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A Stranger Things themed Halloween Bottomless Brunch is coming to Leeds
Dim sum sharers, haunted cocktails, unlimited lager and salt and pepper chips are amongst the options at the Stranger Hong Kong Tings bottomless brunch.
The one-off experience, entitled 'Stranger Hong Kong Tings', is inspired by the traditional bestselling menu from Mans Markets.
The bottomless brunch will run on Saturday 30 October only, but there will be multiple sittings throughout the day so that no matter what your plans are for Halloween weekend, you can squeeze in two hours of dim sum and free flowing booze.
The restaurant concept originated in a small fishing village in Hong Kong and sought to re-energise the Chinese food scene in Leeds.
Mans Market is the only place in Leeds with enough neon signage and authentic Hong Kong flair to host a Stranger Hong Kong Tings bottomless brunch. / Image: TheHootLeeds
So far, the market have brought us mesmerising cocktails and a genius menu of sharing boxes, bao buns and brunch boxes and this bottomless brunch will be no different.
Their concept of combining critically-acclaimed show Stranger Things with the best from their existing menu will give all guests a chance to taste Leeds' finest Chinese whilst downing unlimited fizz of bottles of house lager.
The bottomless brunch menu will compromise of Dim Sum Sharers with all of your favourite Chinese starters: prawn crackers, spring rolls, salt and pepper chicken, prawn sesame fingers and more.
Previous visitors to Mans Market will be pleased to note that their classic Brunch Box will be making an appearance on the menu too.
Choose between black bean and pepper, sweet and sour chicken, duck and char siu and other mouthwatering delights. Served with your selection of steamed, egg fried rice or chips, we guarantee there will be not a crumb left after you have sampled the selection.
For an additional £10, bottomless brunchers can upgrade their menu to a selection of unique cocktails and have the full 'Stranger Tings' experience.
Fans of the show will not be disappointed to see references to the Netflix series on the menu: our favourite has to be the 'Here's Jonny' cocktail included in the £10 upgrade.
Its unusual combination of lemon, blood orange is teeming with Johnny Walker Red whisky and strikes that ideal balance between booze and flavour. You'll have had ten before you've realised.
If you're looking for a cauldron of cocktail flavours, Mans Market have got your back. Think vodka, gin, grenadine, blue curacao with lemon and lemonade, just ask for the Witches Brew .
If you do want a true fright, try the Redrum Calimocha. Inspired by The Shining, this blood red cocktail is made from coke, Old J spiced rum and merlot.
Mans Market is located on Wellington Street, around a five minute walk from Leeds Train Station. / Image: Mans Market
Luckily, this concoction is haunted only by name, the only screaming you will be doing is in disappointment when your two hours of bottomless booze come to an end.
Mans Markets' Stranger Hong Kong Tings Bottomless Brunch will run at a number of different timed intervals throughout the day on Saturday 30 October, but unless you want to be a ghost on your visit, make sure you book before turning up at the bar.
Each ticket costs £34.99 and are available online.
You can WIN a table for 4 at the Halloween Bottomless Brunch here.
Leeds legend Kevin Sinfield is set to take on his seventh and final 7 in 7 challenge this month.
The former Leeds Rhinos captain will begin 7 in 7: The Grand Finale next Sunday 27 September.
Wondering what on earth that is? Allow us to fill you in.
Sinfield will be running an ultra-marathon every day for seven days, and this time it's across the north of England including a special stop off right here in Leeds.
Not only that, but the challenge will bring Sinfield back to some of the places that have played a huge part in his rugby league career.
The route will visit all 12 English Betfred Super League grounds, starting at Hull KR before travelling through Yorkshire and eventually crossing the Pennines towards Manchester where Sinfield is from.
Here in Leeds, we can expect Sinfield to arrive at Headingley Stadium on Wednesday 30 September at 11:14am, before leaving towards Pudsey Civic Hall at 11:40am.
The challenge will then finish at Old Trafford on Saturday 3 October, where Sinfield will arrive ahead of the Super League Grand Final.
Since the first annual challenge back in 2020, Kevin Sinfield and his team have raised over £11 million for the MND community with six charities set to benefit once again from this years fundraising.
It's an amazing challenge for an amazing cause, and you can donate and find out more about the challenge here.
Good luck Kevin and the team, we know you'll smash it.
Fences at Leeds Playhouse – walls, wounds and what we leave behind | Review
Declan Kelly
Leeds Playhouse delivers a powerful story about the walls we build.
August Wilson’s Fences is a powerful and deeply personal family drama, exploring race, fatherhood, ambition and the emotional scars that can be passed from one generation to the next.
At Leeds Playhouse, the strength of the production lies largely with its cast. Ray Fearon gives Troy Maxson a commanding presence, balancing humour and charm with a growing sense of anger and resentment. It is an uncomfortable performance at times, but one that keeps you invested in Troy even when his actions become increasingly difficult to accept.
Madeline Appiah brings real warmth and emotional depth to Rose, while Josh Tedeku captures Cory’s frustration as a young man determined to make his own way rather than inherit his father’s limitations.
Image: Supplied
For me, though, Act 2 is where the production really comes alive.
The first half feels comparatively restrained. That isn't necessarily a criticism of the performances or Wilson's writing, but having experienced previous Headlong productions, I went in expecting a little more theatrical imagination from the staging. There were moments where I felt the production could have pushed the material further visually.
Act 2 begins to deliver that.
The rotating set adds movement and energy, while the bright LED lighting works particularly well with the live music, creating a more heightened atmosphere as the family's tensions reach breaking point. The production suddenly feels more visually ambitious, and the design starts to work hand-in-hand with the emotional journey of the characters.
Images: Supplied
The fence itself is an effective recurring image, initially a practical task, but gradually becoming a representation of Troy's need for control, protection and separation. The more the story unfolds, the more the fence feels like a barrier between Troy and the people he loves.
There is a lot to admire here, particularly in the performances, and Wilson's writing remains as relevant and affecting as ever. However, I couldn't help feeling that some of the theatrical ambition found in Act 2 could have been introduced earlier.
Ultimately, Fences is a moving and thought-provoking evening, with a particularly strong second half. For me, it was Act 2 that turned a solid production into a genuinely memorable one.
Running until 23 September at Leeds Playhouse, get your tickets here.
Sophie Smith -
8th October 2021 
