Danny Malin, the face of food-ranking channel Rate My Takeaway, has listed some of his best and worst takeaways of all time.
The Leeds presenter gave a shout-out to some of his favourite spots during his guest appearance on the Happy Hour Podcast in August, whilst also reflecting on his least enjoyable meal.
Malin has amassed a six-figure following on YouTube for his series in which he tries takeaways all over the country, taking a camera on the road with him.
Getting recommendations from viewers, Malin films each experience - giving every restaurant a mark out of ten.
So far, he's been to Bradford for chocolate kebabs and to Bolton for a breakfast cooked by a grandma, but among the dozens of places he's visited, a few stood out from the pack.
Malin named three takeaways he loved the most - saying he'd found the best one a matter of days ago.
In third, he listed Chez Joel - a little food van in the centre of Leeds near Trinity - where he sampled a French taco and beef patty for a fiver.
"You can go to London and pay £200 [for that]... and [Chez Joel] will beat it any day," he said.
In second place was Abdul's in Wakefield - one of the first videos he ever recorded.
"The naan bread was like heaven... and the curry was just unreal," he commented.
Top of the pile, however, was Nibble - a cafe hidden away between office blocks in Hull.
Malin said he ordered a breakfast sandwich and a chorizo waffle with maple bacon and eggs, along with a chicken tikka wrap and a cookie brownie for dessert - and ended up loving the lot.
He was also urged to order a side of hash browns - which turned out to be a "taste sensation".
Malin also spoke out about one of the more unpleasant experiences he's had during the series - when he travelled all the way up to Scotland to sample a 'munch' box.
Reflecting on the experience, Malin told the podcast: "I'm stood there and they're cooking this food in this fryer, and I could just smell they'd probably not changed the oil since [the] War."
"I opened the box... and it just hit ya. This waft of 30-year-old oil. It turned my stomach a little bit."
Malin also compared the sausage to a "dead finger" and the burger having what looked like "warts".
"So, yeah... it got a 1 [rating]," Malin admitted.
"But I did upgrade to a 2 for the bottle of Irn Bru."
You can listen to the Rate My Takeaway presenter's full appearance on the Happy Hour Podcast on Spotify.
Manchester's favourite Mexican bar is about to become your newest nightlife destination in Leeds.
It's been a long time coming, but Salon Madre is officially ready to open in Leeds.
Although we may have to wait a little bit longer for Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, Salon Madre, its lively tequila bar and pool hall sibling, is officially opening on Friday 20 February.
Salon Madre, which will be located just around the corner from Madre at 114 Wellington Street, is where the party really gets started.
Image: The Manc Group
Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens.
There will also be plenty of tacos being flung out the kitchen to keep you going until the early hours.
If you’ve ever visited one of their venues in Manchester or Liverpool, you’ll know it’s an absolute riot and we can’t wait to welcome them to the city.
Images: The Manc Group
Co-founder Sam Grainger, inspired by countless trips to Mexico, says: “Mexico is alive with passionate artisans and cooks, mastering everything from street tacos to regional delicacies. It’s a world where traditions blend and evolve and we’ve built that ethos into the heart of both Madre and Salon Madre.”
Madre Leeds will open soon and you can even grab yourself a free margarita by signing up to their newsletter here.
We’ll keep you up to date with their opening times but for now, we'll see you at Salon Madre for a boogie, margarita and game of pool next week.
Award-winning Leeds restaurant announces shock closure just months after opening
Clementine Hall
Emba in Leeds will be closing its doors with the owner blaming rising costs and pressure on the hospitality sector.
Back in April last year, one of Leeds' top restaurants The Owl closed its doors.
Run by renowned Chef Liz Cottam, The Owl was reimagine into Emba - a trendy restaurant tat bridged 'the gap between cosy bar and vibrant dining room'.
To open Emba, Cottam opened a Crowdfunder where supporters would be awarded with prizes such as VIP dinners and merch depending on how much they donated.
But sadly just months after opening, Emba is to close permanently.
Cottam confirmed the sad news with a statement shared with customers over the weekend, saying she was completely "heartbroken".
She said: “This is no longer the right time to own independent restaurants like Emba,” she said. “Under the current conditions they cannot survive and the recent budget confirmed what so many of us already knew: no meaningful help is coming for hospitality.
"The experience of being here and the harsh financial reality of running a business here no longer stack up.
"Being award winning, popular, admired and loved no longer means profitable and as an industry if we’re honest most of us have not truly been okay since Covid."
She signed off the statement promising to return to the restaurant world, she said: “What I do know is this, I am not done. I will keep cooking, keep creating and keep finding ways to do the thing I love.”
The Hoot -
17th August 2021 
