Team Bricki's Pre-Lockdown 2.0 Birthday Weekend

[princessnicki]

Inspired by the lovely feedback from our recent weekend in Leeds, I thought I would share our previous weekend there for Brett’s birthday just before the November lockdown. This was a bit of a last minute booking as we were supposed to go the weekend after on his actual birthday but we suspected there was another lockdown due so we moved it forward- it turned out to be the correct move as we were sat in a bar on Halloween when Boris announced a 4 week lockdown. Again it was a very food and cocktail heavy weekend but we did actually do a couple of activities too this time. Brett says I have to mention that his photo game isn’t as good on these pics as it was before his phone camera updated

Thursday 29th October 2020
We headed over to Leeds after work and checked into the Radisson Blu again. We just love this hotel, it is in a great location in the centre but set back so it is quiet enough that you aren’t disturbed by the city life. The staff are friendly, the hotel is modern, the rooms are spotless and the bar area is gorgeous. We were upgraded again from a standard room to a superior so had a little more space for all the clothes we (Brett) had brought.

Brett has been wanting to go to Blue Sakura for ages so we booked it in as our first meal. The concept is a cross between a buffet and a sit-down meal of Japanese, Korean and Chinese inspired food. The price is £29.95 per person for upto 30 dishes each, which can be ordered in 6 rounds of 5 plates. Although some dishes are small, I genuinely don’t know how people manage to eat the full allowance, we managed 18 dishes between the two of us! The menu is huge, there is a large section of Sushi as well as dishes from Korea, Teppanyaki, Grill, Noodles, Rice, Deep Fried, Wok. Everything is ordered from your table via an Ipad, which is absolutely the way to go to ensure buffets can still carry on in the current climate. The staff were unbelievably friendly and explained how everything works and their food recommendations. They even brought Brett a bowl of icecream and sang Happy Birthday to him. We loved this restaurants and barely scratched the surface of the menu so will definitely be back.

We started with the Sushi section of the menu and picked a variety of different offerings including Uramaki, Nigiri, Dragon Roll, Maki Roll. This was all absolutely delicious and was hard to pick a stand-out one as we loved everything. The sauces had amazing flavour and the quality of the raw fish was fantastic

Diced Beef with Teriyaki Sauce- perfectly cooked rare beef

Chicken Katsu- this was one of the bigger dishes that we tried

Pumpkin Croquettes- it’s a shame we didn’t order more of these as they were delicious

Singapore Vermicelli- a good sized portion of spicy noodles, my favourite dish

Gyoza

Yakitori Chicken Skewers

Gyu Beef Skewers

Octopus

Spring rolls

Teriyaki Salmon Filet

Uogashi Takoyaki (Cooked Pancake Ball with Octopus)

Onto the cocktails we sampled the new specials that have recently been added to the menu starting with the Green Tokyo Dragon (Vodka, Rum, Gin, Tequila, Midori, Elderflower, Lemonade). This was right up my street and my favourite drink of the evening. Melon is becoming my new favourite cocktail flavour, it is so refreshing and sweet

Hokkaido Sunrise (Vermouth, Honey, Yuzu)
This was lovely and sweet- we enjoyed the taste of the Japanese Plum wine

I failed to write down the name of this one but it was Bretts favourite of the evening as it was like a strawberry milkshake- the flavour mainly came from a generous helping of Tequila Rose Liqueur

We finished with a traditional Long Island Iced Tea and Raspberry Mojito.

And a Donald Trump shot

An absolutely wonderful experience- great value for money, high quality food, amazing service and impossible to leave feeling hungry

With everything that is going on at the moment, we made a conscious effort to visit our favourite cinema the Everyman. We didn’t mind what was showing and were happy to watch an older movie on the big screen. As luck would have it the new Liam Neeson thriller Honest Thief was showing so we booked into see that (also starring the fabulous John Laurens himself, Anthony Ramos!). We were too full from dinner to order food so enjoyed a couple of rounds of delicious cocktails instead.

Espresso Martini (Titos vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso)

Salted Caramel and Baileys Milkshake

Mojito (Appleton Signature rum, lime, mint)

Peach and Grape Soda (Ketel One vodka, peach liqueur, grape soda)

The film was good- classic Liam Neeson thriller, it was nice to be back in a cinema for the first time in 18 months! We love the Everyman too, instead of seats they have sofas with cushions! And they deliver hot food and drinks to your seat

[princessnicki]

Friday 30th October 2020

Another place that has been on our must-do list for a while is Mans Market. We aren’t usually big fans of Chinese food but this has always looked really good on Instagram, and most of the menu is tapas style so we had to give it a go. The theming from the minute you walk through the door is amazing and looks like an Asian market. The concept for ordering food and drink is a genius idea, you basically hang up a sign when you need anything so the servers know to come to you. The staff are so friendly, from the chefs at the open kitchen where we were sat, to our lovely server who went above and beyond to look after us. Everything is brought out as it is made so it always arrives piping hot to your table. We loved the look of the delicious large pans that kept coming out but we knew we wanted to try as much as possible so stuck to the tapas section of the menu

We started with two orders of Steamed Bao Buns to share

Roast Duck (Crispy Duck, Hoisin, Cucumber, Spring Onion)

Char Siu (Braised BBQ Pork, Caramelised Soy Onion)

These were probably the best Bao Buns we have ever had in our lives. The bread bun was so soft and packed with so much juicy meat filling that paired really well with the sauces. These were very decent sized buns and very filling to say they were just supposed to be an add-on to a main meal. Definitely our favourite dish of the day

Next up was Salt and Pepper Chicken- a staple Chinese takeaway favourite that we usually find quite dry, but this one was really tasty and soft with a little kick of heat from the chilli. It was another generous portion size too

Pork War Tip Dumplings (seasoned Pork wrapped in pastry, steamed, fried).
This was another contender for our favourite dish- the pork had a lovely sweet and savoury flavour to it and there was so much of it packed inside the pastry

Firecracker Prawn (Battered Prawn in Marie Rose Sauce).
This is one of the dishes that is raved about on Instagram and we can see why. There is just a hint of spice as the main flavour comes from the tang in the sauce. I keep saying it but for tapas portions these really are very generous and good value for money.

King Prawn Siu Mai (Minced King Prawn steamed).
These were like Gyoza and they were delicious, lots of prawn and onion flavours in each bite

Our final dish was Crispy Duck Spring Rolls. As with everything else, they were packed full with meat and were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. They definitely work well with the duck dipping sauce to stop them tasting dry. We honestly loved everything here and didn’t have a bad dish

The cocktail menu here is really cool as it does traditional classic cocktails but with an Asian twist.

Jade Dragon (Midori, Lime, Passionfruit, Coconut, Pineapple) is their take on a June Bug and it was delicious fruity goodness.

Brett used to always order Miami Vice when we used to go to Rev de Cuba a lot so I had to get the Miami Smice (Rum, Lime, Strawberry, Smirnoff Ice). This was basically a frozen Strawberry Daiquiri with a Smirnoff Ice poking out of the top- I loved it, refreshing and reminded me of being a teenager!

Mushu (Bourbon, Amaretto, Lemon, Cranberry, Egg White)

Deja Brew (Vodka, Coffee Liqueur, Sugar, Espresso)

Obviously we love going out for food and cocktails but wanted to try other things as well so picked a round of mini golf at Junkyard Golf. We picked Bozo which was a circus fairground carnival themed course and the theming was perfect with fairground ride, clown, carnival game inspired holes. We picked the easiest course as I am absolutely rubbish at mini golf but I actually did much better than expected and was on course to easily win the game (until the last hole screwed me over and Brett got a hole in one to give him victory!) It was a little shorter than we expected so next time we will definitely book two courses as it was so much fun. The cocktails are very cool here too as they are topped with pick and mix sweets.

Our next stop was another one of the fabulous Leeds indie bars with awesome unique cocktails and friendly bartenders- Blind Tyger. The décor of the bar is themed to an old-fashioned Speakeasy. The welcome cocktail while you look through the menu is a nice touch- this one was Professor Plum as they were hosting Cancel The Curfew Cluedo (which we joined in and solved to win a round of takeaway cocktails). We had a lot of fun here and could have stayed longer if we didn’t have other reservations (we still made a good dent in the cocktail menu though!)

Of course there was an Espresso Martini to be sampled but luckily one with a twist.
Wake and Bake (Banana bread infused Doorly’s 5-year old rum, muscovado sugar syrup, Pedro Ximénez sherry, espresso).
This was amazing as it was made with banana rum instead of vodka, it was the perfect balance between sweet and bitter

Blind Grog (Appleton white & signature rums, Koko Kanu coconut liqueur, beetroot syrup, pineapple juice, lime juice)
A Tiki, tropical and refreshing rum punch

Clean Slate (Cocchi Americano aperitif wine, Graham’s white port, plum & jasmine cordial, prosecco)

Mango Batida (Velho Barreiro cachaça, sweetened milk, coconut water, mango)
I think the menu sums this one up better than I could- imagine a milkshake crossed with a Caipirinha! And that’s exactly what it tastes like- sweet Brazilian rum blended into a mango milkshake!

Scented Mai Tai (H by Hine cognac, Briotett triple sec, pistachio & rose syrup, lemon juice, orange blossom)
This is one of the best ones on the menu- a Cognac based Mai Tai infused with fragrant flavours such as Rose. Absolutely delicious!

Hanami Highball Nikka (From the Barrel whisky, cherry blossom tea liqueur, Double Dutch pomegranate & basil soda, eucalyptus mist)
One of my favourite cocktails from another lovely Leeds indie bars, this one was equally as good, lots of lovely sweet fruity flavours going on

And, as is becoming tradition for Mr Bricki, rounding off the evening with an Old Fashioned!

[princessnicki]

When I noticed that Liquor Studio offered a Spiced Rum masterclass, I knew we had to get booked in for the main mans birthday treat and what an excellent experience it was. There are usually more people booked in but we were lucky that it was just the two of us. The class was held by Dan, one of the owners of Liquor Studio and Hedonist Bar, and it started with an indepth talk on the history of the origins of rum and how rum is produced. It was really interesting and we learned a lot of facts and stories about rum. He was a really good speaker, had lots of knowledge and was very passionate about what he does. We sampled a variety of rums from white rum to spiced rum and learned about how smell and colour can influence taste. We were made a delicious rum cocktail as well as provided with as many rum and ginger beers as we wanted.

The main part of the session is where you move into the development room and make your own blend of spiced rum to take away. This was so much fun and we really thought about what flavours to put together.
I made Princess rum, which is basically an Autumnal Apple Pie (Apple, Cinnamon and Vanilla) and Brett made Team Bricki rum, which is a tropical Caribbean influenced blend of Banana, Pineapple and Carraway. We love to cook with herbs and spices so we both made sure our rum blends had a hint of spice in them and strong flavours. Our recipes are held on file and we can order another bottle of our rum anytime we want.

We had a fantastic time and are already planning to book the Cocktail Masterclass in the future.


It was definitely time for some food again and after several wonderful experiences, we knew we had to make time to visit Shears Yard. We caught the last day of the October Tasting Menu so it had a more Autumnal theme than the first one we tried. Everything was absolutely delicious but the starter and dessert courses were out of this world. The chef puts so much effort into creating flavours that stand out and work well together. The courses are large for a tasting menu and excellent value for money for a first class fine dining experience. The staff are incredibly friendly and explain each course as it is served. This restaurant is always top of our list when we visit Leeds.

We started the evening with a lovely refreshing spritz cocktail each

Homemade Bread and Balsamic Butter and the additional Oyster course

White Onion and Newcastle Brown Ale Cappuccino, Cheddar and Truffle Pasty
This was the first of our favourite courses of the night- it was luxury comfort food at its finest. The soup was thick and rich in strong flavours from the onion and ale with a hint of coffee running through it. The pasty was gorgeous- flaky pastry with lots of lovely hot filling inside, we love anything with truffle and a huge helping of parmesan!

Lobster and Langoustine Sushi Nori Roll, Crispy Rice Noodles, Ponzu

The fish course was two delicious rolls of homemade fresh sushi packed with fish complimented by a gorgeous dipping sauce

Sous Vide Dry Aged Sirloin of Beef Rested in Beef Fat Butter, Braised Beef and White Bean Ragout, Jerusalem Artichoke
The main course was another winner- the big chunk of beef was cooked perfectly pink and cut through like butter. The Ragout had lots of strong delicious meaty flavours running through it too from the generous helping of braised beef

Caramelised Apple and Treacle Tart, Horlicks Caramel, Frozen Blackberries
Reminiscent of bonfire night, this was our joint favourite course of the night and we could have happily eaten a full size portion of this. It was like a Sticky Toffee Apple in cake form and the caramel sauce was so rich and moreish.

Handmade Chocolate Truffles- the perfect way to finish another perfect meal

[princessnicki]

Saturday 31st October 2020
It was our final day and we headed off for lunch. Caribbean food seems to be very hard to find up North since the demise of the fabulous Discovery Bay so we were really excited that Jamrock opened up on Call Lane just before lockdown 2.0. We were the first to arrive as they opened for lunch but they were pretty much full by the time we left.

Everything about this place is amazing- the trendy decor, the reggae music, the funky shirts that the staff wear (Brett was very envious of these!), the authentic gorgeous Jamaican food, the beautiful rum cocktails and the friendly staff. It was a lovely touch when the chef came round to speak to everyone and get feedback on the food.
When they found out it was Bretts birthday they went above and beyond with a birthday note, complimentary prosecco for us and a rum cake sampler for the birthday boy. We have nothing but praise for this restaurant they have got everything spot on, we will definitely be back when we next get back to Leeds.

We were spoilt for choice with the menu so we decided to get dishes that we could share. We started with the Jamrock Wings marinated in sticky BBQ glaze- you know these are done right when they are served with wet wipes! A really good sized portion for a starter, lovely soft meat in lots of messy sweet delicious BBQ coating

Our second starter was the Patties (pastry filled with spiced meat). These are a favourite of Bretts and they were delicious. The pastry was flaky and not at all soggy. The meat inside had a nice kick of heat to it and they didnt skimp on the filling

Everything on the main courses sounded amazing that luckily we didnt have to choose between them as they do the Jamrock Mixed Platter. This is a sharing portion of three of their most popular main courses with a variety of side dishes. We had half Jerk Chicken, Goat Curry and Ackee and Saltfish alongside Fried Plantains, Rice and Pea, Coleslaw and Steamed Veg. It is so hard to pick a favourite as they were all unreal in their own right. The chicken was huge and the spicy jerk marinade was to die for. The Goat Curry was gorgeous- you can tell they marinate their meats overnight as everything is so tender and juicy. I didnt expect to be wowed by the Ackee and Saltfish but it was so good, the salty and sweet flavours complimented each other perfectly. This was such a good choice and a bargain at £18 for two. We were so impressed with this restaurant- good Caribbean food is so hard to find and this is definitely it

After much deliberation we decided that we were too full for dessert but Rum Cake was going to be on top of the list on our next visit. However the chef very kindly sent over a sample for Brett for his birthday. A lovely gesture along with the Prosecco. The cake was absolutely gorgeous, lovely rum flavour running through the soft cake
Of course one of the main draws of Caribbean dining is the cocktail menu as its guaranteed to be full of rum creations!

So it would be rude not to sample as many as possible
We started with The Hummingbird (rum blended with banana, coffee liqueur and coconut). A perfect drink for Brett as he loves milkshakes, rum, coffee and banana. It was gorgeous, even i liked it and im not a big fan of coffee and banana!

When there are two Mojitos on the list of course i am having them both!
Rum Rush Mojito (Appleton Rum, Koko Kanu, Creme De Banane, Pineapple, Mint)

Dunns River Mojito (Midori, Rum, Apple Juice, Lime)
Wow wow wow these were unreal combinations of flavours, i absolutely loved their take on my favourite cocktail

Reggae Rum Punch (Wray and Nephew, Blackwells, Chambord, Pineapple, Lime, Orange)
One of our favourite cocktails from any Caribbean place we have been to. This version was definitely the best though- lots of rum but balanced out by the fruity punch

Blue Mountain (White Rum, Blue Curacao, Mango)
I chose this because of the colour but it was delicious flavours of orange and mango. All of this menu was right up our street as we love tropical rum creations

Sting Wray (Wray and Nephew rum, Creme de Banane, Lime, White Rum)
As it was his birthday, Brett finished off with the strongest cocktail on the menu. Rum, rum, more rum and banana. Strong but still delicious enough to enjoy

Our next stop was back at one of our favourite bars in Leeds- Jakes Bar! We intended to have the Liquid Afternoon Tea menu, which sounded amazing and great value at 3 cocktails and a glass of Moet for £30. You choose one cocktail from each tier- a savoury option from number one, a cake option from number two and a sweet treat option from number 3. Unfortunately they couldn’t do it as they had run out of a lot of the ingredients- they did say they could make a couple of the options for us to sample.

Chocolate Éclair (Cocoa Nip Hennessy VP, PX, Mozart Dark, Peychauds, Crème Patisserie).

It tasted just as good as it looked- creamy and chocolately!

Victoria Sponge (Chambord, Frangelico, Liquor 43, Moet)

I loved the raspberry and vanilla flavours running through this one and the mini piece of Victoria Sponge cake was a nice tough too

And as always when we get chatting and drinking in here, I forgot to make notes of the other cocktails that we had but they were all delicious!

We needed a little snack to tide us over until dinner time so we headed over to Neon Cactus to sample some spooky cocktails and tacos. The Halloween menu was unbelievably good value as the special cocktails were only a fiver each!

We had Rhu-barbed Wire (H) Eyeball (Ocho Blanco, Rhubarb Liqueur, Lime, Grenadine, Soda) this came with a handful of Edible Crickets! i loved this, it was everything i love in a cocktail, alcoholic fruity fizz

Brett of course had the coffee offering- Spiced Coffee From Hell (Ocho Reposado, Cocoa Syrup, Cold Brew, Pimento Dram)

He isnt a big fan of Tequila usually but the hints of vanilla in this one made it less bitter and salty. He absolutely loved it

We had to try the famous Tacos and they didn’t disappoint. Amazing value at a fiver, packed with seasoned pork, smashed avocado and lots of fresh salad. We definitely need to come with empty bellies next time so we can order everything on the menu!

Onto our next bar we headed to Smokestack, which is New Orleans themed decor with lots of Jazz, Blues and Motown tunes playing. We absolutely loved the atmosphere- the music was amazing! The cocktails were also delicious and fit in perfectly with the Deep South theming. Unfortunately this was when Boris announced Lockdown 2.0 but it didn’t put a dampener on anyone’s spirits despite how rubbish the hospitality staff across the city must have been feeling.

Cane ‘n’ Coffee (Doorly’s 5-year rum, Tosolini coffee liqueur, Mozart chocolate liqueur, porter syrup, espresso)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Plymouth dry gin, elderflower & lemon balm cordial, Double Dutch pomegranate & basil soda, prosecco)

Hurricane Smokestack (Appleton Signature, Doorly’s 5 year, Wray & Nephew rums, Bitter Truth Pimento Dram allspice liqueur, Bristol passion fruit syrup, pomegranate syrup, falernum liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice)

Lil Daisy (Fair vodka, Briottet bergamot liqueur, pomegranate syrup, Eager cranberry juice, lemon juice)

[princessnicki]

It was definitely time for food and the main meal that we chose for Brett’s birthday- Vice and Virtue. When we visited here, we had no idea we were being cooked for by a Masterchef The Professionals 2020 Finalist Chef Jono

We arrived shortly after the lockdown announcement and full credit to every single member of staff, they remained professional and didn’t let this detract from the service at all. The atmosphere was upbeat despite everything and the staff gave us a great experience. We were given a great table right next to the kitchen so it felt like we were on the Chefs table (thanks Jono for the lighting for our pictures!)

We enjoyed a 7 course Autumnal tasting menu and the food was incredible, full of really bold interesting flavours. It was hard to pick a favourite course as each one was so different. If you watched Masterchef you will have seen that they love to experiment and push the boundaries here (our last course was a Meringue with Yoghurt and Olives). We have been lucky to have eaten at some incredible restaurants over the last (almost) 5 years and this place is easily in the top 5. We will definitely be back to sample another season and we hope the Bone Marrow Creme Brulee from Masterchef is on the menu on our next visit!

Onto the food, as with all tasting menus the evening begins with a bread course and a snack- this one was an absolutely gorgeous Truffle Popcorn

Oysters in Champagne Beurre Blanc, Caviar

Raw Beef dressed in Langoustine Oil, Kimchi, Lychees, Fermented Tofu, Wasabi

Roast Broccoli, Chicken Skin, Parmesan, Butter Emulsion

Char Sui Pork, Kai Lan, Water Chestnuts, Crispy Noodles

Warm Chocolate Fondant Tart, Stout and Seasalt Icecream

Lemon, Olive, Yoghurt

Petit Four- Nougat

We started with the Signature Cocktail- Yorkshire Lass (Gin Sour- Tart Rhubarb, Apple, Lemon, Egg White)

Old Fashioned

Classic Mojito

A wonderful meal and time for bed now due to the 10pm curfew!

[princessnicki]

Sunday 1st November 2020

We didn’t book anything for our final morning and decided last minute to go Indian Tiffin Room for lunch as it was so close to our hotel. You couldn’t leave your bags in storage but you were allowed the room until 2.30pm so we had plenty of time for lunch!

The first thing you notice when you walk in here is the beautiful smell of incense that fills the air. The menu is a good size and consists of various Indian main meals and street food. We decided to get a couple of curries, sides and street food dishes and share everything between us. One thing we noticed about the street food menu was that there was a large amount of veggie dishes, which makes this place a great option for vegetarians. The staff are friendly and were on hand to help us choose what to have. They also have a really good cocktail menu with lots of Indian inspired flavours. Everything was delicious and cooked really well. The portions are all different sizes so we ordered way too much food as usual and had to take some home.

We started with Chilli Squid, which was a huge portion of squid rings marinated in a Chinese inspired chilli glaze. These were incredibly moreish and we could have eaten another plate of them.

We were delighted to see a variety of different Chaat Bombs as we love the Mowgli version so much. We chose Dahi Puri (puffed hollow pastry filled with potato and yoghurt) – what we loved about these was that they put a helping of the delicious yoghurt on the outside as well as the inside. They were very rich, refreshing with a strong mint flavour.

Our final starter was the Chicken Lollipops which was basically Chicken Tikka on the bone. The marinade was their own recipe and was a mild tikka which contrasted great with the side of hot garlic sauce

For our curries we chose Butter Chicken and a side of Bombay Potatoes and a Peshwari Naan. We chose this as it reminded us of Sanaa and it didn’t disappoint. It was sweet and creamy but not sickly like sweet curry sauces can sometimes be as it had a hint of tomato flavour. The portion of potatoes were one of the highlights of the meal as they were marinated in a delicious spicy coating- it was a huge serving and we ended up taking most of them home.

We also had Lamb Kashmiri and a side of Prawn Fried Rice. The lamb was tender and lean in a rich mild sauce- they slow cook the meat and it isn’t fatty at all. The rice was a delicious fusion of Indian and Chinese flavours and another large portion. We loved all the food here and will definitely be back

For cocktails we had Khatarnaak (basically rum and fruit juice in an awesome lightbulb glass)

Kiwi Melon Breeze (Exotic fruit muddled with passion fruit, sugar and Absolut Vanilla)

Pomegranate Fizz (Prosecco and Pomegranate Syrup)

Spiced Desi Toddy (New age of lassi. Coconut, ginger, gin, spiced with black cardamom and smoked cinnamon).

We didn’t finish everything so took some leftovers back to nibble on later. We headed back to the hotel and checked out after a wonderful weekend for Brett’s birthday.

[kateb78]

More ideas for me to steal - thanks!

[princessnicki]

Originally Posted by kateb78

More ideas for me to steal - thanks!

See more...

you're welcome, I highly recommend all of these places

[KarenG]

Another fabulous report!

I’m just about to get into London for my own cocktail sampling / Junkyard Golf weekend but our dining choices are very cosmopolitan as our 21 year old DD has chosen them. So no trip report here but I can’t wait for my first cocktail in about an hour

[princessnicki]

Originally Posted by KarenG

Another fabulous report!

I’m just about to get into London for my own cocktail sampling / Junkyard Golf weekend but our dining choices are very cosmopolitan as our 21 year old DD has chosen them. So no trip report here but I can’t wait for my first cocktail in about an hour

See more...

Ahhh how exciting would love to see the pics of what food and cocktail adventures you get upto! Junkyard Golf was a lot of fun! We haven't done London since 2018, we love it, I very nearly booked Hard Rock hotel for September as they have a really good offer for their 50th birthday (£71 per night mid week) but I am still clinging onto the hope we are in America in September