Sometimes, a little spice is just what you need to start your day.
(Ed: Debbie – Who knew?)
Whether you want to eat in the City Centre or the suburbs, splash out or keep it affordable, then at Dishoom and Aisha’s there are some great spicy breakfast offerings.
Having travelled in Asia and worked in Bradford, I have recently found myself longing for an Asian breakfast. When I mentioned this online, recommendations suggested I try out the new Dishoom on Vicar Lane and Aisha’s on Roundhay Road.
Dishoom
I started at Dishoom. Breakfast here is not an afterthought; it is central to the Dishoom vision. Inspired by the Irani cafes of Bombay which served residents across the city at all times of day, each Dishoom opens at 8am weekdays and 9am at weekends.
As you enter the Art Deco interior of the Leeds branch you are taken to a 1930s of panelled wood, black and white photos and sleek graphic posters.
The first decision when eating breakfast anywhere is whether to go sweet or savoury. There are options for both. The Cinammon-Jaggery pancakes sounded tempting and lots of fellow diners were munching soft folded naans filled with bacon, sausage or eggs. I went for the one dish that combines both – the Chole Puri Halwa, which is a pot of spiced chickpeas served with puri bread and sweet semolina based halwa.
I am a fan of Chole Halwa, and this was probably the best I have ever eaten. The chickpeas were large, just slightly soft and served in the richest chole gravy I have tasted. The spicy level was just right, building as you worked your way through the dish. The puri was large, puffy and almost oil free. It was great for dipping into the sauce or wrapping around halwa. The orange halwa had a nice consistency and was not too sweet.
I had been intending to accompany my meal with Hot Doogh. Unfortunately, there was none available the day I visited. Instead, I opted for a pot of Ginger, Lemon and Honey tea. It was a good choice. The spicy ginger went well with the chole whilst the honey echoed the sweetness of the halwa. As soon as I sat down, my stainless-steel beaker was filled with water and staff returned frequently to top up.
Eating by myself limited, my appetite could not stretch to a second dish, but the kitchen gave me some of the keema to try to which I added a home-made bun. The keema forms part of Keema Per Eedu, which is perhaps the most luxuriant dish on the breakfast menu. The Keema is laced with chicken liver and served with runny fried eggs, potato chips and bread. The keema was lightly spiced and the liver was soft; I could see how the addition of runny egg would turn this into something special. The bread was lightly grilled, ideal for dipping and not sweet as many Indian rolls are.
The food at Dishoom was great. However, from where I live, I have to travel into the City Centre and I don’t want to do that and spend over £20 for breakfast every day (Chole Halwa £15.70, Keema Per Eedu £17.90).
Aisha’s
There was one dish I had not been able to order in Dishoom – paratha. When travelling in India I had become fond of paratha for breakfast. So, I also went to sample breakfast at Aisha’s on Roundhay Road, where the menu offers a page of English and Asian breakfast dishes next to a page of paratha dishes. There are a lot of places selling parathas but this one opens at 7am weekdays, 8am weekends, and the parathas are freshly made.
Aisha’s has been open for seven years. The family business is named after the daughter of the family. When I visited mum, Rehana, and one of her sons were both in the cafe. The surroundings are clean, bright and welcoming, there is even a covered area with tables outside, although in the recent hot weather I preferred to eat inside. As soon as we sat down, we were given menus, a bottle of water and glasses.
There were two of us on this expedition, so we ordered two breakfasts to share; an Aloo Paratha (£4.50) and another Chana Halwa (£6.80) for comparison, washing it down with a flat white coffee and a pink Kashmiri chai. Both drinks were good and the server asked if we would like them immediately, or with our food, a little courtesy which I always appreciate.
You can tell the parathas here are freshly made; the bread is flaky and stuffed full of potato that spills out onto the plate. Lots of places buy them frozen, and although still good, they tend to have a rather flattened look and feel. The potato was soft and lightly spiced. The menu promised it would be served with fresh onion and achar. In the end it came with a pickle tray of lime pickle, mint chutney and chilli sauce. The chana halwa in Dishoom did come with some lovely carrot and chilli achar pickles but there was no real achar with either dish here. On the other hand, I did appreciate the mint chutney. Years of eating in Bradford cafes means that I have come to expect mint chutney or raita with every dish.
The sauce on the chana did not have the complexity of the one I sampled at Dishoom, but it was still very tasty. The chickpeas were just as plump but were accompanied by pieces of potato and onion, giving more variety of texture. The puri was again well sized and well cooked. The halwa was softer and sweeter but still good. I was told that a chef comes in early every morning to make a batch for the day.
I have gone from having nowhere in Leeds to eat an Asian to having two very good options. Which I choose may depend on where I need to be and how healthy my bank balance is. Dishoom is a lovely morning treat if you need to be in the City Centre but stopping by Aisha’s is also a great option. I recommend you try both.
Dishoom 68 Vicar Ln, Leeds LS1 7JH https://www.dishoom.com/leeds
Aisha’s 159 Roundhay Rd, Harehills, Leeds, LS8 5AJ https://aishascafe-leeds.co.uk
Photography by Debbie Rolls.
Main image: Aisha’s Cafe.
