Danny Malin: I tried the new Leeds restaurant Habbibi and the steak was ‘out of this world’

From top YouTubers to TikTokers, West Yorkshire is thriving with professional content creators looking for some scran that will look good on their feed.

Personally, I’m not bothered about flower walls or ring lights, it’s about the photo-worthy food on my plate. 

For me, what’s important is the portion size, value for money, quality of the product and that it looks and smells bang on. 

I’m a nightmare to cook for because I have hypersensitive senses when it comes to my food, even with texture. 

I’d rather have simple, good-quality food rather than something fancy and tasteless. But, if it looks good and tastes better then it’s a win for me.

Here is some of the most photo-worthy and banging food that I’ve eaten across Leeds.  

I’ve scaled up Moda in Leeds which is luxury accommodation for students and young professionals alike.The first time I went I experienced the rooftop bar for a private function which also has a private dining area.

I was served canapés by MasterChef star Molly Payne and her partner. She had taken British cuisine and given it a contemporary twist in bitesize versions. There was also plenty of rich gravy involved.

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The next time I was at Moda it was to abseil down the side of the building for Leeds Hospitals Charities which is also memorable but for very different reasons. 

Not too far away from there is the newly opened Habbibi restaurant, run by influencer Abdu Rozik and DJ Tom Zanetti. I was a bit sceptical at first that it would just be pretty backdrops and gizmos.

I love a sirloin steak but I’m fussy about my meat because I used to work at a butchers. Steak leaves you nowhere to hide. But wow, it was out of this world. They served up stunning food but in Yorkshire portions. 

Another place I can recommend is Flat Iron grill in the city centre where my mates and I had us own steaks but shared huge sides of Maccaroni cheese and greens. Delicious. 

If I want my meat fix while feeding the family too, it’s Estabulo for me. As a big family we all like different meats and my wife’s a vegetarian so she ploughs into the salad bar. While I’m not normally a salad man I do have salad here and it adds some colour to my content. I’m all for any salad which involves bread, cheese and salami. 

On the rare occasion it’s just my wife and I and the baby, our favourite has to be Ivy Asia and Tattu who both serve up South East Asian style grub. Ivy does beautiful  looking and tasty food in stunning surroundings. Tattu gave us epic tapas style plates but huge portions. 

I love Thai food too and Chaophraya is tasty while looking like solid 10 dishes. 

By Danny Mei Lan Malin (Dannymalin.co.uk/mrandmrsyorkshire.com)