Mainly, because the food was, again, absolutely gorgeous. But also because I decided to be a proper blogger and take some "mood" shots of glasses of water and whatnot to set the scene.
D says that you can't just put your cutlery at a funny angle to your orange juice and call it "art". I, respectfully, disagree (and think that he should have moved his hand further out of shot). And here, I instagrammed the bejeezus out of a Bloody Mary:
Because a bit of Tilt Shift (not to mention a stiff vodka first thing in the morning) makes EVERYTHING BETTER.
But, to more important matters - just feast your eyes on this, the current menu (or, if you can't make that out, the website can be found here):
How is it possible not to want to eat every single thing on there? Last time we went, we both had the Korean fried chicken and I very nearly ordered it again because it was such a paragon of brunch time yumminess. I was strong though, and went for the Huevos Rancheros that popped up on the Specials' Board. You'll see the picture is decidedly more functional since I wanted less art and more food in my face at that point:
Two perfectly cooked, fudgy-yolked eggs, a generous scoop of black beans and a salsa that had a generous hum of chilli and coriander all perched on top of a couple of very pretty, purple corn tortillas. Lovely.
D was similarly appreciative of the steak and cheddar eggs, particularly the skill with which the steak was cooked to a perfect, blushing pink. We also both commented on the well judged portion sizes - the last thing you want after brunch is to feel so full that you need to go back to bed for a nap.
What I especially like about Ox Club is that yes, you can have your Full English, but a lot of the other options are a wee bit different, offering a real departure point from other venues. It remains to be seen how frequently the menu will change, but the inclusion of specials is a pleasing sign, suggesting that the kitchen has the potential to stay on its toes.
Worth bearing in mind is that the service, certainly on a Sunday morning, is very friendly and very chilled - this is a place to linger rather than expect to swoop in and out. Save that for another day of the week and another restaurant. One party decided not to stay, citing the lack of vegetarian options - and OK, if you don't want something sweet and there are no specials on, you'd be restricted to avocado toast - or toast with baked beans and house fries cobbled together from the "Extras" section (which I personally don't think is much of a restriction myself). Again, just worth bearing in mind (although English breakfasts don't tend to be particularly veggie friendly wherever you go).
Amongst the rest of the clientele, though, one hour after opening, the place was full of people enjoying good coffee and excellent food. It is definitely our new favourite place to brunch in Leeds and we're already considering going back for an evening service to see if the kitchen retains its high standards later in the day. Hopefully, for your sake dear reader, it will be too dark on that occasion for any more photos...
Ox Club @ Headrow House
The Headrow
Leeds
LS1 6PU
07470 359961 (NB: they currently don't take reservations for brunch)
info@oxclub.co.uk
When I'm back eating I must pop up to Leeds and let you take me there!There's something good to look forward to for my empty tum! Lxx
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