Wokon Noodle Bar, Leeds – reviewed by Jacklyn Swiecicki

Wokon and Refuel

I spent a recent Saturday afternoon spending up a storm buying fabulous summer dresses (I live in hope) while the snow poured down outside. What could have been described as a females perfect Saturday, it soon turned miserable as the chilly weather had me hop into the nearest noodle bar with hopes to warm up and regain the feeling in my almost frost-bitten toes.

Welcomingly served by a fellow Aussie, the menu at my chosen noodle bar, Wokon, seemed to hit the spot. On offer the choices of Wokon noodles combined many warming flavours from spicy chilli egg noodles through to classic seafood Mee-Goreng (£5.10). In addition to noodles, Wokon also had a small selection of rice dishes; Nasi Goreng (£4.45) a must; as well as offering a simple selection of soups and iconic Asian salads such as Teriyaki Beef with Lime (£4.45). And, to mop up all of the delicious and fresh Asian flavours, all the basic Asian goodies were also available, like Spring Rolls (£1.75) and boring but loveable Prawn Crackers (£0.90).

As much as I wanted to sample an array of menu options, I still had more shopping to do and I didn’t want to run the risk of going up a dress size over lunch. Eventually, I reluctantly settled on the Kwai-T noodles (£4.95). Lovingly lathered in dark soy sauce, my generously portioned Kwai-T dish was simply flat rice noodles, egg, moist roasted pork, crunchy bean shoots and thankfully pieces of shrimp that were not microscopic in size. In addition to my ingredients, despite trying to ignore my wintry sniffles, I asked my Aussie waiter (who doubled as the chef) for extra chilli; he cheerfully obliged and even proceeded to play Crowded House (an oldie Australian band) over the restaurant speakers. Nice personalised gesture, but I was never a fan…

Wokon is hardly a gourmet restaurant, but it is definitely more than a forgettable cheapie takeaway. The high turnover of customers ensures that ingredients are fresh and the chef noticeably takes great pride in cooking and complimenting these ingredients to an authentic Asian perfection.

Wokon is the perfect drop off point to refuel at during a full day of spending in blizzard-like shopping conditions.

Wokon Noodle Bar

0113 234 6666

www.wokon.co.uk

Jacklyn Swiecicki