Who said vegans can't eat chocolate? The Slabb review

When I mention to people that I'm vegan and that I cannot eat milk chocolate, I'm often confronted with shocked and confused faces. "How can you live without Cadburys", they say and, "how can you even like dark chocolate." The truth is, before going vegan I never really liked dark chocolate. I would always avoid the Bournville in the box and I would sniff my nose up at dark chocolate even though people told me all about the health benefits. However, since becoming vegan I've discovered there's a lot more to dark chocolate than people realise and a lot of variety.

With the booming vegan market, there are more companies than ever before offering vegan chocolate from small independent stores on Etsy to the big established chocolate brands such as Hotel Chocolat.  Vegan chocolate has also become a lot more experimental - gone are the days where vegans were just given the darkest, most bitter chocolates in the tin, there are now vegan 'milk chocolates' made from coconut milk, creamy vegan truffles and vegan honeycomb minus the honey.

A new brand that I have been excited to try is The Slabb. The Slabb is an online chocolate company owned by Holly & Stuart and as well as selling dairy chocolates, they have an extensive vegan range with a variety of unique flavours. In January,  Holly and Stuart launched a Kickstarter campaign called the #100Slabbchallenge,  to create 100 different flavours of chocolate this year, with each chocolate being limited edition and the 'Vegan Party One' is one of the chocolates I was given to try.

The 'Vegan Party One' is a rich dark chocolate topped with party favourites such as party rings, sprinkles, jam and vegan marshmallows. It is a fun party bar perfect for a girly night in or for those looking to add a little bit of fun in their lives. The ingredients complement each other perfectly with the party rings adding crunch and texture and the jam adding extra sweetness to the chocolate - it was great to see a vegan chocolate that had a lot of character and it isn't just the standard 'dark chocolate'. The party edition would make an ideal present for a loved one as it is so colourful, unique and charming and the packaging is girly, yet sophisticated. These bars retail at £5.50 which I think is a bargain for such a unique, limited edition product and I can't wait to hear about the next vegan chocolate they create.

Have you tried any of The Slabb products before?

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A Glimpse of Marco's New York Italian, Leeds

I have always been a fan of Marco Pierre White's restaurants and although they are predominantly steak houses, I've found the few vegetarian options that I've had highly enjoyable and each of the restaurants I have visited, the decor has been exceptional. Last week I was invited to check out the new cocktail and food menu at Marco's New York Italian in Leeds and I couldn't wait.

Marco's New York Italian, Leeds opened in April this year and the restaurant offers an extensive Italian/American menu consisting of all the classics such as pizza and lasagne, as well a few nice surprises like the new addition of the quinoa superfood salad. This particular restaurant has been highly anticipated on the Leeds food scene for the last few years as Leeds is the birthplace of the man behind the restaurant, Marco Pierre White.

The evening began by talking through some of the cocktails on Marco's menu and a brief history of how cocktails began, back in the prohibition era in America. Marco's cocktail menu has all the much-loved favourites such as Martini's and Daiquaris, as well as a few house specials such as 'The Golden Cadillac' - a mixture of Galliano, creme de cacao, orange juice and cream and 'Blood and Sand' which comprised of Chivas 12 year old whisky, sweet vermouth, Cherry Heering and orange juice.

Once the cocktail briefing had finished, we were given the chance to have a go at creating our favourite drinks from the menu. I opted for the classic 'Pornstar Martini' which is made by mixing fresh passion fruit, Absolut vanilla vodka, Passoa and lime juice, with a shot of Prosecco on the side. It's a refreshing, fruity cocktail that isn't too sweet and it is always my drink of choice on a night out. This particular cocktail had a smooth vanilla finish due to the Absolut vanilla vodka.

To soak up all the alcohol we had just been given, we were then taken into the main restaurant and served some dishes from the new food menu. We started with pizza, garlic bread, olives and nuts to share, then proceeded with a variety of salads, lasagne and pasta dishes. My favourites during the evening were the margarita pizza which had a lovely crunchy base, plenty of herby flavours and a topping that wasn't too greasy, the wild mushroom lasagne which was rich and indulgent, but not too heavy and the Quinoa salad which tasted fresh and juicy.

After we had made our way through all the delicious main courses, we were then greeted with a plethora of mouth watering desserts from this Manhattan Milkshaker which came complete with a New York cheesecake on top, to a naughty, but irresistible Chicago hot brownie with chocolate sauce. At this point, my lactose-intolerance was in overdrive (I usually avoid dairy at all cost), but I wasn't going to let that stop me from sampling the cheesecake. It was creamy, light and melted in my mouth and it went incredibly well with the rich strawberry milkshake that my husband was only happy to oblige when it came to polishing it off.  It was the perfect ending to a great night and a wonderful meal.

Have you dined at Marco's New York Italian before?

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Le Pain Quotidien Review, Leeds

Le Pain Quotidien in the Victoria Gate shopping centre, Leeds is a place that I really have grown to love since it opened last year. It is the perfect place for brunch with friends, meetups with colleagues or even a romantic first date. LPQ is somewhere I have frequently mentioned omy blog, but today I thought I would give LPQ their own special review to highlight how beautiful both the location and food can be.

The bakery first opened its doors in October 2016,  part of the new Victoria Gate shopping centre in Leeds city centre. It is the chain's first premises outside of London and is situated on the first floor, with a wonderful view of Victoria Gates beautiful architecture. Le Pain Quotidien specialises in Belgian food and inside it is like stepping into a traditional boulangerie with homely wooden furnishings, organic condiments laid out on the tables and bright yellow sunflowers to add a touch of warmth. It is casual, yet very chic and has the most inviting atmosphere, making it one of the cosiest, yet sophisticated places to visit for lunch.

Open from 9am to 9pm, the restaurant and bakery caters for their customers culinary needs at all times of day.  From all day brunches and traditional breakfasts consisting of avocado and toast through to popular Belgian tartines, to homemade hearty meals in the evening, such as slow cooked stews, stroganoffs and risottos. The restaurant and bakery also has gluten free and vegan options, making it widely accessible for those who have special dietary needs.

On this particular occasion that I had visited LPQ, I ordered their watermelon cooler and an avocado and feta tartine, which is a Belgian open top sandwich with a side order of olives. The items arrived beautifully presented and all the ingredients tasted incredibly fresh and satisfying. The portion sizes were also great substantial, which is great when you're busy and looking for a meal to fill you up.

Prices can be on the more expensive side, but when the service is with a smile and the surroundings are as beautiful as this place, it is worth paying that little bit extra and it is in a shopping centre where the stores are more upmarket. If you're looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city centre and looking for somewhere to transport you to Europe, it is definitely worth the visit, even if it is just for a coffee (which is just as good as everything else on the menu I've tried).

Have you been to a Le Pain Quotidien restaurant before?

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How Travelling Has influenced what I cook at home

One of my favourite aspects of travel is trying new food, whether it is from a street food vendor or browsing some of the best foodie markets in Europe. There's something about food that really brings people of all cultures together and when you're on holiday, food is one of the best ways to get to know the country you are visiting, by either sampling the local delicacies or speaking to the people who eat it.

Travel has enabled me to try a lot of food that I never thought I would be able to experience and has introduced me to a lot of new flavours. From eating stirfrys and curries in Thailand to eating sauerkraut in Germany, Paella in Spain and even feasting on all the different local delicacies that various parts of Britain has to offer, travelling has really played an influence on what I cook from home and for the better.

I've become more experimental

Since travelling to Thailand back in 2015 and even lesser known parts of Europe, I have become much more experimental with what I eat. When I was in Thailand I fell in love with 'morning glory' which is a stirfry of different vegetables and I love trying all the different curries. Most of my diet these days in now Thai orientated as I love the flavours.

It has made being vegetarian less boring

So many people ask me if I get bored of being vegetarian, but I really don't. The key to never getting bored of a vegetarian diet is learning different cooking methods of all your vegetables and learning how to inject flavour into your dishes - most of which can easily be picked up by trying many different types of cuisines.

I appreciate different cultures

One of my favourite food experiences was visiting the Klienmarkthalle in Frankfurt as it was full to the brim of shoppers sampling different food and market traders boasting about their wares. I was able to peer into peoples shopping baskets and see what people in Germany were picking up as their staple shopping ingredients and I browsed the stalls and discovered lots of different pastries unique to that area. It made me appreciate food that each country has to offer, so much so that it has now become a slight addiction. I try to make myself try lots of food from different countries every month so I can learn more about the culture and why they eat the things that they do.

You don't have to travel far to experience the plethora of cuisines that embraces our planet these days. Most towns have a variety of ethnic stores from Polish supermarkets to Asian superstores and even our own high street supermarkets are becoming much more savvy to world food, incorporating food from all seven different continents into one scrumptious food aisle. So many brands are now coining in on that fact that people want to try new food and have different food experiences.

One of the latest recipes I have cooked is from Thai Taste, a brand which specialises in authentic Thai ingredients and it is a Pumpkin (can be substituted for butternut squash), Galangal coconut curry, which is so aromatic that it reminds me of being back in Thailand.  The recipe has been designed by Thai restaurateur Seb Holmes to inspire customers to create restaurant-quality Thai food at home. The recipe is vegan, gluten free and incredibly easy to make, it's perfect for those who want to try new flavours or relive their own travel memories. 

Pumpkin, Galangal and Coconut Soup

Serves: 2 (GF/VE)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 small pumpkin, roughly 50-60kg, peeled and sliced into 2cm by 2 cm pieces (or squash can be used)

8 Thai Shallots, peeled and slightly bruised

1 head pak choy, tough stem removed and leaves sliced in half

2 green birds eye chillies

1 teaspoon Thai Taste chopped Kaffir lime leaves

2 sticks lemongrass 

10g Galangal peeled

2 coriander roots

2-3 teaspoons Thai Taste soy sauce

200ml vegetable stock

1 tablespoon of Thai Taste Tamarind Paste

300ml Thai Taste coconut milk

100g Thai Taste rice vermicelli noodles, left soaking for 10 minutes until soft and then refreshed under cold water

10g Thai sweet basil

1 lime, juiced

Method

Firstly, in a small sauce pain bring a little bit of water to the boil and then submerge pumpkin into it. Leave this to simmer and cook gently for 3-4 minutes until soft and then remove from heat.

Next place vegetable stock, 100ml of the coconut cream, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, tamarind, galangal, coriander roots, birds eye chillies, lemongrass, lime leaves, pumpkin, pak choy and Thai shallots into a medium saucepan and bring to simmer.

Once simmering continue to cook gently for 4-5 minutes until all vegetables have softened and flavours infused. Finish by adding rest of the coconut milk and sweet basil and serve into soup bowls lined with vermicelli noodles. The dish should be creamy, salty, a little bit spicy and aromatic with a fresh hint of lime.

Many of the ingredients for this dish can be purchased in jar form from Thai Taste, who gave me some of these products so I could test the recipe out for myself.

What is your favourite cuisine?

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Why You Should Visit Borough Market, London

Borough Market made the headlines in June 2017 as one of the places in London hit by deadly, unpredicted terrorist attack. The attack targeted people on a Saturday evening enjoying themselves in nearby bars and restaurants at Borough Market, killing eight people. Since the events only eight weeks ago, the market has been steadily rebuilding itself and restoring normality. Borough Market has always been one place I wanted to visit in London and now, more than ever it seemed more poignant for me to go pay my respects and visit the traders whose livelihoods have been temporarily destroyed.

When I visited Borough Market last week, it was a hive of busy tourists and locals soaking in the market atmosphere , feasting on all of what Borough Market has to offer and enjoying their Saturday. It was a place bursting with energy, from the enthusiastic market traders selling their products to the hoards of tourists making the most of every photo opportunity. From the moment I entered the building, I fell in love. It was full to the parameters of foodie favourites from all around the world, as well as catering for so many different dietary requests. The fruit looked colourful and fresh and the scents that filled the air gave me hunger pangs. It was a market place determined to move on from recent events and live life to the full.

I decided to write this post on why you should visit Borough market because there's so much to see and do. Whether you're stocking up for a picnic on a day trip to London or fancy a meal with friends, Borough Market needs to be on your London bucket list.

As Borough market is a quintessential English market place, there's plenty of hog roasts, burgers and meat stands on offer, but one thing that really captured my attention was the plethora of vegan food available. From these juicy mock burgers to hummus stands and vegan curries, there's just so much to choose from which is great for those with dietary requirements and it makes Borough Market the perfect place to visit with friends all of whom have different foodie needs.

Another item that Borough Market has in abundance is freshly squeezed fruit juices. You can get almost any fruit juices from Borough Market from watermelon to your typical orange, pineapple and apple juices. They are great for anyone looking for a morning pickup, lunch time refresher or an evening pre-drinking quencher.

As previously mentioned, the fruit in Borough market is as fresh as it gets and there's vast quantities of it over in the fruit and vegetable market. I was really impressed with the prices of this fruit - my friends and I managed to get two punnets of strawberries for a £1 whereas supermarkets sell just one of them for around the £2 mark. If you live locally London, it is worth visiting the market to stock up on fresh fruit and veggies.

If you're gluten free, dairy free or wheat free, I also stumbled across a lovely bakery in Borough market selling vegan creamed buns in a variety of flavours, as well as gluten free ginger men, to name but a few products. Unfortunately I didn't get the time to sample these, but they are definitely on my radar for my next visit, which I'm planning before the end of this year.

Once we had browsed the market, my friends and I set off to Jubilee Gardens for a picnic, where we sat down and ate some of our foodie findings - pepper Focaccia bread,  strawberries, freshly made samosas and a few sneaky buys from M&S.

My visit to Borough market was brief, but very exciting and I was glad that I got the opportunity to visit the hustle and bustle of the Saturday market. It reminded me that life is short and that Saturday's are the best days to go spend quality time with the ones you love and what brings people together? Food, of course.

Have you been to Borough Market before?

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No.88 Walmgate, York Review

No.88 is a uniquely Yorkshire themed restaurant etched onto the Hotel Indigo right in the heart of York. The restaurant boasts an extensive Yorkshire themed menu all using seasonal local ingredients and features an array of locally brewed Yorkshire ale and renowned 'freak-shakes'. According to the website 'the chef describes his menu as a selection of his favourite things from Yorkshire, brought together to refresh, sustain and entertain.'

The interior of No.88 Walmgate is very modern with grey scale tiling, plush leather seating and an extravagant, well stocked bar. Continuing the Yorkshire theming, as you walk in you can see shelves upon shelves proudly displaying all the local Yorkshire ales that the restaurant has to offer as part of the decor.

We arrived at our table at approximately half one on a Sunday afternoon. The guests were checking out of the hotel and the restaurant and bar was rather empty - we had the whole place to ourselves. It was rather nice to escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre where usually at this time the immediately central bars would be rammed. As we were seated I already knew exactly what I wanted - I had spent a good twenty minutes browsing the menu and website prior to arriving, all part of my blog research of course. I opted for the 'Yorkshire Rarebit' for starter and tagliatelle for main, my husband also opted for the Yorkshire rarebit for starter, but chose the herb and garlic marinated chicken for main.

When the Yorkshire rarebit arrived, neither of us were disappointed. It was everything a rarebit should be - a heap of gooey, oozy scrumptious cheese with a not too overpowering hint of Worcestershire sauce. I'm not too sure what made this dish a 'Yorkshire rarebit' apart from the fact that 'us northerners' are rather fond of our cheese on toast, but nevertheless it tasted great and that is all that counts.

After giving us ample time to digest our starters, we were then brought out of our main courses. My tagliatelle was cooked to perfection and tasted heavenly with the lavishing of soft butter coupled with the crunchy pine nuts and fresh as can be vegetables. My husband's chicken again was cooked really well - the chicken was succulent, the corn aioli was a nice touch and the chips were chunky and fulfilling. Our complaint about both meals was the fact that we were given too much of a good thing - the portion sizes were enough to feed a full family and my pasta dish seemed never-ending and like a whole bag of pine nuts had been chucked into it. A little more refinement and small dishes would have been more suited to our tastes.

Determined not to let our main courses defeat us, we left part of it and proceeded to order dessert. We had both heard so much about No.88 Walmgate's freak shakes that we had to leave room to try one for ourselves. Due to dietary issues, much to my resentment I had to forfeit my freak shake and forced my other half to have one. Instead I opted for a lighter dessert option - the almond bakewell tart. The '88 freakshake' was piled high with Kitkat wafers, donuts and raspberries and was filled with a strawberry ice-cream milkshake, it was definitely a showstopper. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his freak shake albeit the sugar coma he experienced a few minutes later and I really enjoyed my almond bakewell tart apart from the apricot compote as it was far too heavy.

Overall we both really enjoyed our meals and the only complaint we had was regarding portion sizes and in fairness it is always better to have too much a good thing than too little. Would I visit No.88 Walmgate again? Of course, but next time I'm hoping to stay in the hotel as I have heard great things about that too.

Have you been to No.88 Walmgate?

*This meal was complimentary in exchange for this review. All views are my own.

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Sukhothai Leeds Restaurant Review

When it comes to Thai food, I would like to think of myself as a little bit of a connoisseur. I have dined at many Thai restaurants from street food style to a la carte and I have also spent time in Thailand sampling local dishes. Thai food is by far my favourite cuisine - it is plentiful in flavour,  it not only looks, but tastes very healthy and there's so many variations of dishes that I could never get bored of it. Over the last few months I have been working my way around my local Thai restaurants in the search to find the most authentic, best value for money and most importantly, the restaurant that offers the best vegetarian thai dishes as these are in the minority as the Thai cuisine is based heavily around fish and meat. My latest venture was to Sukhothai in Leeds City Centre for a date night with my husband- a restaurant known for being one of the premier fine dining Thai restaurants in Yorkshire and a restaurant which boasts critical acclaim and numerous awards.

The vegetarian menu at Sukhothai is vast and has an array of contemporary and also traditional dishes available. Most vegetarian's are used to stepping in a Thai restaurant and only being able to order a Pad Thai, but this isn't the case here, there's a whole separate menu for us herbivores. Having perused the menu for well over fifteen minutes, smiling delightfully at the wide range of options available to me, I proceeded to order the Khanom Jeeb Pak (£5.50) which is steamed vegetable dumplings served with soy sauce and crispy garlic for starter and then the Pad Pak Prik Thai Dam (£8.95) which is stir-fried mixed vegetables with cracked black pepper, shiitake mushrooms, bean curd, garlic, chilli and soy sauce for main, with a side of obligatory steamed jasmine rice.

The starter was impressively presented and tasted juicy and flavoursome. I loved the texture of the dumplings and it really made a lovely change from my usual spring rolls or vegetable tempura, overall it was very filling without being too heavy and was a great start to the meal. It was shortly followed by an equally impressive main that was packed full of flavour with the black pepper and had the most wonderful selection of fresh veggies, all giving the dish a beautiful flush of colour. The meal was faultless.

Overall my experience at Sukhothai was fantastic - the service was impeccable, the staff were all very polite and quick to serve without feeling too rushed and the food was exceptional, especially for us vegetarians who are usually left with not much choice when it comes to Thai food. Would I visit again? Definitely.

Have you been to Sukhothai before?

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Chaophraya Leeds Launches New Menu

Luxury Thai restaurant chain Chaophraya which has seven UK wide branches including one in Leeds, have transformed their dining experience with the introduction of a new revolutionary menu and re-brand. Fusing culinary imagination with fine cuisine, Chaophraya's new menu delivers a sophisticated edge to Thai dining, offering an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary dishes from across Thailand, with particular influence from Chiang Mai, the Maeklong River, Kanchanaburi and the Chaophraya itself which runs through central Bangkok.

Last week I was invited to sample the new menu for myself and discover Chaophrayas new culinary treats. Thai food is by far one of my favourite cuisines, my diet at home tends to be more Asian influenced than European as I love the flavours and I feel that Asian spices, especially Thai spices really help to add depth and excitement to often dull uninspired vegetarian dishes without being too overpowering. Chaophraya's new menu consists of a range of meat based and vegetarian dishes, still paying homage to traditional Thai favourites such as Thai red curries and Pad Thai's, as well as being innovative with new and exciting dishes. The menu also has a range of new cocktails and desserts.

While I was tempted to try something a little bit different for starter, I decided to opt for vegetarian spring rolls as they are my favourite and as I have had them before on the old menu, I was keen to discover whether they would be any different. One thing I immediately noticed when they arrived was that more thought had been put into the presentation this time - it was more sophisticated. The spring rolls themselves tasted as brilliantly as before - light flaky pastry with very little grease and a mouth-wateringly good sweet chili sauce.

For main course I decided to go with a new addition to the Chaophraya menu, the red vegetable curry with vegetarian duck. Vegetarian duck can be a little hit or miss at times, it's either succulent and juicy or like chewing a hard rubber - it's usually one extreme or the other, with no in between phase. Because of this I was little apprehensive about my main course arriving, however having dined at Chaophraya countless of times, I knew I could trust them to deliver a great meal. The red curry arrived at my table served in a beautiful black serving dish with a portion of jasmine rice on the side, yet again paying close attention to the level of detail in their presentation, in keeping with their new fine dining expectations. The dish itself was full of flavour with a gentle heat coming from the spices and the vegetarian duck was so moist that it flaked in my mouth and left me wanting more. It was a light, yet filling dish and left me incredibly satisfied yet with room for dessert if I wanted it. I will definitely be ordering this again.

After eating two really full courses, I decided to try the mango sorbet for dessert. The sorbet arrived in a simple glass bowl- which to be honest left me feeling a little bit let down after the presentation of the first two courses, but overall it did taste great (juicy and fresh) and that is all that really matters. 

If you're looking for an upmarket Thai restaurant which offers luxury at affordable prices, I would really recommend trying Chaophraya for yourselves. I have been to three of their restaurants and have never been disappointed and their menu is better than ever before. Dishes are priced from £6.50 for starters, £10.50 for mains and £7.50 for desserts.

Have you been to any of the Chaophraya restaurants before?

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Little Tokyo, Leeds Review

Finding new places to eat is one of my favourite pastimes and something I look to do at least twice a month. I love the feeling of walking into a brand new restaurant and in being in awe of a new interior, getting excited pursuing the menu and the rising anticipation of the new food that I've just ordered, even better when it is a brand new cuisine. Living between two cities and a very large town, I am blessed that I have some of the best restaurants at my finger tips and even if I visited somewhere new each week, I still wouldn't have dined at every single restaurant.

One place that has been on my foodie radar for quite some time is Little Tokyo in Leeds city centre, around the back of House of Fraser. Little Tokyo is a hidden gem in the city - so hidden that unless you have heard someone talk about it or have walked near it, you probably wouldn't know about it. It is pretty much non-existant on social media, yet it has glowing reviews on Trip Advisor from people who have heard about it via word of mouth. The lack of presence on the internet just intrigued me even more about this restaurant, was I about to discover one of the best kept secrets in Leeds? 

Walking into Little Tokyo is like you have taken an express flight to Japan, leaving the cold, dull skies of Leeds on the doorstep. On arrival you are greeted by waiters in Kimonos, a koi carp pond with a wooden bridge and traditional Japanese style seating. The walls are elegantly draped in Japanese textiles and art, everything is dimly lit with candles and the smell of food is overwhelming good. You wouldn't have expected this looking in from the outside as the exterior looks more like a takeaway shop, than classy restaurant - this has definitely taught me that you cannot judge a restaurant by the outside.

The Little Tokyo menu is extensive and also caters for many dietary requests. One thing that really surprised me was all the vegan options from vegan miso soups and noodles to a plethora of vegan style bento boxes. I decided to order the vegan duck bento box having never previously tried a vegetarian or vegan duck substitute before. The 'duck' was cooked in an orange and mango dressing and served with a portion of rice, pickled salad and a selection of vegetable tempura. This particular box is known on the menu as 'four course meal in one' and it definitely lives up to the name with the quantity of food. The duck was sticky, gooey, chewy yet succulent and juicy, the rice was cooked to perfection and the pickled salad was great for refreshing my palette between the other dishes. I thoroughly enjoyed the vegetable tempura, albeit it being a little bit on the greasy side, but all in all the meal exceeded my expectations.

Part of me was a little bit apprehensive about writing this review as I selfishly wanted to keep this place to myself and not let anyone know about it, however I thought that it was an injustice to the people in Leeds that this place doesn't get the press it deserves. Little Tokyo was easily one of the best restaurants I have dined at in a long time - it was quirky, the food was brilliant and the staff were all attentive without feeling the need to stop me while my mouth is full to ask me how the meal was going. They only needed to look at me wolfing down all my courses to see that I was happy. My husband and I paid around £36 for the meal which included two mains, two starters and two drinks, one of which was alcoholic. I've been raving about Little Tokyo since I left and I'm currently trying to recruit more friends for a night out there again. If you're looking for something a little bit different  to the standard Yo Sushi and you love authentic Japanese food, you really need to add this to your Leeds restaurant bucket list.

Have you been to Little Tokyo before?

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Wagamama Spinningfields Manchester Review

As someone who's favourite cuisines are Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese, it's surprising that until recently I hadn't visited Wagamama before. Wagamama are renowned for their oriental dishes from their warming bowls of ramen to their deliciously seasoned Pad Thai. Their menu is an eclectic mix of pan-asian cuisine and everything is made from scratch, in the kitchen right in front of you. A few weeks ago I was asked by the Manchester Spinningfields branch if I would like to visit Wagamama and try some of their new dishes. I said yes without hesitation and couldn't wait to finally pop my Wagamama virginity.

On arrival I was introduced to Zoe the branch manager and she talked me through the menu and gave us a few suggestions in regards to what we should order. Zoe was really friendly and talked so passionately about the Wagamama brand. Her enthusiasm about the dishes got me really excited about trying them for myself.  To begin with my husband and I ordered two fresh juices from the new juice menu - I opted for the tropical juice and my husband tried the fruit juice. Both juices tasted very refreshing and healthy. They weren't loaded with sugar and both of them tasted very natural.

Once we were given time to peruse the menu and sample of juices, the waitress came round to take our orders. As it was our first time at a Wagamama restaurant, we both went crazy and ordered as many starters/sides as we could get. My husband had the pork ribs, the Ebi Katsu (prawns in bread crumbs with a spicy sauce) and I ordered the Yasai Steamed Gyoza and the wok-fried greens. I loved my Gyoza - the wok-fried greens were lovely, but the pak choi was a little bit on the watery side for me, nevertheless, I still ate it all. James also enjoyed his starters, his face looked like a child opening his Christmas presents as he reached out and sampled all the dishes. 

When it came to main course, I knew I had to order the Pad Thai. Pad Thai is one of my favourite all-time dishes. I ate so much Pad Thai when I was in Thailand and it's one dish that I never get bored of eating. I ordered this as I wanted to see if Wagamama could do my favourite dish justice and they smashed it. In fact, the Wagamama Yasai Pad Thai is one of the nicest Pad Thai dishes I've ever had. The dish had so much flavour, yet tasted so light and the hint of lime took this dish to another level. My husbands main course was equally as impressive. He chose the Tamari Chicken and he really enjoyed it. The Tamari chicken dish has sweet potato in it, something my husband eats nearly everyday and he said that it was great to have sweet potato in a dish that he isn't used to and he would happily order it again.

After my main course and far too many sides, I was too full for dessert, but my husband told me we couldn't leave without trying at least one of them. As both of us love cheesecake, we decided to share the passionfruit cheesecake and I'm really glad we did. The cheesecake was soft and the base was so buttery and it had the most juicy passionfruit sauce on top. It was heavenly and made us fall in love with Wagamama even more.

It's not often that you go to a restaurant and leave with a great big smile on your face knowing that the service, the food and everything in between was absolutely flawless - usually there's something to criticise even if it is minor. At Wagamama, everything that day was perfection and it was a great first experience. The food was excellent and there's a large variety of food for vegetarians like myself who often get the short straw when it comes to restaurants. My only regret right now is that I hadn't discovered Wagamama sooner. I can't wait to go back and try more dishes on the menu.

Have you been to Wagamama before?

*My meal was complimentary, but my views are my own. 

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MOD Pizza, Leeds

Pizza and I have a love-hate relationship. I love the taste of pizza and I often find myself craving it on a Friday night, but due to the large amount of cheese and high calorie count, my stomach being slightly lactose-intolerant and having other issues often takes a heavy dislike to it. With all the issues that pizza usually gives me, it now tends to be the last thing I order on the menu, but when a newly launched pizza restaurant in Leeds got in touch saying that they offer dairy-free, make your own pizzas, I thought it would be worth giving it a try.

Named as America's fastest growing chain restaurant,the Seattle-based cult Pizza brand, MOD Pizza have brought their artisan-style, superfast pizzas to the UK and have opened their first ever U.K store at Cardigan Fields Leisure Park in Leeds. MOD Pizza offers made on demand (MOD) pizzas and salads at one price, regardless of the number of toppings and they also cater for those like myself who are lactose intolerant and partial to the odd vegan meal.

MOD's individual pizzas are made on demand, right in front of you, with fresh-pressed dough, signature sauces and lots of wholesome fresh ingredients. Customers are able to pick a pizza from the existing menu or create their own pizzas using any combination of over 304 featured toppings. I opted for the garlic rub (the dairy free sauce) then layered my pizza with dairy-free cheese, roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, roasted peppers, roasted garlic, asparagus and artichoke. I also opted for the homemade lemonade which came with free refills.

My lemonade was a little bit on the sweet side for me, but there was so many drinks that came with free refills that you are literally spoiled for choice. The pizza was definitely the star of the show - it had plenty of texture combined with the juiciness of the vegetables and the vegan cheese was really flavoursome. Usually when I'm two slices in my stomach starts doing flips, but this time it was perfectly fine. The pizza wasn't oily and I just the right amount that my stomach was satisfied and content after the meal. I honestly couldn't fault it.

I really enjoyed my time at MOD Pizza and although it is a slight journey out of Leeds city centre, it is definitely worth the visit. If you're all about American themed diners and love a rustic, authentic style pizza,  MOD is somewhere you should consider visiting.

Have you been to MOD Pizza before?

My meal was complimentary in exchange of this review. All views are my own.

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Healthy Quick Meals with Tilda

As much as I do love cooking, there's some days that cooking seems like such a chore. After working 9-5 and commuting for an hour and a half, the last thing I want to do is get out a cookbook and spend a good hour preparing a meal from scratch. Last year I was diagnosed with a stomach condition that causes my bile ducts to go into spasm if I eat too much fat, simillar to how a gallbladder responds when people are diagnosed with gallstones. Due to this I now have to lead a very healthy lifestyle and monitor everything I eat. I'm allowed treats, but if I have something that is too high in fat, I can be ill for days and there has been cases where I've ended up in hospital with severe pain. Cooking healthy isn't always that easy as many foods that are addressed as 'healthy' in the stores are actually full of salt or quite high in calories, therefore I try to cook from scratch where possible, but cooking from scratch is time consuming.

Tilda have recently brought out a new range of 'Tilda Pulses' and I was asked if I would like try some of them. The Tilda Pulses & Rice packets can be heated up in the microwave in less than five minutes and come in a variety of innovative flavours and many of them are gluten free and low in fat and all of them are suitable for vegetarians.

I've spent the last few weeks experimenting with these dishes and I've been very impressed with my meals. The flavours are so unique and different to other rice packets on the market and they are so easy to make.So far I've had the 'Chickpea, Harrisa & Lemon' with Halloumi Skewers and the 'Edamame, Spring Onion and Wasabi' with grilled Quorn - both of which took me less than 10 minutes to make and tasted fantastic. If you're looking for new flavours for dishes and don't want to spend hours cooking, I would definitely recommend these products.

Have you tried the new Tilda Pulses & Rice?

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The Botanist, Leeds Launches New Charity Drink

Last week I was invited to The Botanist at Leeds Trinity to judge a cocktail competition, where all the proceeds of the winning drink would go to charity. The competition involved four members of bar staff battling it out for their signature cocktail to be placed on the drinks menu throughout the month of July to raise funds for Mesothelioma (Asbestos) cancer and it was a close competition. Mesothelioma cancer is an aggressive cancer that affects the membrane of the lungs and abdomen and one of the primary causes of this cancer is asbestos, a fibrous rock that can be found in old buildings. In 2015 it was reported that 65,000 people in UK are living with this form of cancer and Leeds has a particular high rate of Mesothelioma cancer due to all the industrial work that once took place in the city. With this good cause in mind and the thought of trialing some new, delicious cocktails, I put my glad-rags on and ventured off to The Botanist and the evening did not disappoint.

Upon arrival we were given a glass of the Botanists self named cocktail to whet our appetite and seated at a reserved table waiting for the other bloggers to arrive. The signature Botanist cocktail is made with Ketel One Vodka, rum and elderflower liqueur and not only does it look spectacular, it also tastes pretty damn amazing. The drink is really refreshing, similar to moijitos but less minty. If you're looking for a cocktail that is not too heavy on the alcohol and tastes more like an adult version of a soft drink, this one is for you.

Once the judging panel of bloggers had assembled, we were brought our first drink and a set of score cards. The first drink brought to us was a new take on a traditional moijito, a ginger moijito. Despite not being the biggest fan of ginger, I found the drink highly enjoyable and would probably order this again if it was to be added to the menu. The ginger added a nice bit of after heat to the drink, which I can imagine is really nice on a hot day, but also during in winter with a darker rum and a log fire burning in the background. I gave this drink 4 points and I knew this would take some beating.

The next drink we were asked to judge was the Vanilla & Raspberry Caprioska. The inspiration behind this drink was a 'drumstick' lolly and the cocktail did well to replicate the taste, however it was a little bit too on the sweet side for my liking. If I was offered this drink at a bar, I wouldn't turn it turn, but it wouldn't be my first choice. I rated this drink a modest 3 points.

Our third drink was called 'Holy Guacamole' and as the name suggests, it was made using muddled up avocado. The teams initial thoughts were that of confusion and many of us were hesitant to try this cocktail at first, but I decided to take one for the table and try it. I did not expect an avocado cocktail to taste so good - the avocado gave it a creamy consistency and along with vanilla and raspberry flavourings, the cocktail tasted like raspberry ripple ice-cream. This cocktail was genius and had all the table in complete surprise.  It was a top five marks from me.

After the Holy Guacamole we did sample another drink, but it was clear from everyone's faces which drink had won the most votes. The Holy Guacamole was named our favourite drink of the evening and won a place on the July menu at The Botanist. It was such a unique drink that it really deserved to be showcased and I'm really glad the other judges agreed. The drink is on sale from this week with all proceeds donated to Mesothelioma UK.  What better excuse do you need for a cocktail this week?

Have you been to The Botanist Leeds before?

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