Fiona's Reviews

I cannot imagine a nicer dining experience than spending a long evening working my way through the tasting menu at Anthony's flagship restaurant in Leeds, in the company of my enthusiastic eater of a husband. Upstairs we sipped water and crunched pigs ears while having a nice chat with the very personable Maitress D' before being led downstairs ceremonially, our drinks bourne before us. The service has a degree of pomp (and frankly if I'm paying £100 a head I want a bit of pomp) but every highly-skilled waiter is informative, elicits feedback and hangs on your every comment as though vital. Being led downstairs into the calm brown and cream dining room immediately sets the tone – you are here for serious eating, and the food is seriously interesting to reflect this.

With their El Bulli pedigree, the team at Anthony's offers extremely fine dining at a price which fairly reflects the degree of skill and attention that goes into the many little dishes paraded in front of you. Expect to be dazzled by Anthony Flinn's deep, deep artistry. Be prepared to try combinations you've never thought of and put aside your prejudices – pork crackling with pudding, yes please! I thought I hated tongue until I had it here, slightly dried and combined with extremely fresh-tasting seared tuna. And leave room for the cheese course. Okay, giving the cheese its own menu might seem a little poncey but hell, I like cheese, and since you get to select from a couple of dozen varieties you probably haven't heard of you'll be glad to read up on them first. When they arrive, in order of strength, the waiter apologises for the delay but chef won't let them out of the kitchen until they're the correct temperature.

Attention is paid to every detail providing the kind of evening you sink into like a marshmallow as one dish follows another effortlessly, each surpising, each showcasing the flavours of the ingredients. And what appeals to the nipcheese in me is that while the food is relatively expensive we… More

Y-Ming is a cut above the plethora of Chinese restaurants in and around Gerard Street. Situated kilter-corner to Kettners, painted unmissable cyan, the restaurant's interior is actually much more calm and restrained than most Chinese places, and the service is top notch. There are plenty of unusual items on the menu, which is not huge by Chinese standards, and it pays to be adventurous and take advantage of the seasonal items on the daily specials list. Dishes sound simple but are very carefully cooked and spiced – on our last visit we were blown away by a dish of cucumber with salt and chilli – incredibly clean-tasting and simple, but beautifully presented and just the thing to cleanse the mouth. Things like Fried Field Mushrooms and Cauliflower Y-Ming style are completely moreish, but in truth none of the starters I've tried have disappointed, and their take on crispy duck (both meaty and vegetarian versions) is a cut above. The only criticism I have is that a lot of it is deep fried so it's hard to be very healthy.

Pass over the familiar and plump for double boiled beef and red date soup, or their Beijing fish soup with its subtle creamy texture. Seafood is always good for the mains – the lobster and crab aren't cheap but they're not that expensive either, compared to other dishes, and the lotus leaf wrapped ‘treasure chest’ is worth trying. Wash it all down with warmed Chinese wine – rich but almost savoury, especially on the nose – and keep the courses coming. The friendly waiting staff will let you order when you feel like it and aren't flummoxed by large groups at all.