When Is A Bar Not A Bar?
When it’s trying to be a restaurant, apparently. And that’s what confused Samrana Hussain about the whole ‘Tongue ‘N Cheek’ pop-up eatery concept at Jake’s Bar …
Jake’s has been used for many things over the years. The dance-floor used to sell records rather than spin them, the toilets were once Oporto’s offices, and the bar used to be the corner of the car park where a hotdog wagon stationed itself on a weekend. So it’s no surprise owner Ged Feltham decided to throw in a pop-up restaurant, which opened the other night.
The venue, with its Victorian tiling and intimate booths, has the perfectly relaxed atmosphere. It’s easy to see why the bar is popular with a good variety of drinks and food on order.
I’m a big believer in fusing flavours and mixing dishes so this concept of using locally sourced food and unknown and quirky cuts of meat was promising.
I can’t fault my filet of fish dish, a hand-picked crab burger and posh tartar sauce. The burger just burst with subtle flavours and was surprisingly filling. It was a little on the small side, and I am by no means into huge American sized portions. I’m not a fan of tartar normally, but this sauce was really tasty and light on my tongue.
My companion wasn’t as impressed with her dish of beef and oyster pie, which only had one oyster. It was a little runny and the combination didn’t work for her, leaving her slightly disappointed. But not so much that she didn’t polish it off.
Other quirky creations were ox-tongue subs, pig cheek subs, and gin and tonic battered fish and chips. They’ve also added some new cocktails including a frozen martini shot topped with crackling candy, which just tickles your throat all the way down. A definite winner when it blisteringly cold outside.
The menu ranges from £10 for a burger and chips right up to £25 for a 250g steak, which is quite pricey and not what I’d expect from a bar on Call Lane, in Leeds. This week there’s 50% off the menu, but after that I’m not sure I’d pay full price for the food on offer, especially as there’s a lot of competition nearby from the likes of Norman, Bar Room Bar and the cornucopia of delights on offer inside the Trinity Kitchen, a little further down the road.
