House of Fu Leeds
Georgina Pellant
House of Fu brings a joyful playfulness to Leeds’ casual dining scene with its fun, relaxed decor and creative dishes. A Japanese-inspired restaurant speciaising in ramen and handmade dumplings, with a karaoke cocktail bar and lounge upstairs, it first began life as an award-winning street food pop-up at Leeds’ Belgrave Music Hall before blossoming into the large space on The Headrow it occupies today.
Born out of a love for broth, noodles and gyoza, the Asian fusion menu centres around ramen, with seven different customisable options, supported by a list of fresh rice bowls and pan-Asian small plates. Choices include the house original, tantanmen, and a tofu ‘tonkotsu’, with all recipes strongly informed by chef owner Ben Iley’s near-decade of experience working, living and eating in Japan.
Inside, the decor is bright, cool and airy, with a semi-open kitchen and large windows overlooking The Headrow outside. Its neon-lit cocktail and karaoke lounge can be found upstairs, and hosts DJs every weekend for those wanting to carry on the party after dinner. Karaoke rooms are also available for hire, and bookings can be made separately to your restaurant reservation.
The menu is more pan-Asian than strictly Japanese – although, in a nod to more British tastes, there’s also the option to add chicken tenders to your ramen. Small plate options include homemade gyoza, hot crispy cauliflower, Gochujang honey glazed Korean beef bao-nuts (somewhere between a bao and a donut), kimchi, and double-fried chicken.
Definitely make sure to save room for dessert, because the house ice cream sandwiches here are a must-try. Or, if you fancy something a bit different, go for the house take on a tiramisu, made with Hojicha cream and plum sake syrup.
When it comes to drinks, the House of Fu frozen yuzu margaritas and lychee daiquiris are always a hit. Happy hour runs all day Monday to Friday with two cocktails for £12, with favourites like spicy margaritas, espresso martinis and umeshu negronis on offer as well as some Japanese-inspired signatures.
There’s a short wine list of mostly European and new world wines too, but if you want to go for something different try the Japanese Chateau Mercian 42 Koshu. You’ll also find a decent list of sake in different styles by the glass or the bottle, alongside a selection of locally brewed craft beers and alcohol-free cocktails.
For those wanting to do karaoke and dine, please note that the bookings are not connected and need to be made separately. Karaoke at House of FU doesn’t cater for under 18s Monday-Sat, but the venue has a regular family day on Sundays.
