Nobody will ever complain about you posting your dinner online when it looks like this.
Hot dogs are currently undergoing a bit of a transformation. Long gone are the days of dry, meat from, undetermined animals that taste of rubber and disappointment. These days, you'll find all the flavour in vegan and veggie dogs, with the likes of Fat Annie's at Kirkgate Market and Knaves paving the way to a new hot dog season.
Leading the new era of hot dogs over in Sheffield is Pom's Kitchen. Now stay with us, the short journey over the Pennines is more than worth it for some of the most Instagrammable food around.
These hot dogs are also something that Leeds can't offer you: they're neon and come with edible flowers.
Behold, the Chippy D. Inspired by a British traditional chippy and the warm colours of the Australian coastline, this hot dog features mushy peas, crispy scraps, tartare sauce and seasoned with salt and vinegar.
Best eaten straight out of the papers, the neon coloured hot dog bun alone will have you transported Down Under despite the freezing temperatures here in England.
Pom's Kitchen is a bakery that knows what people need: making their menu effortless, but ever-changing, with plenty of specials. This means that all their menu is not always available, so even if you can't get your hands on a Chippy D in December, there's no reason you won't see it reappear on the menu sometime soon.
Rainbow bagels are filled with Biscoff spread and banana at Pom's. / Image: Pom's Kitchen
As you'd imagine, the hot and cold drinks carry the same finesse and include freakshakes and smoothies with inspiring names like Sydney Sunset, with raspberry, pineapple and orange, or Sun Salute, made from mango, orange, ginger and turmeric.
Inspired by Australian cuisine and bold colours, Pom’s Kitchen is a bright, fun-filled cafe where even the bagels are treated with the utmost precision. Since we won’t be travelling to Australia any time soon, the laid-back vibes inside Pom’s Kitchen are the closest you’ll get to Byron Bay this year.
To get your neon hot dog, you'll have to get on the train to Sheffield and head over to Pom's Kitchen, but for more information in advance of your trip, you can always visit their Instagram page.
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.”
Sophie Smith -
27th December 2021 
