Thai Edge, Leeds

Occasion:                      Celebration

Party Size:                    2

Overall Rating:              ***** Excellent

Date Visited:                 September 2012
Price Per Person:           £22 approx = 2 courses excluding drinks ppn

Sa-wa-dee!

“Arguably the best Thai restaurant chain in the UK, Thai Edge is a world class restaurant in a unique setting which compliments Thai culture with modern oriental design”. Bold claims from the Thai Edge menu, and with a good selection of Thai restaurants in the Leeds area, claims that can be pretty easily tested.

Set just off Millennium Square Thai Edge occupies a prominent city centre location, and as soon as you enter it’s apparent that they take the modern oriental design bit pretty seriously. Thai Edge has a bright and airy feel to it, it contrasts to the rich dark colours of some of its Leeds competitors, and it stands apart in this regard. The tables in the restaurant are well spaced out so you’ll never feel like you’re sat on top of other diners, and the oriental touches, in terms of décor and music, are enough to provide a great ambience without being over the top. This visit was on a Monday evening at 7pm and there were plenty of diners to create an atmosphere even at this time of the week – Thai Edge is clearly popular.

There are a range of set menus to choose from priced at £19.90 to £38.50, but we were visiting on a Living Social voucher which meant a starter and a main each off the A La Carte menu. Starters are priced from about £6 to £11, mains from about £8 to £30, but with only lobster at the top end. Some seafood dishes were around the £15 mark, while most of the stir fries and curries are in the £8 to £11 bracket. Prices that make you hope the food is going to be great quality, and on the whole we found that to be true.

We chose Nuae Yang – Thai style char grilled tenderloin of beef with a special Thai chilli dipping sauce (£10.50) and Hoi Shell Noung – steamed scallops with spring onion, soy sauce and a touch of Thai whisky, served with spicy dipping sauce (£7.95).

Given the price we expected a premium piece of beef, and whilst the flavour of the meat and sauce was excellent the beef was a tiny bit tough. The scallops were amazing: large, cooked to perfection and perfectly matched with the  soy sauce and dipping sauce, and an optional big chunk of fresh red chilli per scallop to add some spice. I could have eaten the whole thing again and thought this was a really good value starter. Swapping the price of the 2 starters would probably reflect their quality for this visit, but they were both very enjoyable.

Mains were a curry, Gaeng Pa Gai – chicken jungle curry (£10.80) and Mou Pad Bai Kra Praw – stir fried minced pork with snake beans, holy basil, garlic and fresh chilli (£8), with portions of steamed rice at £2.20. Both dishes tasted fantastic, the jungle curry was loaded with fresh Thai herbs and spices and hot as you’d expect, and the pork mince stir fry held loads of flavour, it may have been salty for some but I loved it, the soy-like saltiness giving a rich flavour to the dish.

All this was washed down with Singha lager which wasn’t cheap at £6.50 for a large bottle.

  

The best Thai meal I’ve eaten in a restaurant in a long time – a winner for Thai Edge as I eat a good deal of Thai food.

The service throughout the meal was as you’d expect from a higher end Thai restaurant, fairly formal but still friendly and attentive to just the right degree. This may have had something to do with the fact that we spent some time photographing the restaurant and our dishes, and engaged in detailed conversation about the food they put in front of us – we found ourselves being served a bit quicker than other tables, maybe playing at being a critic does have its advantages!

Overall I think this would appeal to those who are looking for a restaurant with style and have an occasion to celebrate, a real treat.

http://www.thaiedgeleeds.co.uk/

Bangla Lounge, Birstall, West Yorks

Occasion:                      Reunion

Party Size:                    4

Overall Rating:              ***** Excellent

Date Visited:                 September 2012
Price Per Person:           £14 =  2 Courses + Sides + Soft drinks + tip per person

The Bangla Lounge is located on Low Lane in Birstall, Bradford. Not far from the Junction 27 retail park this small local Indian restaurant can easily be found on the main road. They don’t have private parking but you will find street parking directly outside and along the side streets. There is also a pay and display car park nearby.

The Bangla Lounge came highly recommended by a friend and was supported by 5 star reviews on Trip Advisor so I was looking forward to putting this venue to the test with 3 friends who love curry.

The restaurant itself is small and modern but as I understand this location is only temporary until they move a couple of doors down, to a bigger space.

The staff were very welcoming, taking the time to talk to us on where we came from, if we had been before etc. The tables were well presented and had a touch of class with crisp table cloths and coordinating napkins.

Bangla Lounge is a BYO so you cannot purchase alcohol however they do serve a good selection of soft drinks and there is a Co-Op nearby.

The menu was very reasonable. Starters ranged from £1.95 to £3.50. The main dishes were priced from £5.50 to £7.95 and side dishes were very cheap with Chapattis at 50p and Rice and Naan priced at £1.95. The menu included all the usual traditional Indian courses from Tandoori and Bhuna to the Balti. For those who like something different they had contemporary dishes such as Venison and Duck. The chef will also make any of your favourite dishes that are not on the menu, just ask the waiter.

As a taster we ordered some Poppadoms for the table which were fresh and came with a selection of dips including– lime pickle, mango chutney and mint yoghurt. The starters were well presented and I was really surprised to find that they were not oily as you can sometimes find. I had the Chicken Chat to start and this was a really big starter, in fact all the starters were more than ample.

For my main course I went for a Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi but as I like it spicy I opted to have this cooked hot like a Madras. This dish came out and again I was pleasantly surprised that it was not swimming ghee, the chicken cubes were big and the depth of the sauce was great. I asked for it hot and it was definitely spot on.

                    

The steamed rice again was a good portion and cooked perfectly and the Chapatti was great. A friend had the Fish Fry followed by a Vindaloo that was really hot which left him pleased. Other dishes ordered included Samosas, Chicken Shashlik and a Balti.

All of us were really impressed with the quality, the presentation and service, the only criticism we could find was that the Shaslik didn’t come with its own sauce, but in fairness this dish tends to be served differently from restaurant to restaurant. The total bill for our party for Poppadoms, Starters, Mains, and Sides plus soft drinks and a tip came in at a very reasonable £14 ppn (Included 10% discount for booking online).

This would suit anyone who is local to the area, or those that are looking to go somewhere out of town. For a good curry at a fraction of the price you would pay for dining in Leeds it is definitely worth trying. The quality was superb, the portions were good and well presented. The staff were welcoming and the venue clean and contemporary. Highly recommend - I still can’t get over how much of a bargain this was!

http://www.banglaloungebirstall.co.uk/

   

The Marvellous Tearoom, Leeds

Occasion:                      Catch up

Party Size:                    3

Overall Rating:              ***** Excellent

Date Visited:                 August 2012
Price Per Person:           £3.50 for Drink and Cake per person

The Marvellous Tearoom is situated on the ground floor of Birds Yard on Kirkgate in Leeds city centre. Ok this place is not technically a restaurant, nor do they serve main meals, however, I think it deserves a review as it lives up to the claim “marvellous”. The perfect place to stop and rest those weary legs after a days shopping. This place is ideal for those who love a good cuppa and are partial to a piece of cake.

Not far from the bus station this vintage tea room is located on a quiet street away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds.

On arrival you will immediately feel welcome. This tearoom oozes character and charm appealing to all ages and particularly ladies. The staff are really welcoming and friendly, they took the time to chat with us at our table. The décor is full of vintage treasures that take you down memory lane.

They serve a selection of tea room treats from crumpets and toast to cakes and pies - all of which are home made. They sell freshly squeezed juices, traditional lemonades and thick milkshakes not to mention an array of teas from Yorkshire to Earl Grey. They also serve fresh sandwiches ideal if you want a light lunch.

The teas are served in traditional tea pots with mis-matched china teacups and saucers. The menus are cleverly crafted from old Penguin books.

The lighting is unusual, chandeliers made from cups and saucers suspended upside down. You’ll find a relaxed atmosphere here with a 1950’s radio in the corner playing tracks from years ago, you may not remember them but your mum or Gran would.

You will also find a stack of old retro board games on the back wall and a tuck shop selling traditional candy and souvenirs. On the opposite wall you will see some vintage pieces of jewellery, accessories and clothing all of which are available to buy.

I highly recommend you visit the website where you can buy key vintage pieces from teacups and saucers to candles and tea cosy’s. The lovely ladies are also available for events/parties and are often seen at festivals gracing the public with their charm. The Marvellous Tearoom is good value and completely different to anywhere else in Leeds so a great venue to meet with friends, to take your mum or to show someone new to Leeds somewhere a little quirky.

http://www.themarvellousteadancecompany.co.uk/tearoom.html