Ox Club in Leeds has been on our review wish-list for ages. We’d heard some wonderful things about the food from fellow bloggers and foodies, so when we were invited down to try out the new(ish) brunch option, it was a no-brainer to attend!
Located close to the new Victoria Gate shopping centre in the trendy, widely hyped Headrow House, Ox Club is a great place to meet, have a drink, and enjoy great food. It is clear to see when you walk in why Ox Club has become a firm favourite with many Leeds food fans. However, as with any good restaurant, the proof is of course in the pudding (as well as the savoury dishes!).
Fortunately, the good folk of Ox Club didn’t just let us try one dish, but instead offered us the chance to try out pretty much the entire menu.
First up was the star of the morning. We make no apologies when we say you NEED to go to Ox Club just to have this dish (unless you are vegetarian or vegan): the Korean fried chicken. Kimchi, crispy fried egg, rice, pickled cucumber, and Korean chicken might not sound like a winning combination but this was a dish to savour. Perfectly balanced spice, and immaculate kimchi (if it can indeed be described in such a way), this left us dreaming of going back every weekend to enjoy this luxurious dish.
Sadly, the cauliflower shawarma had pine nuts in so we couldn’t try it out. However, by all accounts, it was a good dish and it looked pretty damn tasty as well. No such issues with the coconut french toast, so we tucked into this dreamy, fully unhealthy (with the caveat that you don’t care about this if you’re eating this dish!) plate of food that was layered in sauce, had a slight kick to it, offset brilliantly by the sweet caramel taste of banana mixed with maple butter.
The flat iron steak and cheddar eggs was a nice dish but while steak, spuds, and eggs is always going to be a winning combo (especially with cheddar scrambled eggs), this wasn’t as good as the more interesting options on the menu.
Ricotta pancakes with honeycomb, blueberries and creme fraiche is also never going to be a bad combination, and serious credit here to Ox Club for the way that it worked so well with fluffy pancakes and the balance of flavour that allowed the dish to scream sweetness without you feeling you may never sleep again due to the enormity of the sugar rush.
Finally, the bubble and squeak dish was balanced perfectly and brought to life by the delights of the chicken gravy, which somehow added to the richness of the sausage and duck egg without destroying the overall flavour of the dish. The cabbage was nicely cooked and made us feel like we had at least made a token effort to have one of our five a day.
Ox Club probably do the best brunch food (tied closely with Pintura) in Leeds in our humble opinion. The only problem is you may find yourself lamenting the fact that brunch is a meal designed for leisurely weekends rather than a daily pleasure to be savoured.
Categories: Restaurant reviews