Ellie Kate | Leeds Lifestyle, Food, Beauty and Fashion Blog

If you think back to summer last year, then you may remember that I wrote a blog post about my first ever Gin Festival, which took place in Leeds. It was a completely new experience for me as I had only ever been to beer festivals before - but me and Martin had a whale of a time, and since then my appreciation for gin has grown tenfold. Now, if I'm not having a beer as my alcoholic beverage, then you can bet that it is a gin I'm having! Over the last eight months or so, I've managed to try some truly exceptional gins, but I'm always curious about trying new ones. This is where the Gin Explorer Club steps in! I was asked if I'd like to review their January box*, and of course I grabbed the chance with both hands. Now, I had indeed (and mentioned in said blog post linked above) heard of the Gin Explorer Club, but didn't get to spend a lot of time at their stand at the festival as it was too busy. Therefore, I didn't know exactly what I was going to get in my exciting new box - I deliberately didn't look online in order to not spoil myself! Continue reading to find out what was in the box and my thoughts on it.






Before I delve into the contents of the box however, let's talk about the packaging. When it arrived, I didn't even know that it was the box at first, as the outer packaging was absolutely huge! I was grateful that it was well protected, but it did seem quite excessive - I'd like to see the Gin Explorer Club cut down on this in the future. However, once I wrestled my way inside, my box finally rose up to greet me. I really liked the design of the box - it was designed to mimic an old-fashioned suitcase, and put me in mind of a traveller setting off on their adventures! Now, as mentioned previous, I had no idea what to expect from this box - I didn't know whether it was going to be one full size bottle, or a few smaller ones. I was very pleased to discover that it was the latter! I know there are other gin subscription boxes that offer you the former each month; but I think the downside to that is if you don't end up liking the product, you're stuck with a big bottle and nowhere for it to go. I like the idea of being able to try a few gins each month, and by the end of it picking a favourite to potentially buy a full size bottle of - this you can do directly from the Gin Festival website. Inside each box for the month comes a pamphlet, telling you all about the products included in the box. This not only tells you what you are getting, but some interesting information about the products in question and some suggestions as to what to do with them. January's theme was "Ginuary", and celebrated making it to the end of "Dry January" and rewarding yourself with a nice glass of gin and tonic. I never participated in it, but I wasn't going to turn their advice down! It also takes you on the journey around the world, starting from Bedale, through Thornbury, Chiswick and finishing at Still Bay (a total of 6374 miles!) with the four gins that are in the box. I really liked the pamphlet, and think that it adds a nice touch to the box - I love to read everything there is to know about new products that I receive!





So, let's get into what's actually in the box, shall we? I will get to the gins in a moment, but first let me tell you what was included with them. The mixer of choice for any gin is of course a tonic, and in this box there were two new ones for me to try, both from The London Essence Co. I've never heard of this brand before, let alone tried anything from them, so I was excited to have these with my new gins. The London Essence Co aim to produce drinks that are both low in calories and naturally sweet, to provide the most authentic flavour. The variations included in January's box were the Classic and Grapefruit & Rosemary; the latter sounded particularly interesting to me, as I had never tried a flavoured tonic before. I couldn't wait to get stuck in! Next up was a packet of Spare Fruit Pear Crisps, again a product I have never heard of before. The ethos behind this product is rather brilliant; the company buys fruit that supermarkets won't accept, and that would otherwise be going to waste. From all this fruit (and there will be a lot - think how many will not look perfect, but will still taste fine?), they produce these 100% natural, air-dried crisps that have no added sugar or other flavourings. It's a simple idea, but one that I've personally never seen done before. These tasted great, really fresh and full of flavour; I would never have guessed that they were made from 'wonky' fruit! The final two products were two teas from The English Tea Shop; Organic Super Berries and Organic Calming Blend. Now, I'm sorry to admit that I don't really have anything to say about these two products, as I don't like tea - sadly even ones as lovely sounding as these! However, these have been passed on to those who will appreciate them, so they haven't gone to waste.




Finally, we're onto the gins - this is what we're all here for, right? All of these bottles were a generous 50ml each; enough for two servings from each one, giving you eight gin and tonics in total. First up is the Inverroche Gin Amber, 43%. Hailing from South Africa, Inverroche Distillery lies in the convergence between the Goukou River and the Indian Ocean, near the resort of Stillbay. The star ingredient in their gins is Fynbos, a type of vegetation that grows specifically in the Western Cape of South Africa. The Fynbos used to create the Gin Amber is selected from the coastal regions (meaning it is more aromatic and spicy), and the spirit undergoes a secondary infusion with this strain of Fynbos before bottling. This is why it has the unusual deep, amber tone that characterises this gin. I tried this gin with the classic London Essence Co. tonic and it was a surprise to me, as I had never tasted anything like it before. If I'm honest, it was a little too dry and bitter for my taste, but I noticed a pleasant warmth that I've not found in any other gin. A really unusual gin that I'm really happy to have tried!

Next is Masons Slow Distilled Sloe Gin, 42%. This is a company that I'm familiar with as they are based in Yorkshire (represent!), and I have tried their Original Yorkshire Gin before. This Sloe edition is their latest addition to the family, and is limited edition - so it will not be around forever! This gin is a bit unusual in comparison to other sloe gins, as the production process is slightly different. Instead of infusing the gin with sloes, as is traditionally so, Masons distill their sloes with Harrogate spring water and juniper - which is grown in their own garden. This is more like the traditional 'London Dry' method, and in turn produces a warming, mellow gin with a natural sweetness. This was my second favourite out of the four, and I believe that you can really taste the difference between this and other sloe gins. Sometimes the sweetness can taste artificial, but not so in this case. I tried this with a classic and an elderflower tonic, and preferred it with the latter.

Third in line is the 6 O'Clock Damson Gin, 26%. Obviously the first thing to note is its striking colour, which looked beautiful when served in a balloon glass. Using their 6 O'Clock Original Gin as a base, it is still made in the traditional way; using hand-picked British damsons and sugar to bring out the natural flavour. It doesn't taste dissimilar to the Masons Sloe Gin, but I found this to be a lot sweeter. However, it still had a rich dryness to it, which made it incredibly well balanced. This was my favourite gin out of them all, and I'm hoping that I will be able to afford to buy myself a full size bottle in the future! I've already recommended this gin to others, and very highly recommend it for any gin aficionados out there. I need to try and find their original gin now!

Last, but no means least, is Sipsmith's V.J.O.P., 57.7%. This was the strongest ABV of them all, and you could sure taste it! Standing for 'Very Junipery Over Proof', this gin, as the name suggests, contains a lot more juniper berries than their London Dry - three times more, in fact - and is distilled in three stages. The end result is an extremely aromatic gin, that worked beautifully with the Grapefruit & Rosemary tonic. Having tried their London Dry gin before, I was curious to see how this compared, and also to other London Dry gins I've had in the past. This was definitely a more heavy-going gin than the other three, but this was by no means a bad thing - the flavours really shone through, even when paired with a flavoured tonic. I found it to be extremely decadent (without being overpowering) and without losing any of the high quality that Sipsmith is known for - quite an achievement. If you're looking for a gin that will immediately impress, this is the one for you.



These four gins lasted me for the month, and I have to say that I was really happy with the products that I received. Each gin was unique - some from familiar names, and some from not - but there was no "standard" gin here, which to be honest I was a little apprehensive about receiving. These are gins that are not going to be readily available in your nearest supermarket, and that was exactly what I was looking for from this box. I really enjoyed exploring the individual flavour profiles of each gin, and it has helped me on the journey of discovering what I like and don't like to have. I'm not a picky person, and am always willing to try something once - and this box has allowed me to do that! I was pleased to discover one gin that I really, really enjoyed - enough to want to own a full size bottle - that I would have never tried elsewhere. So, in short; if you enjoy your gin and are looking to shake things up and try something new, I would highly recommend the Gin Explorer Club. It offers good value for money, and is an excellent way to begin your gin journey and open yourself up to a whole new world!

This year seems to have been the one for fashion-based blogger events, and I for one am not complaining! They're pretty much the only time that I can get glammed up these days, and they're always a lot of fun. The event this time around was called #BonPrixOnTheRocks (I loved the name!), and was held in Leeds for bloggers from the surrounding areas. Before I had even clicked open the email, I thought - "What on earth am I going to wear?" I don't really own anything dressy these days; my wardrobe is quite casual, to say the least, and as mentioned, I very rarely get dressed up for an evening. However, my fears were unfounded; not only had I been invited along, but Bon Prix were going to supply a dress for me to wear for the occasion as well! As you can imagine, I was straight onto the party dresses section of their website, ready to hunt down that perfect dress.





The event was held at the Malmaison hotel in Leeds city centre, which you may remember I reviewed last year. When we arrived, I noticed that the foyer and restaurant had changed a little, but apart from that, it was much the same. We were greeted by Jennie, and straight away we were posing on the steps to have a group picture taken by Matt, the photographer from Search Laboratory. It didn't take too much persuading - we are bloggers, after all! - and throughout the evening, it was wonderful to have someone to take some pictures for us. Afterwards, we headed upstairs to be greeted by Alice, who was in the event space waiting for us. The space was split into two rooms - one full of comfy seating, and the other all set up into a makeshift cocktail bar! This made us all very excited for the evening ahead. Not only we were going to spend time mingling with fellow bloggers, but we were going to be given a cocktail masterclass in making not one, but two cocktails!





Before I go into the event, I ought to tell you about my dress, hadn't I? I have to admit, I spent far longer than I should have on Bon Prix's website, going back and forth between options. There was one dress that I kept coming back to - the Organza Shell Evening Dress in Black*. I had never worn anything like it before in my life, so I was a bit concerned about being able to pull it off. However, at the time there was still a good month to go until the event, so I figured that I would choose that one, and I could always request a different one if I didn't like it. When it arrived and I tried it on, I loved it - although I needed to find the right shapewear to go underneath! - and started to plan what else to wear with it. I kept the jewellery simple and chose a gold bow necklace from M&Co, and a few gold stacking rings from Primark. The dress was screaming for a bit of Hollywood glamour, so I popped on some red nail varnish (on the bus - it was easily my worst paint job yet!), created a slightly smokey eye and applied some red lipstick. It's been a while since I went to town on my makeup, so my skills were a little rusty! I was really pleased with my dress; it was extremely comfortable, and it had quite a lot of stretch so it fitted nicely without bunching up too much whenever I sat down. I loved the cut-out back detail as well, which showed off a bit of skin but still allowed me to wear a regular bra underneath! I got a lot of compliments on it throughout the evening, and I felt like a princess. Now that I know I can wear a dress like this, I'll definitely feel more inclined to wear something similar again in the future - as and when the occasion calls for it!






After we had been topped up with champagne and admiring everyone else's dresses, it was time for us to make our first cocktail! We were split up into two groups; I was in the second group, so the first cocktail that we were going to make was the "Sassy Sapphire Frocktail", served in a tall glass and consisting of Bombay Sapphire, ginger beer, lime juice, sugar syrup and mint leaves. It was described to us as being very similar to a Mojito, but using gin instead of rum. We were first shown how to do it properly by the bartender, then we went up in groups of three to give it a try for ourselves. I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm any good at this sort of thing, but we were given help and guidance along the way so I managed somehow not to muck it up. The hardest bit was shaking up the cocktail mixture; you've really got to put your back into it, so it's really hard on the arms! The hard work was worth it though, as at the end we had ourselves a delicious cocktail each. It was one of those ones that I could have had two or three of without any trouble, it was that good! We all had a good laugh doing it, and I think the bartender was a star for putting up with us giggling, loud girls - patience of a saint, that one.




We weren't just getting spoilt with drinks that evening, oh no. The restaurant at the Malmaison had laid on some canapés for us as well, to whet our appetite whilst sipping at our cocktails. Having eaten at the hotel before, I knew that the food was good and I was pleased to see that this was still the case. Sliders, calamari, bruschetta... it was all polished off in mere minutes! In between making cocktails, I got to catch up with some of my favourite bloggers and get to know some new ones, which is always great at an event like this. At the event, I assumed that there would be a few of us that had managed to pick the same dress - but somehow, everyone had managed to choose something different! Everyone looked amazing, and it was great to hear first-hand how everyone found the fit and quality. We also got to browse the latest Bon Prix catalogue, which showcased the new collection, and get to know the brand a bit better. We were also supplied with more wine (as if the champagne and cocktails weren't enough!), so we were well and truly looked after for the evening.





The second cocktail that was lined up for us was the "Pretty in Pink Frocktail", served in a martini glass and consisting of Absolut Citron, Cointreau, cranberry juice and lime juice. This was appropriately named, as it was bright pink! This again required a lot of effort to get all of the ingredients mixed up, but the finishing touch was yet to come. To garnish our cocktail, we needed to light a piece of orange skin with a lighter, and then drop it into the drink. This was much more difficult than it sounds, as we had to flick the lighter on with the index finger rather than the thumb, hold the flame close enough, then drop it as soon as it caught fire! The look of concentration on my face in the picture above says it all. We all had varying degrees of success, but I'm proud to say that I got awarded with the compliment of "the best one yet" out of the group! I did catch the end of my finger with the flame, mind you... but it was totally worth it. This cocktail was a lot stronger than the previous one, and it went to my head pretty quickly! It didn't help either that we were encouraged to have a shot of Absolut Citron whilst making our cocktails, so it's not surprising that by the end of the night I was a bit tipsy!




This event was honestly one of the best ones that I've ever been to as a blogger. It was the right mixture of mingling and planned activities, so the evening flew by really quickly. I loved the fact that we could all see each other in our outfits, and see how each person had chosen to style their dress up. Bon Prix certainly seem to have something for everyone, no matter what your style or occasion, and all for a very reasonable price point too. Some other events that I've been to in the past have just had clothing on a rail to look at, but seeing the dresses on real women of all shapes and sizes was so much better than that, and a fantastic way to showcase the brand. At the end of the night, we were generously gifted a goody bag from Bon Prix to take with us too. This contained two miniatures of gin and Chambord, as well as a beautiful cocktail glass so that we can have a go at making our own cocktails at home! It truly was a wonderful event, and I want to say thank you to Search Laboratory and Bon Prix for the invitation. Be sure to check out Bon Prix's write-up of the event on their blog!

I know guys, another post about food... I do write about other things on occasion, I promise!! Between you and me, though, I was super excited to be invited to try out MOD Pizza. I missed the launch of the restaurant back in June, and ever since various friends and coworkers have been and told me how great it is. "Why haven't you gone yet, you need to go!", they'd say. Well, I just hadn't had the chance yet. In my mind, me and Martin would go when there was a film we wanted to see (there is a VUE cinema in the same complex), and go chow down on some pizza afterwards. It was never a formulated plan, but that was the way it was going to go down when it did happen. Someone must have been smiling down on me, because I received an email a few weeks ago, asking if I would like to come along and review the restaurant. Me and Martin really wanted to go see Doctor Strange one weekend in the near future - so, at last, the plan came together! Keep reading to find out how we got on.






After seeing Doctor Strange (would highly recommend, by the way!), we headed across the complex for our first ever MOD Pizza experience. If I remember rightly, the building used to house a Harvester's restaurant before, which I had never been to. Rather unusually, it is close by to the resident Pizza Hut; which I have been to before, and wasn't overly impressed with. It is also next door to a Five Guys - which I also need to get around to trying one day - so it does well at fitting in with the rest of the crowd. One thing that struck me immediately was how bright and inviting the restaurant looked. We were greeted by all of the staff with a cheery "hello!" as soon as we walked in the door, so that immediately made us feel very welcome! I loved the decor inside, too; it reminded me in a way of Smoke Barbecue, which I reviewed earlier this year. It definitely had an "American" feel, with neon signs and bright, colourful, graffiti-style artwork on the walls, as you would expect - its story did begin in America, after all. The dining area is very simple, with no fuss, no pretence and even no cutlery - we don't do a Donald Trump and eat pizza with such things, you either eat it with your hands, or don't bother at all!







Before I tell you about the food, let me tell you first about how MOD Pizza works. Have you ever been to a Subway? It's a similar concept to that. You can choose either a pizza or a salad, and each of those is a set price - no matter how many toppings you have on it. So, whether you like good old cheese and tomato, or want to go all out with the meat feast, it will always be the same price! I loved this, and think it's a brilliant concept. Our pizza size (the MOD), was £7.47, for example - even though me and Martin had very different things on our pizzas. There are currently nine pre-made pizza options options on the menu, that you can order just how it comes, or you can modify according to your tastes - again, at no extra cost. Pretty neat, huh? When it's time to get started on the toppings, the choices are seemingly endless. Want some roasted, tender stem broccoli? Sure, why not. How about some chickpeas? Go on, throw some on there. Every possible topping you could think of for a pizza, they probably have at MOD - it was a bit overwhelming I admit, but you can have a lot of fun with it! If you're finding yourself spoilt for choice and can't decide what to have, the staff are extremely helpful and will make suggestions and recommendations for you. Once you have finally decided on the toppings, you can then add sauce and/or spices on top, and off into the pizza oven it goes. As extras, you can get garlic strips, and of course a drink with your meal. When we were there, the staff were trialling a new buzzer system, instead of calling out your name. This seemed to work perfectly, as less than ten minutes later our pizzas had arrived!





Now, onto the bit you've been waiting for, the pizzas. To start, we shared some garlic strips, with some "Sri-Rancha" sauce for dipping. This was just right for me, as I love a bit of spice, but it doesn't love me. This hit the nail on the head, delivering that kick without any of the pure mouth-burning sensation that Martin usually craves! I'm afraid that my pizza didn't photograph very well - the lack of colours makes it look quite unappealing! - but it was spectacular. I chose "The Dominic"; white sauce, asiago cheese, fresh chopped basil, red onion, tomatoes and mild sausage. However, I asked for it without the onions and tomatoes, and instead added black olives, mushroom, chicken, roast garlic and oregano. I won't pretend that I knew what I was doing when choosing these toppings, I just went for ones that I really like! I've never had a white sauce pizza before, so that was new to me. It was honestly one of the best pizzas that I've had in a long time; I could immediately tell that the ingredients used were fresh, and it makes such a difference on a dish like this. The pizzas do not take very long to cook, so having that freshness coming through was definitely something I was looking for, and it was spot on. I would have preferred mine little bit more well done, but the base was firm all the way through, and wasn't sad or limp looking - or worst still, raw in the middle! For Martin and his pizza, well, lets just say that he went all out. He started from scratch, and chose pizza sauce, mozzarella, chicken, jalapenos, chickpeas, asiago cheese, parmasan and blue cheese, topped with buffalo sauce. He wolfed his down so quick, that I had only just made it halfway through mine - it's safe to say that he enjoyed it! He isn't keen on a lot of vegetables, so to be able to pick his own and not spend ten minutes picking some off was a nice change, to say the least. Again, it was big on flavour thanks to the fresh ingredients, and the size of the pizzas were just right for us.



Feeling quite full, we didn't want a full dessert (the only option was cinnamon strips, but with a choice of dips), so instead decided to have a milkshake each. These were quite a bit filling than I had anticipated, so I neglected to finish mine! There is a choice of either vanilla, chocolate or strawberry milkshakes - which you can either have as they are, or add on a "mix-in". We both chose a vanilla milkshake, but I had mine with salted caramel and Martin had chocolate coffee crunch. I was expecting this to be blended in as a flavour to the milkshake, which it was, but there were also pieces at the bottom for you to eat too! Martin's had coffee beans at the bottom of his milkshake, which I have to admit was quite unexpected. The milkshakes really were good (definitely satisfied my sweet tooth!), but if I had to make a criticism, it's that the straws were too narrow. Because of these "bits" in the bottom of the cup, it was very difficult to drink through them! Still, there are worse problems to have, and I successfully gave myself brain-freeze from trying to drink it all. Good times! So, all in all, if you're looking for somewhere fun and relaxed to try next time you fancy a meal out, I'd highly recommend trying MOD Pizza. Not only is the food excellent and very reasonably priced, but it is served quickly - perfect if you're a bit short on time - and the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. It's perfect for couples, friends and families alike, and it's an excellent choice even for the most fussiest of eaters. I have no doubt that we will be back again in the future; my only regret is that I waited so long to give it a go!

More often than not, when I am invited to blogger events, I can't make them. They're often held during the week, when I'm working - it always frustrates me! Having received an email inviting me to the VIP new menu launch at Chaophraya a few weeks ago, it was yet another email I had to reply with my regretful decline to. However, this case was different - I was emailed back asking if I'd like to come along and try another time! This cheered me up no end, and I of course accepted their very kind offer. As such, I was able to review on a weekend, when both me and Martin could go and enjoy an evening of new and exciting food and experiences. I've never really eaten Thai food before - only dabbled in a couple of dishes here and there, and nothing truly authentic - so I was very excited to be dining at one of the most well known Thai restaurants in Leeds.



Tucked away on Swinegate in Leeds city centre, if I'm honest I'd never really paid it much attention before. It's in an area of Leeds that I don't tend to visit very often, and when I have, I've been on the way to somewhere else. However, the exterior is really quite eye-catching, with large bay windows showing customers eating Thai food in the traditional manner (seated on the floor as opposed to sitting at a table). Once you venture inside, the decor is overwhelmingly beautiful and unique - or at least it was to my eyes. Fish tanks on the walls, statues on every corner, stunning artwork everywhere you looked. Amongst all this however, it was very clean and elegant; the tables themselves were simple, with fresh flowers adorning each one. When we arrived we were taken straight upstairs, and given time to peruse the menu and order ourselves some drinks. Beer drinkers we are, so beer is what we chose; a Lowlander IPA for me, brewed with coriander and white tea, and a Little Creatures Pale Ale for Martin. I was impressed that Chaophraya offered something other than the usual suspects and was quite happy with the selection, but Martin thought that they could offer more. More choice is always good, but these two beers we chose I thought went very well with our food, so no complaints from me!



We were taking some time to decide what to eat (I was more indecisive than usual because it all sounded good!), so to keep us going we were brought some crackers. I want to say that they were prawn crackers, but they were unlike any that I'd ever had before. They were complimented with a subtly spicy dip, and were soon demolished before we'd even finished choosing what we wanted to eat from the menu! The menus themselves are unlike any I have seen before, with wooden covers and opening out into one large sheet. The menu guides you through a journey - explaining how the restaurant takes its name from the main waterway in Thailand - and begins with small plates, or what we more commonly know as starters. Chaophraya recommend choosing a dish each and sharing amongst your company, so that's what we did! I chose the soft shell crab and squid tempura, with wing bean and asparagus tempura and chilli and lime avocado dip. When this arrived, I thought that it was a rather large portion of food. However, once I started to work my way through I realised that it was very light, thanks to the crispy batter, and full of unusual and interesting flavours. Surprisingly, my favourite part of the dish was the asparagus tempura; I think it's because I've never had it that way before, and it made me see asparagus in a whole new light! The dip was also something special, adding a sharp bite that really brought the dish to life. Martin ordered the steamed prawn and pork dumplings, topped with fried garlic and a sweet soy sauce. Now, if anything has garlic on it, Martin is all over it - and this dish was right up his street. These were very rich in flavour, but like the tempura were surprisingly light in texture. Steamed dumplings are a favourite of ours, and these were among the best that I've ever had. The garlic came through but not too strongly, and was balanced well with the sweetness of the sauce. The meat inside was perfectly cooked; so well in fact, that it was like they were part of the dumplings themselves. The dumplings soaked up the soy sauce and the garlic, so that every bite was succulent and intense; not a dry patch was in sight, which to me was a very good thing.



Next on our journey through Thai cuisine was the main course. I really didn't know what to choose; to be honest, I found the mains selection a bit overwhelming, in the sense that there were a lot of dishes featured. In the end, I decided to go for a Thai classic and chose the Chicken Pad Thai - stir-fried rice noodles in tamarind sauce, with chicken, spring onions, carrots, egg, tofu, sweet turnip and bean sprouts, topped with pickled vegetables. As you can see, there were a lot of ingredients in this dish, and I was curious to see how they would all work together. I was expecting an abundance of complex flavours, but in actual fact it was a very simple and elegant dish. No one flavour overpowered another, but instead all worked together to create the classic that it is known to be. I did particularly enjoy the chicken, which was tender and juicy; quite impressive I thought, as the cuts of meat were quite large for such a dish. The pickled vegetables were an appreciated bonus, and worked well with the dish as a whole. Martin chose the crispy pork belly with Thai basil, served with a side of steamed noodles. Created with sugar snap peas, peppers, fresh chillies, garlic and hot basil leaves, it surprised us both when it arrived on a bed of - what I guessed to be - pak choi! However, this didn't put him off and he soon got stuck in. The pork belly was, in his opinion, absolutely perfect. Like with the chicken in my dish, the meat was tender on the inside, but suitably crisp on the outer and delicately enhanced by the chilli and garlic sauce. Pork belly is one of Martin's favourite dishes, so when he finds a good one, I soon know about it! I had a try, and even though I'm not usually a fan of pork belly, it got a big thumbs-up from me. The steamed noodles, with fried garlic and soy sauce, accompanied this dish perfectly, and made for an extremely satisfying meal.



To finish, we were tempted with the dessert menu - not that I needed much persuasion! I decided to go for something that I'd never have before, which was the Thai dessert sampler; Thai pancakes, with pandan leaf custard and mango sticky rice. Along with all of the other dishes, this was so beautifully presented, that it almost looked too good to eat. The pancakes had an unusual texture, but in a good way; the taste as well as this reminded me of a sweet that I've had before, but can't place. The custard inside was smooth and creamy, as you would expect, but not as sweet as I had anticipated. This paired beautifully with the fresh mango, and again with the sticky rice. This reminded me a lot of rice pudding, but much lighter and with a beautiful, delicate flavour. If you ever visit Chaophraya, you simply must try this dessert - it was sublime. With my final course I decided to try out one of their cocktails, and one in particular had caught my eye; the Mockingbird (In a Cage), made with Jinzu gin, Maraschino, pink grapefruit juice, cherry and soda. The cocktail itself sounded delicious, but I was really curious about how it was going to be presented! When it arrived, it really made me laugh - it was indeed in a cage, just like the menu said. It was a bit of a gimmick and actually a little inconvenient to drink out of, but it was good fun and it would certainly draw attention at a party table! For Martin's dessert, he ordered the White Chocolate Box; white chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis, on butter shortbread and served with a mini macaroon and passion fruit syrup. The mousse was firm, so it held its ground very well, but soft and melted easily in the mouth. The raspberry coulis, which I was expecting to be drizzled on the top, was actually inside the mousse itself, adding a sweet tang to the dish - the same could be said for the passion fruit syrup. The shortbread was crumbly but added some much-needed crunch, and the mini macaroon I thought complimented the mousse quite well. Martin's cocktail was far less showy than mine, but was equally as delectable. Featuring in the list of after-dinner cocktails, the Mexican Pudding was created with Ron Zacapa, Frangelico, cream, agave, espresso and chocolate. It was definitely more of a man's cocktail if there ever was one, and even though I declined to taste it, I was assured that it packed a lot of punch - both in flavour and in alcoholic content!



My first visit to Chaophraya (Martin had dined there before, but it was a very long time ago) - and my first true foray into Thai cuisine - was certainly an eye-opening experience for me. The atmosphere of the restaurant was quite unlike any other that I had been in, and made you feel like you weren't in Leeds at all, but on a completely different continent. I imagine this is amplified when you seated and dine in a traditional Thai fashion, and it's something I would love to do one day. The food, as mentioned previous was all beautifully presented; it is clear to see that Chaophraya really do believe in taking you on their journey throughout the menu, exploring the dishes in all their complexity, and the presentation definitely lived up to my expectations. The quality of the food was excellent, and the ingredients used were fresh - always a good thing in a restaurant of this standing. I would say that the prices are a little higher than what I would expect to pay, but for your money you are getting a unique experience, and it would be the perfect treat for that special occasion. We had a lovely evening at Chaophraya Leeds, sampling the finest in Thai cuisine, and I can't wait to visit again in the future.