A new restaurant selling Korean and Japanese-fusion dishes has opened in Leeds.
Called Oba Kitchen, you'll find it in Leeds' Merrion Centre on the Wade Lane Side. Serving up authentic Korean cuisine with some Japanese elements, this is Asian fusion at its finest.
Whilst it's not all vegan, there are some brilliant options for those on a plant-based diet with a huge selection of vegan starters, mains and sushi.
Think tofu katsu teriyaki, katsu curry and tofu steak, plus iconic Korean veggie bibimbap, toppokki (vegan rice cake with a sweet-spicy sauce) and Kinoko butter (assorted mushrooms, garlic and vegan butter).
Image: Oba Kitchen
As for the meat-eaters, there's plenty of options for you too - with dishes like ginger pork belly and flambe king scallops cooked in brandy, classic nobu style black cod miso and cumin lamb racks listed alongside the likes of bibimbap, katsu and beef steak wraps.
Enjoy alongside side dishes like Korean glass noodles. steamed rice, cold buckwheat noodles with wasabi or opt for a selection of their extensive sushi menu - which spans a huge selection of special handmade Oba rolls and nigiri.
On the drinks front, you'll find a selection of signature Korean wines like kooksoondang, shirokiku and soju served alongside Japanese plum wine.
Image: Oba Kitchen
Elsewhere, you'll find a good selection of whites, reds and sparkling wines alongside classic cocktails like espresso martinis, coconut slings and honey butter old fashioned, plus beers, spirits and ciders.
Oba Kitchen is not the only new addition to arrive at the Merrion centre, either. The shopping centre has also just welcomed a new hairdressing salon called Hair by Gordon, which specialises in cutting Asian men and women's hair.
Charles Newman, owners of the Merrion Centre said: “It’s fantastic to welcome this latest duo of businesses to the Merrion Centre and we’re confident their specialist offerings will prove popular with new and existing visitors including the increasing international student population within close proximity.
To find out more about Oba Kitchen, follow them on Instagram here.
A Leeds pub has been crowned one of the very best in the country by The Good Food Guide.
The trusted guide has just released its 100 Best Pubs in Britain list, and we're very chuffed with the results indeed.
Taking the coveted number three spot is our very own The Highland Laddie, a 100-year-old city centre institution that reopened in April 2025 in the hands of new owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton.
These guys also run the Empire Cafe, so you just know it's going to be good.
Last year they soared straight to the top of the list and were crowned the best pub in the whole of Britain by the guide.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This time, the Queen's Arms over in Eccles came number one followed by The Cow in Notting Hill.
We still think bagging third place is quite the achievement, and if you've visited The Highland Laddie yourself you'll know just how much of a special place it is.
Don't just take our word for it, The Good Food Guide labelled the Laddie as 'a true pub with a genuine community vibe'.
They also said: "Reenergised by the team behind the Empire Cafe in 2025, this is everything that a proper English pub should be – 'oh, and they have a mustard menu!'
"Inside, the Laddie ticks all the boxes, preserving the essentials of a traditional old-school boozer and maintaining a genuine sense of community while letting the good times roll. As for the food, it’s ‘both high-end and accessible’, pulling in ideas from all over, whether you fancy a freshly shucked Lindisfarne oyster, a keema toastie or an elevated ham roll with bread cooked over the coals.
"Dig deeper and you might find a lobster madeleine with Yorkshire chorizo butter, a treacle onion tart or pork schnitzel with two fried eggs. Club steaks are served by the inch, there’s no creative let-up when it comes to sides, and the nostalgia is ramped up with the likes of strawberry and Champagne trifle with ‘sprinkles’.
"But never forget that this is a self-proclaimed ‘drinkers’ pub’ dispensing everything from ‘properly served’ British brews and ’the best Guinness in Leeds’ to a staggering line-up of whisky optics."
Popular egg sandwich shop Egg & Co is opening in Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
This much loved breakfast spot do one thing and one thing very well...egg sandwiches.
And it may be a familiar name to some of you lot, as Egg & Co recently opened up on bustling Deansgate in Manchester as well as inside Cambridge Street Collective in Sheffield.
This will be their first site in Leeds, though, and we're very 'eggsited' about it...sorry.
If you've got been introduced to the wonders of Egg & Co yet, then allow us to fill you in on what to expect.
Images: The Manc Group
From here, you’ll be able to grab their unbeatable breakfast sandwiches, where soft scrambled egg is piled into warm brioche buns.
There are a dozen or so breakfast butties on the menu here (yes, they do all feature egg), with other fillings ranging from beef patties to turkey bacon to caramelised onion.
And there’s more – sides here include truffle hash browns, curly fries, and chicken bites.
Of course it wouldn't be a breakfast spot without some caffeinated beverages as well, so we predict as with their Manchester site you'll be able to grab your morning coffee and matcha as well as freshly squeezed orange juice fresh enough to cure any hangover.
We don't know of the exact location yet, but we do know it'll be in Leeds city centre.
Images: The Manc Group
Teasing the news on their Instagram, Egg & Co said: "LEEDS, WE’RE ON OUR WAY. You heard it right. Eggandco is heading to Leeds!
"Same eggs. Same fresh sandwiches. Same Eggandco experience. Just a new city to call home."
Of course, in true Leeds fashion, supporters flocked to the comments to show their excitement and demanding an extra clue on the exact location.
Egg & Co are keeping this under wraps for now, but we'll keep you updated as and when we know more.
Georgina Pellant -
17th September 2021 
