Review: XO Supper Club at Mr Nobody's Leeds

XO Supper Club Leeds Review – Supper Club Leeds – Pop Up Restaurant Leeds – Asian Food Leeds 

Review: XO Supper Club at Mr Nobody’s Leeds

Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending the launch night of one of Leeds most innovative new pop-up restaurants, XO. Situated in the intimate surroundings of Mr Nobody’s on Lower Briggate.
There was great anticipation built on social media with a sneak preview of some of the dishes but keeping the full menu under wraps until the night, the excitement was high as we arrived into the bar for a few pre-dinner, Asian-inspired cocktails.
          
With a sell-out event, the bar was full of hungry guests as we made our way down to the restaurant to a soundtrack of biggie smalls. It was great to see the Asian theme carried through with miniature sriracha bottles, chopsticks and origami birds to decorate the tables.

Our first dish really set the bar for what to expect from the evening with a great twist on an American and Chinese classic. Cheeseburger spring rolls arrived at the table in a takeaway box. A great spin and perfectly executed with the juicy beef and American cheese encased in a crispy pancake coating.

Not long after we’d polished off our spring rolls it was onto our next course. Prawn toast on another level. A huge hunk of Leeds Bread Co-op sourdough topped with a generous portion of diced prawns. Nice touch to finish it off with black sesame seeds, which added a bit more depth, then served with a citrus hint of yuzu mayo.

The next dish pushed the boundaries a little and possibly wasn’t to everyone’s tastes, but showcased the Asian-inspired fine dining style of the event. I really enjoyed the tuna sashimi and burnt watermelon but I can imagine the egg yolk would have left some less adventurous guests a bit nervous. The combination of flavours with the subtle kick of the togarashi worked really well, to add the prawn crackers again gave a nod to the classic Asian dishes too.

I was a bit skeptical about the next course but my doubts were easily dismissed after the first bite. Corn on the cob served with a  good dose a spicy sriracha mayo, then a generous dusting of freshly grated parmesan. I definitely wasn’t expecting Italian cheese on an Asian inspired menu but the spicy sriracha, deep flavour of the parmesan and a squeeze of fresh lime lifted the once plain old sweet corn to a whole new level.
          
A few surprise dishes next, not from the menu but one the chef put out to wow the guests. First more of a taster, silken scallop, fiery XO paste and pork floss. Each ingredient had a big and bold flavour so the dainty portion was a perfect amount. Our next surprise dish, chewy rice cakes in a spicy South Korean gochujang paste, complimented well with coriander and green onion, delicious.

Our next course really brought some intrigue and theatre to the table. Miso cod wrapped in roasted seaweed. The intense flavour of the roasted seaweed was a bit overpowering for my partner, which thankfully meant I got to finish the rest.
          
Next one of the evening’s standout dishes and a Korean staple, Bo-Ssam. A huge hunk of slow roasted pork belly served with kimchi, spring onions and fresh lettuce leaves. This was definitely the main event kinda dish with so much to go round. The pork literally fell apart, we stuffed everything into the lettuce leaves then happily devoured everything in sight. I hope this stays on the menu.

Onto dessert and another dish that made us literally drool when I saw it pop up on Instagram a few weeks ago. ‘Hangover Cone’ as it’s aptly titled. Pretty much every ingredient you could dream of whilst wallowing in a post-drunken state on the sofa. Creamy vanilla ice-cream topped with salted chocolate brownie, pretzels, peanut butter and fresh raspberries, all spilling out of a wafer cone then topped off with a highly addictive maple bacon crumb. Mind blown!
To say this was the launch night of XO Supper Club, with just a few short weeks since the announcement and a venue change in-between, the event went down a storm, even the few technical hitches when the hip-hop soundtrack dropped out due to the venue’s wifi. Guests didn’t even seem to notice as they were far too busy soaking up the atmosphere and delicious cocktails. With a daytime showcase of XO this weekend at the Hedonist Project just announced and a follow-up event on Sunday 2nd July, we’re expecting another quick sell-out from this hip brand and their masterful kitchen team.
Next Event: XO Supper Club at Mr Nobody’s Leeds – Part 2.0
Mr Nobody’s Cocktail Bar & Restaurant, 163 Lower Briggate, Leeds LS1 6LY
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XO Supper Club Leeds Review – Supper Club Leeds – Pop Up Restaurant Leeds – Asian Food Leeds