Oba Leeds: How this Korean fusion restaurant is saving the reputation of bottomless brunches everywhere
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Try to think of a bottomless brunch get-together that isn't full of regret the day after.
It's hard isn't it?
I've always turned my nose up at them - maybe in an (ever so slightly) snobby way, but it's more to do with the rightful amount of beer fear felt the day after stumbling down Boar Lane on a Sunday afternoon.
Listen, I've given it a go. Hell, I've been there!
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Hide AdBut I struggle to believe I'm the only person who now likes my hangovers to start the day after, not the day of.
And that in itself is exactly the ethos of a bottomless brunch-a-thon: to make you feel like you've been hit by a spade before tea time.
That's why I was extremely pleased to hear that one of my favourite restaurants, Oba, was putting together a bottomless brunch that was more than just an endless supply of cheap prosecco and pornstar martinis.
This place has a food-orientated, classy approach to the Sunday lunch treat, one that was more about enjoying the food than trying to drink your frenemy under the table.
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Hide AdFor starters, this was a two course delight that skipped straight over claggy pancakes and watery maple syrup.
We enjoyed a gorgeous platter of seafood and vegetable gyoza, fried just the right amount to justify eating it at noon.
Crispy tofu and a prawn, squid and scallop noodle dish came next, and here is the kicker: no sickly sweet, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth cocktails that make your skin crawl and your teeth itch.
Yes, prosecco is on the menu - you can't take that piece of candy away from the baby - but the cocktails on offer here are far more delicious and well thought-out.
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Hide AdI'm convinced that this is what the inventors of the bottomless brunch intended, a return to form of sorts.
Somehow wrapped up in student culture and heavy weekends the actual enjoyable parts of a nice brunch have been taken away and replaced with a booze-laden bin fire.
It seems that Oba is throwing a damp towel on the whole thing, and I have nothing but praise for them for doing so.
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