Little Tokyo, Leeds

Finding great food in a city you don't know can be a hit-and-miss experience, so when we wanted to get some dinner in Leeds, I was happy to hand over the decision to an old friend of Andy's.

He and his wife were singing in one of the Light Night events, performing the same pieces three times at different venues, so we had half an hour to grab something to eat before they were due to start their next performance. There was some talk of going to Wagamama, and then we arrived at Little Tokyo instead. And as much as I enjoy Wagamama, I'm so glad we did!

We checked before we sat down that they'd be able to serve us quickly enough, and then we just had to make a speedy decision from the huge menu card. Usually this is easy enough for me, in a land of limited vegetarian options, but this time there was so much choice that I didn't even read half of the menu. In the end we all went for bento boxes: tempura vegetables, rice, salad, fruit, and a choice of main dish. I had mine with "tofu steak", and Andy went for duck with mango.

The tofu was in a thick, savoury sauce, the tempura batter was perfectly light and crispy, and everything was clearly very fresh. It was a little bit pricey, but since I was much too full to even contemplate dessert, I think it was good value. We'd love to go back - it's just a shame it's so far from home!