The Owl is the second venture from the creators of “Home”, a fine dining restaurant in the heart of Leeds that’s been earning plaudits since its launch a few years ago. While I’ve been lucky enough to pop by Home for an occasional chat with the owners, I’ve never quite made it round to going through its full dining experience, but I’ve heard enough good things to be confident in its standard, which I fully expected to be reflected upon at The Owl.

Lurking amongst its menus is a lunchtime grazing platter for two, which only runs to £30 and looked to represent fantastic value while hitting the majority of the dishes we’d have chosen anyway. With that decision made and a carafe of gewürztraminer selected as accompaniment, we settled into our seats to watch the chefs work in the small open kitchen, which also featured a couple of counter seats for a lucky few to get up close. The platter arrived after an appropriate interval in which to make friends with the wine and was strikingly served on a tray whose dimensions perfectly suited the constituent parts of the meal. First to catch my eye were the bite sized crumpets topped with smoked cod roe and wild boar jam which were quickly despatched, and truthfully should have been more than a single bite but for my gluttony. These were playful and made great use of their ingredients to start us off in memorable fashion. Next up oysters, never my favourite but improved greatly by being baked given a savoury topping. We then moved onto cottage pie. Cottage pie isn’t a dish I cook often and is ripe to disappoint based on my memories of the frozen versions I occasionally went for as a student. Obviously though this execution was many steps removed from those mundanities, topping red deer with an improbably smooth potato mixture to move lunch along indulgently and with great flair.

“The Owl” Caesar salad was next, topped with crispy coated quails eggs whose yolks were exactly the desired consistency and, making use of sharp anchovies, this was another bold dish of big flavours that still achieved equilibrium. Marinated Sea Bream with pickled onions was last to inspire debate about equitable portion distribution as we stretched our appetites out with accompanying bread and marmite butter.

Thirty quid for all that is sensationally good value. I’d not sully an establishment such as this with words like cheap, but euphemisms like accessibly priced seem fair enough. There was no hint of compromise to hit a price point, just well thought through dishes executed with confidence and flair to bring together what must surely be one of the best value lunch options in Leeds at the moment.

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The Twine & Barrel York is a recently refurbished gastropub on Hull Road at Dunnington in a large building that had previously been closed for some time. It’s somewhere I’ve passed many times over the years, but has never presented a compelling enough reason to break a journey or undertake one specially. The refurbishment has created a comfortable place to eat that balances the need for a relaxing dining experience with the amenity a local pub should provide. While the food is pitched well above run-of-the-mill pub grub, this is somewhere the residents of Dunnington should feel comfortable stopping by for a pint at the bar. The food should hit the mark too with the appointment of Dan Graham as head chef. Dan is an accomplished chef who’s headed up high profile restaurants in Yorkshire as well as making it all the way to the finals of Masterchef: The Professionals.

The January Friday night on which we visited found the restaurant very busy when we arrived and became progressively more so throughout the evening, a mix of drinkers and diners happily creating a welcoming atmosphere. We started our evening at the bar, where we could ponder the menu and place our orders before taking up our table. This was a perfect vantage point from which to admire the surroundings and realise that all the details were spot on: wood burning stove present and correct along with details to reflect the twine branding sprinkled throughout the dining rooms without lapsing into forced affectation.

After finishing our drinks and placing our orders, we were led to the dining area, which while busy didn’t allow tables to be too crammed together. We’d plumped for a soufflé made with Fountains Gold and a celeriac veloute with mushrooms and truffle which were served quickly along with well matched glasses of wine. It’s been a little while since I had a soufflé and the wait was well rewarded here, the dish being just the right balance of rich flavour and light texture. A creamy spinach sauce finished it and left flecks of melted cheese around the edge of the plate to pick at. Celeriac, truffle and mushroom would need something bad to happen for there to be a problem with that combination and unsurprisingly nothing was untoward here. The sautéed mushrooms hid under the veloute to be wheedled out and enjoyed with the fresh bread served on the side. There could have been more of a punch of truffle but we greatly enjoyed both dishes, our anticipation for the main courses only increased by them.

After forcing ourselves to take on a couple more wines to pair with our mains, we were treated to baked cod loin with mussel and winter veg chowder and pork belly with black pudding croquette, creamed cabbage, apple puree and pork sauce. These were both the epitome of well presented, hearty gastropub food that put together just enough refinement with bags of flavour and hearty portions. The fish hit all the notes I had hoped for, the lightly curried broth and generous piece of fish working with spinach and root veg to make a deceptively filling plate of food. Pork belly is one of my favourite cuts when it’s done justice, something that is certainly achieved here. Black pudding bonbons are a great addition to the plate along with a stonking great shard of crackling that could have functioned as a shield in some weird porcine fencing contest. Creamed cabbage and a potent, though not overwhelming, apple sauce finished things off well.

Having already given our appetites a good work out, we opted to finish by sharing a creme brûlée. While not as comment worthy as the rest of the food we enjoyed, it worked just fine as an end point to the experience with a glass of dessert wine and was a happy example of the dish.

It’s really impressive to see a new hospitality business so busy in the traditionally tricky post-Christmas period, all the more so when it’s been busier than expected since opening and still managed to cope with that pressure and not drop standards. This was an extremely enjoyable meal with dishes that combined flavour and presentation without losing site of the need for a pub meal to be appropriately hearty or getting too caught up in over complicating things. I look forward to seeing The Twine & Barrel York continue to flourish.

Disclaimer: no charge was made for this meal. Opinions are impartial.

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Hosted in Lambert Yard, Nawamin had put together a menu featuring twists on various traditional dishes. Everything seemed under control when we arrived, so I grabbed the chance to have a chat with the man himself before service and hear about how he was dovetailing activities such as this with having just completed his Phd – clearly Nawamin’s ambitions are as broad as his smile!

We were served a five course menu that featured Naked Noodle products in each dish, starting with a traditional Duck and Hoisin Spring roll with noodles spread through the confit duck filling. Subsequent courses featured baby squid stuffed with a powerful green curry sauce and salmon roe and a Naked Rice Japanese curry arancini served with a pork croquette and katsu sauce.

Sadly we were going to have to make a run for a train before the dessert made an appearance, but we still found time to enjoy a chilli beef, ox cheek and Thai basil ramen that packed a decent punch. We had a lovely evening washing that lot down with Chang beer and it was a real pleasure to meet Nawamin. I hope to see his continuing success and to meet more memorable and friendly Masterchef contestants in the future!

Disclaimer: No charge was made for attendance at this event. Opinions are impartial

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Sara Danesin is pretty well known around York these days thanks to her 2011 appearance on Masterchef which took her oh-so-close to winning. Since then, she’s built a successful business as a chef consultant and hosts a successful supper club from her home in the city. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy her food a few times, so when Super Break got in touch to ask if I fancied a couple of hours learning about pasta with Sara, I leapt at the chance to try a Super Break with a Masterchef.

Super Break now offer the opportunity to come to York and enjoy a Masterchef experience with Sara as part of a city break centred around staying in a prestigious city centre hotel, also offering a dinner during your break. Sara’s house is close to the centre of York so is convenient for your stay, as it was for me to stroll to on a sunny morning.

Before this class, I’d actually never attempted to make pasta before, assuming that the legion of abandoned pasta machines that infest kitchens around the country suggest it’s too involved to be a regular occurrence in my kitchen. Sara’s spotlessly clean kitchen was ready and waiting for the lucky participants when we arrived and, after a sensible interval for caffeine, we were following instruction on mixing egg and flour to create pasta dough ready to knead. As stated, this was the first time I’d made pasta dough and it certainly didn’t merit the fuss associated with it. Before long we’d knocked up enough dough to try several different types of pasta and were rolling it through the pasta machine like seasoned pros.

Our efforts quickly yielded lustrous ribbons of pasta that Sara quickly knocked up a mushroom sauce for before expertly twisting the sauce and pasta together into a delightful tower that we wasted no time in getting stuck into. Spaghetti in a simple olive oil sauce with olives was next up for us to quickly dispatch before fiddling our way through constructing ravioli and tortellini. This was a task that was reduced to greater simplicity than one might expect, requiring only a few neat folds to end up with some delightful parcels that required only a few short minutes in water.

I was a little taken aback at how easy Sara made the experience for us. The course was great fun and informal while still packed with tips and easily repeatable recipes to go away with. The real acid test of a course like this is how easily one can repeat the dishes at home without expert instruction, so I grabbed myself a pasta machine and did exactly that. Admittedly my first attempt lacked some of the finesse borne of Sara’s great experience, but I’ve successfully knocked up several fresh pasta dinners since this course and expect that to remain a staple in the Fork household. Thanks to Super Break and Sara for a great couple of hours!

Disclaimer: No charge was made for my attendance, opinions are as impartial as always. More info below.

MasterChef Travel Breaks – Starting from £170 per person

“Perfect for foodies, the Super Break MasterChef Travel breaks let you explore flavours and tastes and discover new culinary techniques. Learn the secrets of Italian cooking with Sara Danesin, finalist on MasterChef in 2011 and the audience’s favourite to win! This exciting break will take you into the heart of her very own kitchen, where she’ll show you how she combines her Italian roots and British food discoveries to create wonderfully delicious food. Passionate about both cooking and teaching, Sara champions one clear message – you are what you eat – so get stuck in for a masterclass like no other! What’s more, with seven packages to choose from as part of Super Break’s MasterChef break offering, there’s a food and drink inspired getaway that will suit everyone’s palate!

PRICE: Starting from £170 per person for two nights’ Bed and Breakfast accommodation, dinner in the hotel included, food or drink inspired experience and MasterChef merchandise.”

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After a career in digital consultancy, Liz Cottam decided that she wanted to make more of her passion for food and move professionally into that area. On that journey, she entered Masterchef with encouragement from her family and ended up making the 2016 semi-finals. The menu she’s developed for this residency is changing monthly, offering a four course tasting menu on Friday and Saturday evenings.

After warming ourselves in the bar over a drink, we descended to the dining room at the New Ellington to find it smart and understated with tables offering a good degree of privacy.

Ham butter was a new one on me but went well with the a glass of Albarin and tomato bread as a precursor to a first course of basil sponge with Italian soft cheese residing in a beautifully light tomato essence and topped with tomato petals. We agreed that the consommé was outstanding, the flavour for me particularly reminiscent of fresh tomato stalks.

The traditionally structured menu brought fish out next in the form of a ‘fish pie’ constructed of poached halibut, creamed potatoes and smoked salmon mousse with lobster bisque and delicate strands of samphire. The star of the plate was the bisque, matching that delightfully fresh tomato essence in the starter.

After a bit of a pause, we hit the meat course of pan roasted lamb loin with ‘lamb belly hotpot terrine’, both accompanied by textures of beetroot and goats cheese with a lamb reduction good enough to trigger words like ‘umami’ and ‘unctuous’. The loin was perfectly cooked and well-rested while the texture of the ‘hotpot’ was pleasingly unusual, almost reminiscent of a lasagne to my mind. I’m not in the habit of letting plating or presentation become an issue (no, I don’t care if you serve me bread in a hat), but this dish did look a little odd nestling on a single side of the plate.

As we powered toward the end of the evening, with minor thoughts of the last train back to York (at a civilised time at least) niggling, we attacked dessert with all the vigour we could muster. Crumbled chocolate cake surrounded stalagmites of white chocolate ganache (my favourite element) and was topped with a quenelle of cherry ice cream, this was a suitable end to the meal.

My dining partner for the evening had this to say:
I first heard of the New Ellington in my (never-ending) search to find great gin bars, but the opportunity to uncover their culinary adventure with Liz Cottam was truly exciting. Upon first look, the menu was well thought out and, as the night went on, I found a couple of unlisted items that really deserve recognition, especially the boozy raisins (or currants) in the dessert.

It must be said that the service was slower than I would have preferred, but it wasn’t conspicuous enough to impact too much, and perhaps it was further to the front of my mind as I contemplated the potential horror of a late train from Leeds on a Friday evening. As I alluded to earlier, the difference between cooking good food and running a service is vast and it’s clear that it’s a challenge Liz is tackling with all the relish of a ‘master’ chef! (Sorry)

Disclaimer: our meal was complimentary, all opinions are unbiased as usual.

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Since then, Sara Danesin-Medio has built a strong reputation as chef and food consultant while also continuing her well-regarded supper club right here in the centre of our fair city. Last week, she had two cancellations and Mrs YoaF and I were lucky enough to be able to drop in at short notice.

On arrival (through the wrong door, sorry) I made friends with the house cat, tactfully declining to mention any of the YoaF cats, and moved through to say hi to Sara, who gave me an enlightening talk on risotto rice that underlined her commitment to detail.

Hosting duties passed on to her husband, Sara made herself free to concentrate on the food while the group made each others’ acquaintances. Being a late addition to the group, we could have ended up out on a bit of a social limb, but as the food started to arrive, our neighbours made us welcome, offering up plenty of their (very pleasant) wine to facilitate our induction to the group, despite some differences of opinion on the necessities of fox hunting.

Time for something to eat: quail eggs with truffle came together for the amuse-bouche, and thankfully not “over-truffled” for the sake of exuberance, it gave an indication of well-balanced dishes to come.

The main attraction was fillet of venison on a bed of smooth mash aside root vegetables. Sticky jus, tender meat and a wonderful medley of flavours not dominated by the meat made up a well-balanced plate that triggered silence around the table.

The starter was a partridge risotto of surprising lightness. I’d love to be able to recount the details imparted to me by Sara of the striking differences in risotto rice grains, but my ability to absorb information proved somewhat less than that rice taking in stock, so I’ll just report that Sara knows her rice, and indeed her pigeon. Perfectly seasoned meat presented with expert care on a well-judged dollop of risotto lived up to the ingredients wonderfully and served to further heighten expectations.

It should be noted just how well service went. I can reliably make it across a room holding two mugs of tea, but for a single server to clear covers in double figures without throwing anything at anyone or burning himself is a decent feat, and one which thankfully allowed a main course to drop in front of us after no more than a civil pause.

As the evening drew to a close, only desert remained. I’m pretty confident that my sweet tooth was the one brutally wrenched from my jaw with a sickening crunch by my ‘dentist’ in 2002 so, while I appreciate the skill in such dishes, my expectations of shock were as low as ever. Armagnac parfait kicked those expectations into check rudely, textural contrast with a crumb scattered on the plate leant depth, while the parfait itself balanced sweetness against depth of flavour wonderfully.

We had a marvellous evening, ate marvellous food, drank marvellous wine donated by new friends and were able to walk home. Sara makes wonderful food and it’s a pleasure to be in her home with new acquaintances. I also elicited opinions from a couple of friends who’d previously visited; their thoughts are as telling as mine.

“It was very tasty and we had a lovely evening. Her husband was a great host. “

“Very tasty. It pretty much embodied what I envisaged a good supper club to be like. Their house was perfect for the job too!”

If not me, listen to them. I bet Caroline Flack hasn’t heard of us either, but I’d wager we know food in York better than her, regardless of having been on that there telly.

Disclaimer: Sara Danesin-Medio asked us to attend at a reduced cost after those cancellations and, perhaps, hoping that I would say nice things here. She made no specific editorial requests and clearly, her confidence was justified.

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