The student-favourite bakery is venturing into the world of fried chicken.
If you've walked past the old STA Travel building opposite the University of Leeds in Hyde Park, you might have noticed a few changes.
Does a giant chicken mural ring any bells?
Fried is the latest venture from much-loved Bakery 164, just a few doors down and its safe to say that this is almost guaranteed to be a huge success.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Even on an average Wednesday afternoon, Bakery 164 was over-pouring with visitors waiting for their orders, and that's not unusual for the deli.
Serving up sandwiches, focaccia and baked goods since 1994, a diet of comfort food from any 164 store is a must for any student frequenting in the Hyde Park area.
This will be the fourth opening from the brains and business behind the original 164 cafes and bakeries, but this is the first to have separate stand-alone branding and take on a completely new concept: fried chicken.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
"I must be crazy, but I'm doing it and sticking with it", said the Fried staff today as they were making the final preparations to the takeaway store.
Never-seen-before-in-Leeds sauces is one of the promises that Fried aims to fulfil. Their chicken wings will be personalised to each individuals taste and visitors will get to choose the type of chicken wing (on-the-bone or boneless) before selecting a marinade and a dipping sauce.
The flavours range from garlic and parmesan to buffalo, chipotle and Korean BBQ- and can't wait to try them out.
Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find fried chicken burgers, chicken tenders, loaded chilli cheese fries and a range of soft drinks.
The have said owners have decided to keep the menu 'limited' for the time being to gauge interest before expanding, but there's still a good thirty or so different combinations to choose from, so you're guaranteed to find something to fuel your evening.
Opting for a soft opening, Fried will be available for all walk-in orders today and aim to be up and running on the likes of Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat before the evening is up- so even if you're not within walking distance you can taste the sauce-drenched wings and loaded fries from Fried.
You can find Fried on Woodhouse Lane, almost directly opposite the University of Leeds buildings.
It's the moment we've all been waiting for, Dishoom is coming to Leeds.
The whispers of Dishoom's arrival in Leeds city centre have been going on for a while now, but over the past few weeks it has started to feel very real.
Taking over the beautiful old Flannel's site on the coveted Vicar Lane, signs started to pop up for Dishoom and work was cracking on fast.
Well now, we have an opening date - and we don't have long to wait.
Dishoom Leeds will open on Monday 3 August, with guests being able to enjoy 50% off food during an initial soft-opening period, ahead of the official opening on Friday 14 August.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
As with every Dishoom café, the Leeds restaurant begins with a story. This one takes inspiration from the extraordinary true events surrounding the explosion of the SS Fort Stikine in Bombay Dock in April 1944, a wartime disaster that sent gold bars flying across the city.
Legend has it that some of the missing gold was never recovered. Some was discovered embedded in walls and rooftops across Bombay. Other pieces quietly disappeared into the hands of lucky citizens, melted into bangles or hidden away in drawers.
Dishoom Leeds reimagines the fortune made from the gold bars and guests will discover subtle references to the glamorous mid-century details through the interiors and artwork, giving playful nods to Bombay’s golden age.
With all day dining available, guests can dine on the beloved breakfast right through to late evening feasting, with the café will serve a lovingly curated menu of Bombay comfort food inspired by the city’s cafés, grills, street stalls and family kitchens.
Shamil Thakrar, co-founder, also known as Head Babu, at Dishoom, said: “Leeds is a city with tremendous warmth, creativity and character, full of people who know the value of gathering together over good food and drinks. Bringing Dishoom here has long been a dream for us.”
"The story behind this café is rooted in one of Bombay’s most extraordinary moments – the day gold bars fell from the sky after the explosion of Fort Stikine in 1944. Amidst the tragedy and chaos, there were also tales of unexpected fortune, human resilience and hopeful reinvention. We were captivated by this, and we cannot wait to welcome Leeds into the café that pays homage to the heritage of Bombay.”
A cafe dedicated entirely to matcha gelato has just opened in Leeds
Clementine Hall
Matcha is well and truly taking Leeds (and the country) by storm.
You're probably bored of hearing us talk about matcha, and to be honest we're getting a little bit bored writing about it.
But, this time it's different.
This is M Plus Matcha, a brand-new matcha store that's just opened near Leeds University who not only serve your classic matcha lattes but also bucket loads of freshly-churned gelato.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And to make things even better, they've got four on offer all at different percentages to suit your taste.
Soft and grassy, smooth and creamy, full and velvety…or deep and bold (they said it, not us) - this spot is truly a matcha lover’s summer paradise.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
If you're not sure what flavour you fancy, the lovely staff are on hand to help and can offer tasters of each percentage before you commit to a cone or a tub so you're not left disappointed.
The space is gorgeously light and airy, complete with matcha-coloured walls and plenty of matcha-coloured seating for you to perch and enjoy your treats.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Right opposite the Parkinson Building, we can see M Plus Matcha becoming a fantastic hub for students to whack their laptops out for a couple of hours whilst getting their caffeine fix.
The drinks menu includes iced matcha lattes, hot matcha, matcha lemonades and loads more. Basically, if you're of the opinion that matcha tastes like grass then we do not recommend you going.
But if you love it like us, then you're in for a treat.
Sophie Smith -
2nd February 2022 
