Celebrating its 20 year anniversary, Sukhothai has re-launched its long-archived menu from their first opening in 2002.
Opening two Sukhothai restaurants (one in Leeds city centre and another in Chapel Allerton), six Zaap Thais across the North, winning countless awards and surviving a global pandemic that saw the even the best restaurants fall prey to the cruel financial reality of lockdowns- owner Ban Kaewkraikhot really has had a whirlwind twenty years.
Celebrating all that her team has accomplished, as well as their 20th birthday of their original Chapel Allerton restaurant, an incredible menu from 2002 is offering Leeds a taste of traditional Thai cuisine from time gone by.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The absense of the ever-trendy Pad Thai is replaced with a short, but well considered menu with favourites from the motherland and the UK that were served back when the restaurant first opened.
Seafood and spice are the main ingredients on this menu- and the combinations allows any visitor to consume a rainbow of colour and wealth of flavours without venturing too far from their long-time favourites- an ideal combination for any Thai food enthusiast.
Read More: This Thai restaurant in Leeds is bringing back its 2002 menu for its 20th anniversary
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Bringing a refreshing alternative to the usual satay stick starters, the Sukhothai Seafood Platter for two (or more) offers a generous selection of crispy satay fish, satay prawns and crispy squid in batter between well-dressed mussels and satay and sweet chilli dipping sauce, all placed a bed of salad shoots and leaves.
This stand-out sharer has had two decades of careful preparation to perfect the crispy, sweet and spicy fusion of flavour- and highly-requested reputation of Sukhothai seafood shows.
Those dubious to try seafood will fall for the classic starter alternatives of duck spring rolls with mixed veggies and the Mee Krob: a sweet, crispy noodle dish with beansprouts, spring onion and coriander.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
On the Mains menu, the seafood theme continues to outshine the other meaty offerings.
The Som Tum Supparod Pla Tod is a light dish, recommended by the servers for its spicy papaya salad. Served as a plate of crispy haddock fillet with papaya salad with nuts and pineapple, this refreshing main sits alongside longtime favorites like the Pad Nam Mun Hoi Gung, a stir-fried prawn fish with carrot, mushroom, onion and oyster sauce.
Meat-eaters don't need to opt for a pesci dish just to experience the flavours available from the 2002 menu: expect tender beef curry with aromatic Thai herbs or succulent stir-fried lamb with green curry paste served on a sizzling hot plate.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Alternatively, the Nua Luk Tao comes as a Sukhothai-own recommendation: a generous serving of grilled sirloin steak in a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce that marries stir-fried veggies with traditional flavours that melt in your mouth.
Served with a selection of aromatic coconut and Thai sticky rice, as well as noodles and other side plates, the considered 20th birthday specials act as a testament to the restaurant's long-standing history in Chapel Allerton.
Regulars come back week-after-week, month-after-month for birthdays, anniversaries and Friday night dinners here, and as parents pass on their favourite restaurant dishes to younger generations, it's obvious that Sukhothai is going to continue to be that family restaurant you just keep returning to.
Silver's Bakehouse is finally here, and it's just as fabulous as we'd hoped.
Just when you thought Leeds’ favourite sandwich spot couldn't get any better, they go and open a bakery.
Silver's Bakehouse has opened its beautiful pastel green doors today over in Farsley to queues of excited fans eager to get their first taste.
So, what's on offer at Silver's Bakehouse?
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Well, as masterminds of the almighty sandwich you'll be happy to know you can still get one here. However, their iconic sub sarnies have had an Italian makeover and are now served in fresh, springy sourdough which is baked onsite.
Elsewhere on the menu you'll find brown butter buttermilk brownies (try saying that three times), a range of delicious cookies, sausage rolls, soft amaretti biscuits and Dark Arts tiramisu.
There's also a fab selection of Italian drinks on offer in a swanky new fridge, as well as a coffee menu so you can pick a brew to go hand in hand with your chosen baked good.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The interior is just as gorgeous, complete with yellow walls, red tiles and a mirror hanging above the baker's table so you can really see all the magic happen.
And trust us, it is magic.
There's a couple of benches outside so you can plonk yourself in the sunshine to enjoy your sarnie, which is what we'll be doing in this glorious bank holiday sunshine.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You can really tell this is a proper labour of love, and Chris and the team have done a cracking job of keeping that Silver's spirit in there.
Go and say hello to congratulate them on this fabulous new opening, it's a great addition to Farsley and the Leeds foodie scene.
The beautiful West Yorkshire valley walk that ends at a top gastropub
Daisy Jackson
If your idea of a perfect Sunday doesn't involve a stroll in the countryside followed by lunch in a country pub - we can't be friends.
And if that does sound like your idea of a very nice day out, we've found a pretty spectacular walk-roast combo for you, right here in West Yorkshire.
You can start your day by strolling through surprisingly varied and very green countryside, with stunning valley views, before resting your weary legs beneath the table of an award-winning gastropub.
If you haven't guessed it yet - we're off to the Shibden Valley, just outside Halifax, where your gentle hike will lead you straight to the warm embrace of the Shibden Mill Inn.
The walk begins in the car park beside the pub, but don't get tempted in for a pint just yet.
There's an easy-moderate 5.6km circular that will lead you along a country lane, dropping down to cross a brook, then heading back up a gentle incline towards the top of the valley.
The views along the Shibden Valley from here are beautiful - lush green fields dotted with trees as far as the eye can see.
Then the route takes you along some wide open fields, with plenty of wildlife to spot along the way, before heading into peaceful woodlands.
You can take a break here to paddle in the stream before continuing on through farmland, with friendly horses to say hello to.
Views along the Shibden Valley Circular. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Then you'll find yourself back at the Shibden Mill Inn, a pub that's consistently finding itself in the prestigious Top 50 Gastropubs list.
Dating back to the 17th century, it's a pretty white building converted from a former mill, with ivy climbing all up its walls.
There's a sizeable beer garden - with a live musician playing when we popped in - but it's hard to resist the cosy charm of the pub's interior, where staff have to duck beneath the low ceiling beams and no surface feels totally straight.
The Shibden Mill Inn's Sunday roast offering does a set menu, with two courses for £40 or three for £45, changing seasonally.
You'll find pub classics on the starters, like chicken liver parfait and homemade soup, before delving into the main event - the Sunday roast.
We love a pub that gives you both mashed AND roasted potatoes, which the Shibden Mill Inn does, along with roast seasonal veg and a towering Yorkshire pudding.
The Sunday roast at the Shibden Mill InnChicken liver parfait, and soup Chocolate fondant with torched marshmallowInside the Shibden Mill Inn
There's roasted salt-aged sirloin of beef, cooked perfectly pink (though they're happy to give it a bit longer if you prefer your meat to not be blushing); or an excellent wedge of belly pork with crispy crackling.
And on the side, a portion of cauliflower cheese that is actually more cheese than cauliflower. Perfect.
Puddings are a nice mix of heavy winter favourites and lighter, fruitier desserts - but we go full stodge, with a chocolate fondant dessert topped with torched marshmallow, salted caramel, and sugared pecans, and have no regrets.
If you want to replicate this Sunday walk and roast, you can see the full circular route here.
Sophie Smith -
29th April 2022 
