beer on cask. Recommended beer snacks: Seabrooks crisps and pepperamis. Mine's a fire stick please. The Grove also has this armchair, which I love:

Next up, a Holbeck double whammy: The Cross Keys and the Midnight Bell. Both fairly upmarket, both in interesting old but modernised buildings, and both with large terraces, perfect for a sunny August evening. If you happen to chance upon such a thing that is, if it's cold and rainy like last night I'd suggest staying indoors where it's cosy and warm. We enjoyed table service at the Cross Keys, very continental and perfect for the lazier gent. They also had some Stinking Bishop and various other cheeses on offer, a return visit for a cheese and beer evening may be on the cards.

In theory The Hop would have been next, but we didn't actually bother as the music was very loud and we're old men who want to sit in a quiet corner supping mild, complaining and playing dominoes and that. I like The Hop in Wakefield more anyway.

Through the dark arches and thence to the Scarbrough. Does anyone know why it's spelled incorrectly? One of three Nicholson's pubs in Leeds (the other two being the Victoria and the Palace), it's a bit dark and dingy, but satisfying in a proper pubby sort of way. There's usually a reasonably varied selection of beer on too.

Finally it's up the steps to the Brewery Tap, our second Leeds Brewery pub of the day. Handily positioned for the last train home. Or some noodles from Wokon. Or a dirty kebab from Hot Stuff. We did none of these things, getting a lift home and no takeaway. Strangely the thought of doner meat is making me hungry right now, even though it's one in the afternoon and I'm not drunk. I'm off to get some lunch...

Seoul Kimchi, Manchester

My kitchen is out of action for most of this week as I'm having the whole room re-tiled, walls and floor. That seemed as good an excuse as any to eat out last night. As if I needed an excuse. I was transpennine for work, so thought I'd hang out in Manchester for a few hours.

Seoul Kimchi is one of (I think) three Korean restaurants in Manchester, the other two being Baekdu and Koreana. I've been to Baekdu a couple of times and enjoyed it, but haven't made it to Koreana yet. Seoul Kimchi is very much in the casual cafe style with a little counter seating area as well as tables, perfect for the lone diner.

The menu covers most of the Korean classics, as well as a few Japanese dishes. I opted for the beef bibimbap. It wasn't advertised as a dolsot bibimbap, but happily it turned out that it was. If I've lost you at this point, bibimbap is a dish of rice topped with assorted vegetables, meat and an egg. You throw in a large dollop of chilli sauce of some sort (often Gochujang) then mix everything up together before eating it. A dolsot bibimbap is one served in a searing hot clay pot, which results in a layer of crunchy, chewy rice bits forming at the bottom. This really lifts the whole thing, in the same way that the pan stickings from the bottom make a paella so wonderful.

This was a decent bibimbap, perhaps a little stingy with the meat but with a good selection of vegetables, perfectly cooked rice and a nice runny egg yolk. Certainly a superior fried rice. Not the most refined version, as the more upmarket ones tend to come with raw meat and a raw egg yolk that just gently cook in the heat of the bowl, but damn good for the price especially as that included the Banchan.

Banchan are the little side dishes, usually of vegetables, that accompany most Korean meals. I know that aficionados of Korean food will tell you that banchan should be provided free of charge with any main meal. This is apparently the norm in Korea, but often not the case in the UK.

As an aside, providing any little freebies seems to be anathema to a lot of British restaurateurs. To my mind, they're missing a trick here. Charging a few quid here and there for bread, olives and kimchi may add a bit to the bottom line at a pretty good margin, but people often find it irritating when there's an expectation it should have been provided at no extra charge. The goodwill generated by restaurants with the generosity of spirit to include a few little extras goes a long way, and surely feeds through to the bottom line eventually.

I can think of a Spanish restaurant whose generous hand with the shots left us staggering about after a long, boozy dinner, or the Turkish restaurant where a basket piled high with the most wonderful bread is replenished at regular intervals, or the tapas bars in Madrid where a big saucer of fat, meaty olives is shoved across the bar with every drink. These are the places that stick in my memory, the places I'm likely to return to, and those where I'll spend more of my money in the long run.

This is what I really liked about Seoul Kimchi, the inclusion of these little extras. At the more than reasonable prices charged I wouldn't really mind if they did cost extra, but they don't.

Three little platters, one of refreshing, lightly pickled cucumber. One of kimchi, quite mild but still addictive, and one of vegetables in mayo, a bit like Russian salad. Bit strange this last one, no idea whether this is a common Korean side. There was also a bowl of umami-rich miso soup.

An additional side dish (paid for this time) of prawn gyoza were good. Crisp, thin skins and a juicy filling. A very juicy filling in fact, so much so that it squirted all over my trousers. I'm not quite sure what was in there other than prawns, I think it was egg and vegetables in a very light stock. Tasty whatever it was.

Service was pleasant and efficient, and the bill came to £12.30 including a mug of green tea. Excellent value, and worth a visit despite the out of the way location. Unless you work at the University or Manchester Royal Infirmary, in which case it's across the road so why not pop in for lunch tomorrow.

8/10


275 Upper Brook Street
Manchester
M13 0HR

La Bottega Milanese, Leeds

Back in February I reviewed the original branch of La Bottega Milanese which is located down the bottom end of town on The Calls. I enjoyed the food but didn't try the coffee.

Two things have changed since then, firstly I've developed a taste for coffee. My aversion to caffeine has disappeared and I seem to be craving a cup of the good stuff with increasing frequency (maybe aversion has morphed into addiction). Secondly, and more importantly, a new branch of La Bottega Milanese has opened up in The Light. It's a good time to be developing a coffee habit in Leeds, with a number of high quality openings in recent months, not least Laynes Espresso and now the new Bottega.

At the moment they are offering a special deal where a fiver will get you a slice of savoury tart, a cheesecake and a coffee. Not exactly the healthiest of lunches but I'm easily persuaded.

The vegetable tart (I think it was advertised as tart, rather than a quiche anyway) was pleasant but nothing special.

Coffee and pudding were excellent though. A capuccino was well made, the coffee having a good roasted flavour. I love that they provide a little glass of iced water with every hot drink too, presumably just as you'd get in Milan. It's a great idea as I always feel a little dehydrated after drinking coffee, and a few sips of iced water make all the difference.

There were several different cheesecakes to choose from, most of them fruit flavoured. I chose the exception, pecan nut. It was quite dense but not at all heavy going with a lovely caramelised, nutty flavour.

There's a good selection of ciabatta sandwiches too, and prices are reasonable, particularly for the coffee which is cheaper than in any of the major chains.

On the subject of the major coffee chains, people really do need coaxing away from them and into smaller, independent places like this. It was very quiet in La Bottega even though it was prime lunch time (I arrived at about 12.40pm). Afterwards I nipped down the escalator to see how business was in Starbucks. It was far, far busier.

People of Leeds, please get the hell out of Starbucks and give your custom to one of your local coffee shops. You'll almost certainly get a better product for less money. If you're in the vicinity of The Light go to La Bottega Milanese.

Oh, and the rooms done up all nice too. Bright and airy. And they won't inflict really tedious music on you like Starbucks do.

8/10

La Bottega Milanese
The Light
The Headrow
Leeds
LS1 8TL

http://labottegamilanese.co.uk/

Leo's Fish Bar, Manchester

Fish and chip quest continues. I've walked past Leo's hundreds of times and wondered if it might be a contender, so after imbibing some splendid but rather alcoholic brews at Port Street Beer House a couple of Friday's ago I thought I'd pop in. As well as takeaway there's a fairly large restaurant with table service.

The fish was fresh and tasted good, but was a little overcooked. I wasn't convinced by the batter though, it was very hard and crunchy, sort of reminiscent of the stuff Chinese restaurants used to serve up for dessert. I half expected it to be doused in syrup and encasing a banana.

Good chips though, crisp outer and nice creamy innards. Equally good peas, sloppy and properly made.

Service was rapid and friendly, and prices reasonable. Cod, chips, peas and a soft drink was around seven pounds. Cheaper to takeaway. I wouldn't rush back but it's worth a shot if you're in the area.

6/10

12 Oldham Street
Manchester
M1 1JQ


http://www.leosfishbar.com

A few good things to eat (volume 6)

Here's another round-up of things I've enjoyed eating in recent weeks.

Quiche, Blacker Hall Farm Shop, Wakefield

For reasons I won't go into here I'm not the biggest fan of Blacker Hall Farm Shop, but I do like their baked goods. I'm particularly partial to a fat slice of their quiche lorraine. Quiche lorraine is a bit of a misnomer really. As far as I know the classic version of this dish is made from white shortcrust pastry, with a wobbly, eggy filling and not even any cheese. The Blacker Hall version is made from wholemeal shortcrust pastry, with a filling that seems to be about 80% cheese to 20% egg, studded with fat, salty chunks of bacon. More of a cheese and bacon tart, it's savoury heaven. Whatever you want to call it, it makes a cracking good lunch washed down with a bottle of Fentiman's ginger beer.

http://www.blackerhall.com/

Liquorice ice-cream, Yummy Yorkshire

After your quiche, how about an ice-cream for afters? I'd heard about this stuff, and wasn't convinced that liquorice was a good idea for an ice-cream flavour. I was wrong, it was very nice. It wasn't the best textured ice-cream I've eaten, being a little grainy, but the flavour worked really well. The prominent taste was of sweet, dark caramel with just a subtle hint of the herbal, aniseedy notes of liquorice.

I bought mine at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.


http://www.yorkshiremilk.co.uk/ice_cream.php


Yorkshire chorizo, Paganum

Another product I've been meaning to try for a while. Chorizo made in the Yorkshire Dales, from Yorkshire pork.

I have a love-hate relationship with chorizo. Most of the time I love the stuff, but the quality of the pork is really important. At the top end of the scale, chorizo made from acorn fed iberico pigs is absolutely delicious. The deeply flavoured flesh and silken, creamy fat makes it very, very moreish. In a sausage with such a high fat content, I think it's actually the quality of this fat that's key.

At the bottom end of the scale, I actually find some cheap chorizo's quite offputting. Rather than silken and creamy, the fat is sickly and metallic tasting. It really does make all the difference. A prime example of the crap stuff is Tesco's cooking chorizo. I had it for breakfast and over half was left on the plate untouched.

I was really hoping that the Yorkshire chorizo would be in the moreish camp, and it was. Not quite up there with the finest Spain has to offer, but pretty damn good. I had it for breakfast with eggs, tomatoes and sourdough toast (pictured above). The plateful was wolfed down in no time.

I bought mine from the Paninoteca deli stall in Leeds Market. 


http://www.paganum.co.uk

Everything made by Tunnock's

Everything made by Tunnock's is delicious. This is a statement of fact. My favourite is the classic caramel wafer.

If you think they are low grade obesity fodder for pasty-faced Scotsmen who probably deep fry them, then think again. Firstly that's insulting to Scotsmen, and secondly the chocolate encasing the wafer contains 25% cocoa solids. That's 5% more than you'll find in Dairy Milk. And the website has a French version. They're obviously sending us macarons at two quid each, and we're sending them Tunnock's teacakes at six for two quid. They win.

http://www.tunnock.co.uk/

Raspberries

Give me a raspberry over a strawberry every time. The perfect summer berry as far as I'm concerned. Nothing compares to the dense, sweet perfumed fragrance of raspberries. If you think I'm talking nonsense, buy a punnet then leave it somewhere warm for an hour, then inhale. Wonderful. I like to eat them unsweetened with thick cream or vanilla ice cream, or scattered on top of thick yoghurt and muesli for breakfast.