Take Away Chicken…read moreTagine with more rice than any three humans could eat in one sitting for a fiver? You'd be forgiven for thinking it'd be the single worst meal you'd ever have eaten in your life. There though you'd be wrong. Each order of this wonderful stuff comes with about a third of a large chicken that tastes as though it'd been cooked in a real tagine and a box...yes a box of cardamom infused rice. Not the single greatest take-away I've ever had, but they manage to provide really tasty food quickly and at a great price.

If, like me, you tend to order food rather a lot (no comments on my cooking habits, now) then…read moreyou'll know that Leeds has lots of places to choose for Indian, Chinese, kebabs and such like. When it comes to such cuisines as Lebanese we have much less option, so having spotted Arabian House on Yelp I was keen to give them a go. Since Hungry House had decided to gift me 20% discount again, I was all over it. Not least because it had gotten past 8pm, I'd nothing to cook, and I was starving! The menu offers a number of interesting and authentic dishes and because I'm indeciseive I opted for the mixed grill. To accompany this I chose some tzatziki, hummous, and a naan. The chap had a mosaghat batinjan (various spiced veggies with rice) and with all of the items a veritable feast arrived. Given the discount, the total order came to about £15 so it's incredibly reasonable, and they certainly don't scrimp on the portions. The hummous and tzatziki came in huge foil dishes, so there was plentiful dipping option, the naan was gargantuan, the mixed grill had tons of pieces of chicken, a huge wing, and a large lamb kebab sausage. The veggie dish was a large vat of goodness in itself, and came with a huge portion of beautifully scented rice. It really was the best rice I've had from a take away - long grained, infused with real cinnamon sticks, and other stuff. The chips I ordered as a side with the mixed grill came, also, in a huge box. We were not short on carbs. It took a little while to come, being about 10-15 minutes later than the latest possible time, so order early. As for the taste, I wasn't too impressed with the hummous, as it seemed a little bland. The garlic dip, on the contrary, was so garlicky it almost tasted spicy. The chips, being thin fries, had gotten a touch soggy from the condensation in the packet, but the mixed grill was great. I preferred the chicken to the lamb, as I've had better, but the chicken was cooked beautifully and went extremely well with the tzatziki. The rice was exquisite, and I'd certainly recommend you order it to accompany anything from here. (Except maybe the desserts.) All in all, it's certainly worth trying something from the varied menu. Russell C wasn't kidding on the portion sizes, so you can double up, save even more cash, and still enjoy a relatively healthy meal considering you're ordering take away. I'll likely try them again, but hope next time that the hummous is a little more flavoursome, and the wait not so long for arrival! In any case, it's definitely recommended.

I'm always interested in new shops opening in Leeds Market as I like to support local business' and…read moretraders so I was excited to try Shawarma. A Lebanese and Halal 'pop up' stall situated in the 'Upper' part of the market near the haberdashery shop and flower stall (and close to the Source) which has an array of smells and sights to strike up interest from most people who pass by. (not sure if it's to be a permanent stall). So, new year, new adventure. I went here for lunch with my friend Al who always likes to try new stuff. The staff are very encouraging, explaining what they offer and showing you how its made. There are 10/12 choices on the menu- I chose veggie, Al chose chicken. The food is prepared and cooked in front of you so you have to wait and watch. it's mainly done on a grill or the veggie stuff (mainly being falafel) is shallow fried before being 'wrapped' and warmed on a panini maker! There were dishes of olives and hummus on the counter and you could see all the ingredients that go into your order. The prices are reasonable too= £4.50 or less per wrap/kebab etc. I was happy with my falafel wrap but it was a tad lacking in the spicy punch I expected, Al like his 'kebab cake' (we couldn't remember the actual name!) It was nice to experience different cuisine in a handy way and not be so stuffed after but next time I'm gonna be brave and ask for something a bit spicier! I think this is a break off shop from the Shawarma on Raglan Road in Headingley but having never been there I couldn't be sure- they do both seem to offer similar if not the same menu!

I've passed CM several times and decided to give it a try. I wanted to try the chicken shawarma but…read morethey were out of it that day so I tried the chicken bastilla which came with hummus and salad. I loved the chicken bastilla that I had in Marrakech and had hoped for the same with this one. It wasn't bad but can't say it was the best. CM usually appears very busy as its located in the Leeds market so it might take awhile to get your order in since you're not entering an actual restaurant but more of food stand. Service was good, friendly and quick. I would try it again but would opt for something different.

North African restaurant up the Headrow, serving simple food in comfortable surroundings. At first…read moreglance, it looks a little like a harem, and a small one at that, but delve deeper, head upstairs, and you discover a sprawling place equipped with red velvet sofas, colourful cushions and drapes, and even sky sports. Weird and fairly wonderful. Like most Moroccan places, the best things to go for are the tagines and stews, but the grilled stuff here is good as well. I wouldn't bother with the falafel salad, though. It's a disappointing squib of a dish. All in all, a decent place for a change of scene at lunchtime, but don't bother if you want a proper meal out.

Food standard comparing to Lebanese Resturant is average, was not up to our expectation but it's…read morestill good choice to anyone looking for Arabic food in the centre of Leeds. Prices are good.

Food is five+ star quality, delicious and reasonably priced. Atmosphere and service could be…read moreimproved but suitable for lunch or a casual dinner. Ordered the Mazza Sampler (5 pounds) and Meat Sampler (10 pounds) which was plenty of food for four people. Already craving it again - definitely worthy of a try!

Oh ho! Did you make the same mistake? Did you spot the slightly grotty-looking exterior, randomly…read morenext to the junction, and assume this place had long been closed? You're thinking it and I'm saying it: books, covers, judging. Don't be that guy. (Well. You can sometimes be that guy.) My point is that almost everyone I've mentioned this place to assumed the above, making an ass out of u and me. I suggested it to a mate for a birthday do (she wanted Lebanese food) and, despite my warning that it might be closed or not-so-good, this is where we went. Maybe part of the charm is lowered expectations, but they put on one hell of a gorgeous spread. There are so many quirks to a little indie like this that you simply wouldn't get from going chain and flash: The old chap in the corner who clearly eats there on a regular basis, with his whole bottle of wine to himself. (No judging here, just an observation.) The almost 3D pictures of ladies in Niqabs. The long banquet table in the centre of the space, which sort of feels a bit like a caravan or something. The staff were lovely and very accommodating. (We drank much of their Lebanese beer. Don't worry, there's more recognisable brands if you're worried.) Since we were a huge group the food was put on buffet style, and we went back for several plates -- it was about £30 ph, all told, and for that we had a feast. The meal included, but wasn't limited to, the most delicious olives and fresh salad, houmous, beetroot style houmous, these amazing meatballs, stuffed vine leaves, pitas, these spicy saucy veggie dishes, and expertly seasoned rice. I don't think there was a dish I wasn't a fan of! Everything seemed fresh and the desserts were exquisite -- wonderful, varied pastries. The moral of this story is: give them a go. We had a wonderful time!

What a great little place. From the outside it looks closed up, but upon getting closer it became…read moreclear(er) that it was in fact open. Inside was absolutely dead, with just a single guy sitting in the corner eating on his own, with the remains of a previous table the only sign that there was every any more custom. The staff here are really friendly, but so so laid back. What I assume to be the owners kids were playing out front when we got there and then sat chatting with members of staff at the front of the restaurant. Its the sort of place that you cant help but feel comfortable in. We went for the chefs mezze, which is basically a selection of small plates picked by the chef, followed by a main course to share. First off the portions are HUGE, we left food and were absolutely stuffed. Secondly, the quality (especially of the small plates) was great. We had a spiced meat dish, stuffed vine leaves, baba ganoush, humous, pitta, haloumi and spinach wraps to begin, followed by a pork meatball tagine with more of the delicious stuffed vine leaves for main. The bill for 2, along with a bottle of wine came to £50 including tip, which is phenomenal for the sheer amount of good food we were presented with. Id definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for something a little bit different from a meal out!

Gzing bills itself as 'Leeds first and only Kurdish restaurant'. Which, if you're a taste junkie…read morelike me, should be enough to take the short trip from the centre of town to seek out the culinary delights offered here. Or you could be swayed by the recommendation of a friend who I have to thank for alerting me to this very cheap, very tasty little place. Lincoln Green estate is probably not people's first choice to find great places to eat. But just off the main road, lit up like a beacon with a bright red sign and its own car park (is it churlish of me to admit I was relieved to see the private parking?) is Gzing. The restaurant is a large room with glass windows overlooking the car park (scenic), with basic cafeteria style decor. I'm not really selling this place am I? Don't be fooled by my flippancy. As we entered we were warmly welcomed by the member of staff on the door, and chose ourselves a cafeteria table. As we were getting familiar with the menu, our host arrived with a couple of bowls of delicious vegetable soup by way of appetizer, on the house. I like these people's style. The menu features some dishes that might be familiar if you've visited Persian or Turkish restaurants. There's a charcoal grill in the kitchen and it gets well used, with a large part of the mains menu dedicated to varieties of grilled meats. Ful (broad beans), hummus and ghanoush were all dishes I recognised on the starters menu, with a number of tasty looking lamb and cereal type dishes we didn't try. Vegetable casseroles form the other part of the mains courses, with a short dessert menu featuring baklava and ice cream. We opted straight for the mains, boyfriend opting for a grilled skewer of chicken breast, with rice, salad and the delicious Kurdish flatbread/nan. I had a grilled half chicken, which was served with a bowl of vegetable casserole, rice and a flatbread. It was unseasonably cold so we fortified ourselves with delicious Kurdish cardamon black tea. The food was a triumph - tasty, tangy chicken that melted off the bone in the case of the half chicken. I chose an okra casserole, which was rich and flavourful. I suspect there was lamb in the stock that made it - this is not a place to take your vegetarian friend. Flavours are subtle, hints of lemon, saffron and cinnamon coming through. Boyfriend stopped demolishing chicken skewer long enough to indicate strong approval. I have a slight quibble with the bread - it wasn't quite fresh I thought, but boyfriend disagreed so maybe I am fussy. Portions were enough that I took half home for lunch the next day. Now here's the really amazing bit....our meal of soup, tea, chicken, rice, bread and vegetable casserole came to £11.50. For both of us. I think I almost laughed with disbelief as we paid up (yes, we did leave a tip!) Gzing also does takeaway, and throughout our meal enormous piles of flatbreads were being handed over to customers coming to pick up their order. Service is warm and friendly, it feels like a community, informal kind of place. This impression is strengthened by the existence of a shisha lounge and pool table out back. It has to be said that the community is mostly men, and whilst it was a welcoming atmosphere it was also very male (as in I was the only woman in the place!) on the midweek night we were there. I might not choose to dine there alone, although I'm sure I would be made to feel welcome. But if you want what is probably the best value tasty dinner in Leeds, in informal surroundings plus getting a bit of culture to boot, I say get yourself to Gzing!

Great food! This is one of my favourite restaurants to visit in Leeds. I absolutely love all sorts…read moreof Middle Eastern foods and this is one of the best Kurdish restaurants I've been to. There are a lot of very good choices on the menu and all reasonably priced.

Disappointing…read more Actually, i wasn't disappointed as I didn't really expect much. We went in on a Friday after work as Big D had a 50% off card. First impressions from outside were "you're taking me HERE?" then inside, "oh".as I looked around and thought that it would probably be better after a big drinking session so that i didn't care that there was no one else in there, that the staff were positively miserable and the tablecloths were plastic. ok. the food might be amazing as is often the case with weird restaurants down side streets. it was adequate. My babaganoush tasted the same as the houmous, but possibly with more garlic and the falafel was clove-tastic. Dave's lamb looked...chewy. lots of food for the price, but not overly enamoured I'm afraid.

This place is a bit of a hidden gem. Don't be put off by the slighty grotty location and decor, the…read morefood is AMAZING. Yes, the ambience is a bit lacking and it's often a little empty, but the food really does make up for this - it's reasonably priced, delicious, plentiful and authentic. The service is informal but the owner/manager is friendly and will enthusiastically recommend things if you can't decide. I'd personally recommend the houmous, baba ganouj, halloumi and falafel, and my non-veggie friends reckon the mixed grills and chicken plates are amazing.