Manjit's Kitchen Kirkstall Road: I tried this incredible Leeds street food restaurant ahead of its closure

But that’s exactly what I’m faced with having finally gotten round to visiting Manjit’s Kitchen on Kirkstall Road following the sad announcement of its imminent closure last month.

In a poignant and prescient message shared on social media, the Indian street food favourites said that the “rising costs of everything has caught up with us” and that they would be bowing out in spite of being “busier than ever”.

The news came as a harsh reality check for food lovers and fellow independent businesses in the city, and so there was little surprise that there was something of a funereal atmosphere upon our visit on a cold and damp Friday evening.

Owner Manjit Kaur has become something of a local stalwart since opening the first incarnation of the restaurant at Kirkgate Market, where the vegetarian delights became a must-try.

Since branching out to the spot in Burley in 2018 the reputation has only grown further, evidenced by Manjit’s nomination for ‘Outstanding Contribution’ at the recently held Oliver Awards.

And in between receiving messages of condolence from every table during our visit she was still on hand to provide her famously affable service and ensure that the food was kept to its exceptional standards.

The restaurant has been relentlessly busy since the closure announcement and we were only able to get a table as things were dying down at 9pm. There was moody lighting and up-tempo tunes in the compact room to create a more informal atmosphere to that of the traditional Indian dining experience.

Being some of the last in meant that we were given a thorough run through the menu and we opted to push the boat out when putting our order in for this unique Last Supper.

We settled on three starters to get things going that were each as enticing as the last. The spinach and onion bhaji was rife with crunchy goodness while what the salt and pepper chickpea fries (served with a roast garlic mayo) lacked in explosive flavour was made up for in intriguing execution.

From the specials menu we also delighted in some of the paneer fritters served with a creamy tomato and cashew gravy that was a comforting hit of fresh indulgence .

For our main there was only ever one route we were going down and that was the Thali of the Day, which is a sharing plate featuring a selection of dishes served in a traditional large tray.

Featuring two curries made with cauliflower and chickpeas respectively, a creamy dhal, rice, spicy chutney and fritters, the assortment of astounding dishes lived up to Manjit’s promise to provide “authentic and fabulous veggie and vegan food”.

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Finding room for it all was my only issue and despite my best efforts at the end to cram the last of everything into an overflowing roti, the last remaining bits were taken home to enjoy the next day.

Along with a refreshing pale ale and glass of white wine the total came to just £43, meaning that those in the area looking to get value for their money should act quick.

Manjit’s Kirkgate Market stall remains open as normal, and she’s assured lovers of her home-cooked food that she hopes to find a new location before too long.

That can only be good news for the city.

Factfile

Address: 333 Kirkstall Rd, Burley, Leeds LS4 2HD

Opening hours: Wed to Sat, 4pm-11pm; Sun-Tue, closed.

Website: https://www.manjitskitchen.com/

Scores

Food: 9/10

Value: 9/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Service: 10/10