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Eats
Rate My Takeaway star Danny Malin “blown away” by Leeds sandwich pop-up
The YouTuber was taken aback by the vegan dishes.
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25th May 2022
Rate My Takeaway YouTuber Danny Malin returned to Leeds for a lunchtime treat.
Whilst the YouTuber started his video talking about the free pizza with every beer inside Cuckoo, the takeaway reviewer arrived over the road outside Roland's to sample their kitchen residency's well-considered menu.
Costing just shy of £40 for the whole menu, Danny Malin ordered the full offerings of Don't Feed The Dog, the business behind the food to sample.
Danny sat opposite Roland's to review the food. / Image: Rate My Takeaway, YouTube
The menu only consists of three sandwiches and four small plates: but that’s all they need to keep you coming back, as Danny found out.
The sarnies here couldn’t be further from your boring ham and margarine combos: served with seemingly endless toppings, the flavours are unique blends you’re unlikely to have heard of before.
Starting with the oyster mushroom wings, Danny said: "They are amazing. I'm totally honest with you it's not something I would order but wow. There's a strong hint of chillis with spices a nice crisp batter on it... wow".
"The flavour and the seasoning on this batter is unreal, I've honestly got to say to you its crunchy and it's got a nice crisp to it... It's like fried chicken with all the herbs and spices"
The deep-fried olives took the takeaway conessueiur by surprise, first thinking he'd need to "get them out the way", Danny shared that they more like wine as the olives soften when heated to cook- "it's all about that crispy coating".
The potatoes are wafer thin layers of potato pressed together to make a full sized chip. Taking 15 hours to cook, Danny's first words were "I can't believe I'm saying oh my god about a chip... now these are pressed with butter and it's given it a delicious taste let me tell you. It's seasoned up, fried but it tastes really creamy, like creamy mash but it shouldn't be... they are gorgeous".
15 hour cooked chips. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
"If I'm honest with you guys, these sides are next level".
Moving on to Making up the vegan offering of the sarnie trio, the Mushroom Bahn Mi is made up of crispy fried oyster mushrooms with peanut butter, pickled daikon, carrots, fresh mint, fresh coriander, fresh chilli, peanuts and Sriracha mayo.
"I'm in love with that coating on the mushrooms" were the first thoughts before the Rate My Takeaway star noted that this is a sandwich that anyone would enjoy, regardless of dietary preference, commenting:
"So a lot of people if you're not vegetarian you shy away from that side of the menu, I'll be the first to admit that I do, I don't even look at that side of the menu but this coating is tasty and this [all] is amazing".
Bahn Mi Sandwich. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
The Bunga Bunga was just as well received: "That sandwich is the gift that keeps giving with every bite of this bad boy. The freshness... wow"
Made up of cured meats, mozzarella cheese, Guardinera, shredded romain lettuce, drizzled with mayo with 'Cheese Crack' baked in the oven and crumbled - or "snack crackle and pop" as Malin described the flavours.
The takeaway star couldn't recommend the quality of the produce enough and again admitted that the vegan mushrooms have "blown me away if I'm honest with you", and each dish is well worth the price paid in his concluding piece to camera.
You can watch Danny Malin's full review of Don't Feed The Dog on his YouTube channel or you can read The Hoot's review here.
Feature Image- Rate My Takeaway
Eats
The family-run neighbourhood Leeds restaurant that’s about more than just pizza – it’s about community
It doesn’t take long to see why this place has become such a firm favourite with the Farsley crowd.
We finally took a trip to Grumpy's Bar and Wood Fired Pizza and safe to say, you were absolutely right about this one.
Tucked away inside Sunny Bank Mills, Grumpy’s has built a huge reputation for its incredible wood-fired pizzas, laid-back atmosphere, that more or less has a proper community feel at the forefront.
Created by sisters Alex and Cassie, the family-run restaurant was even named after their dad, 'Grumpy' himself, and that personal touch runs through everything they do.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
From supporting local community events to creating a genuinely welcoming space where you can rock up in trainers or stay for hours without realising, it feels like much more than just somewhere to grab food. It feels like part of the neighbourhood’s personality.
And then there’s the pizza.
Everything is made fresh in-house, and watching the team stretch out the dough before piling on all the toppings adds a bit of theatre to the whole experience.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The wood-fired pizzas are definitely the stars of the show, coming out with that perfect crispy base, soft airy crust, and smoky finish that makes you immediately think, “yeah, that’s the good stuff.”
They also offer a gluten-free base, so there’s something on the menu for everyone to dig into.
But the small plates deserve their flowers too. Dishes like their burrata are a proper crowd-pleaser, served with fresh seasonal tomatoes and bread perfect for scooping up every last bit of creamy goodness.
Add in dough balls and arancini, and suddenly the table starts looking less like a couple of starters and more like a full-on sharing feast.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
One thing we loved? The personality behind the menu. A lot of the pizzas are named after famously grumpy TV and film characters, which gives the whole place a bit of humour and fits the vibe perfectly.
And while we came for the pizza, one surprise standout was the banana split dessert. Fun, nostalgic, slightly over-the-top in the best way, and exactly the kind of thing you don’t think you’ll order… until it shows up and suddenly everyone’s fighting for the last spoonful.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
What makes Grumpy’s special, though, is that it never feels like it’s trying too hard - it’s casual, friendly, and welcoming.
Add in the sunny terrace, a few drinks, and a table full of pizzas shared between mates, and it’s easy to see why people end up staying way longer than planned.
There’s no rush here, just good food, good company, and a place that quietly gets everything right without making a fuss about it.
We finally get why Grumpy's Bar + Wood Fired Pizza is such a Farsley favourite… and trust us, we’ll definitely be back.
North Star Coffee announces opening date for new site – and they’re giving away 200 coffees to celebrate
Clementine Hall
One of Leeds' most iconic brands is expanding with two city centre openings.
Coffee lovers, you're going to love this one.
North Star Coffee Roasters are one of the early pioneers of specialty coffee in the North of England and among the UK’s first B Corp-certified coffee roasters.
They've been keeping the people of Leeds awake since 2013, and you'll find their coffee across the country as well as at their current city centre locations.
One of their brand-new locations inside the Victoria Quarter will be opening next Monday 1 June.
Their new kiosk will be located outside Jo Malone London and marks the brand’s third site in Leeds.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
To celebrate the launch, North Star will be giving away 50 free coffees a day from Tuesday 2 June until Friday 5 June - a total of 200 free drinks across the opening week. Customers will be able to claim any coffee from the menu, with one free drink per person available on a first come, first served basis, each day.
Their other new site is expected to be on Great George Street, and we'll keep you updated with any news on that one as and when we know more.
Speaking about the opening, Holly Kragiopoulos, Co-founder of North Star, said: “Opening a third site in the centre of Leeds feels incredibly special for us. Leeds has always been at the heart of North Star, so being able to bring our coffee into Victoria Quarter is a huge milestone.
"We wanted to celebrate by giving something back to the city and welcoming both loyal regulars and new customers with free coffee throughout our opening week.”
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25th May 2022 
