OUT AND ABOUT | CAFE MOOR

Following on from my previous post of eating in Kirkgate Market, this is also another gem which anyone who lives in Leeds would be happy to tell you about.

Cafe Moor serves up North African and Middle Eastern influenced street food and has a rather impressive stall situated into the left hand front entrance of Kirkgate Market.

Run by Kada, he says that "this is a great place for people who love good food, great value and authentic flavours and the market is the ideal location for us because we focus on affordable, fresh food made to order right in front of the customers, from really fresh ingredients".

If the food on display and wafting smells of shawarma and tagines aren't enough to get you going then their menu will do the trick. Affordable starters, meals, wraps and sandwiches are available from Monday-Saturday from 10-5pm, making this the perfect stop for a cheap and tasty lunch on the go.

On this occasion I ordered a wrap and went for the Falafel King (£4). A souped up falafel wrap containing falafel, grilled haloumi, roasted aubergine, chips, humous and gherkins served in an Arabic flatbread.

Placing my order I was given a complimentary cup of their mint tea which served as a refreshingly sweet palate cleanser.

With a quick service my food was made fresh before my eyes and served to me within five minutes. The wrap itself was stuffed full of all its components and looking pretty damn good!

All the flavours worked really well together however it was quite dry due to all the stodgey ingredients and could have benefited from some extra sauce. Despite this it was bloomin' tasty and made for a nice change to what you might come across from your favourite sandwich haunt.

I can also highly recommend their Humous Salad Wrap (£1.50) which is bargainous and great value for money and also healthier on the waistline too!

Have you been to Cafe Moor?

Do you have any other favourite places to eat in Kirkgate Market?

OUT AND ABOUT | TRINITY KITCHEN - ROTATION #4

On Tuesday evening I was invited to come and try out the new rotation of traders at Trinity Kitchen. Joining us from further afield until the 30th March is The Meat Wagon, Dorshi, Harajuku Kitchen and then two Leeds based traders Cafe Moor and Love Rouge Bakery.

I have been to a Trinity Kitchen bloggers event before (see my post here) and was expecting a similar informal street food based affair with lots of tastings and chatting to the vendors. This time however was a different set up, a more formal vibe with a sit down dinner and menu style event.

Handed a glass of fizz, we were sat down and given the menu which had two options on offer from each of the traders in Trinity Kitchen, the new ones that had just arrived but also options from the the permanent traders too.

Unsure as to what to pick as it was a one meal option, all I knew was that I wanted to try a bit of something from all the new vendors if possible. I opted for the Pork and Shrimp Gyoza from Harajuku Kitchen and my friend went for the Shawafel from Cafe Moor. Wanting to try all the new vendors I was looking to sneak in a side from the Meat Wagon, however they didn't do chips and we were offered chips from Chip + Fish instead.

First up is Harajuku Kitchen, a Japanese bistro based in Edinburgh which aims to provide wholesome Japanese food, delivering the authentic flavour of Japan through respecting the ingredients and their natural flavours.

Their Pork and Shrimp Gyoza graced our table in a little black box. Six dumplings drizzled in soy sauce and garnished with coriander. These were extremely flavoursome and great food to eat. Something a little bit different and exciting for me. The flavours were great, however I could have taken a little extra kick or heat from somewhere.

Next up we have Cafe Moor. Whilst also operating just over the city down in Leeds Kirkgate Market, Cafe Moor have taken up residency in this months rotation of traders at Trinity Kitchen.

Offering authentic North African and Middle Eastern street food they are serving up a delicious menu featuring mezze, shawarma, bourek amongst plenty of other tasty treats.

The Shawafel arrived on a platter for us to construct ourselves, which made it great sharing food. A generous serving of marinated chicken, falafel, garlic sauce, pickles and salad were accompanied by an Arabic flat bread. The flavours were fantastic and this is a must-try for anyone who needs swaying away from their greasy Saturday night kebab. This is how it is done properly.

We also got to sample some of their delicious mint tea which was warming and sweet yet a real palate cleanser.

Our chips on the side from Chip + Fish ended up coming with a piece of battered haddock on top and sides of mushy peas and tartare sauce. We were a little overwhelmed but happily dug into it. The chips were fat, being nice and fluffy on the inside with a good crisp exterior. The fish was tasty but the batter was a little bit too chewy for our liking. Mushy peas however were spot on!

To finish, we tried a cupcake from Love Rouge Bakery. Modeled on the 99p ice cream, this was a vanilla cupcake with rich vanilla buttercream, hundreds and thousands and a much loved flake.

Whilst great in presentation, I felt the cake was overpowered by an artificial vanilla flavour and was more style over substance. I will need to have a second taste of a different cake I think as maybe this just wasn't my cup of tea.

Unfortunately The Meat Wagon and Dorshi did not make it into my belly that night (there is only so much food one can eat in one sitting!). Both will however be getting a feature on the blog in the next few weeks as I return for my next Trinity Kitchen feasts.