Happy to say that although living with the inability to eat almost any food, it does spark curiosity to find places that can both accommodate and feed Lewis’ drooling hunger, a hunger that persists even after a 4 (possibly even 5) course meal! Our hobby of finding little hidden wonders that are appearing in more places than a few – now that intolerances and the growing vegan community are becoming more widely acknowledged – has lead to us creating this blog.
So, to get on with it we travelled along the typical West Yorkshire line to a little village called Slaithwaite (pronounced ‘slough-it’… it baffled us too), a lovely village made picturesque by the stonewalled buildings that inhabit it. With us being from the north it seemed fitting to find a little place in the greatness that is Yorkshire. The café/bar/restaurant (yes they truly catered for everything) in question was pleasantly named ‘Om is where the heart is’, which gave off a brilliant first impression as the internal aesthetics and bare wall finish really gave it a rustic and friendly feel. Not to mention that the small area was brimming with customers ranged from young to old, students to families to retirees, and I would imagine a few locals. We were surprised to have to wait for a table due to our prior expectations which were far surpassed, but with a grin on our faces we enjoyed a water (for Lindsey) and a local cider (for Lewis) – remember beer and ale are off the table being gluten free and all.
Lewis’ choice
Having done my research I was wanting to go for their loaded sweet potato fries covered in a Jim Beam Bourbon BBQ sauce soaked beef brisket, with the addition of jalapeños and vegan cheese (no surprise that Lindsey chose the non GF/dairy free option as she’s blessed with a healthy gut). It wasn’t until I flicked through the menu to see what creations they offered that I noticed a burger offering a beef brisket (with the above sauce), bacon and vegan cheese topping with a choice of 2 fresh sides. Being a meat fan, I had to ask whether it was possible to accommodate my needs with this meal. Unfortunately the sauce had soy in (which I can’t eat either), but the waitress managed to create a beef brisket vegan cheese concoction – ironic I know – to go on top of the burger which was served au naturel due to the GF bread containing egg whites (another of my nemesis). A piece of bacon – which was perfectly fried I might add – was placed on top of the patty and my choice of sweet potato fries and grilled veg was served alongside it.
Fair to say the meal was a delight, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to indulge in a meal of my choice with no need for 6+ tablets, washed down with another pint of their stunning on tap cider. With every item prepared and cooked to near perfection it made for a full mouthful of a meat lover’s dream. The entire meal was prepared fresh which is always an expectancy but good to know, the sides were exactly as you would expect, well flavoured, and the veg (an assortment of peppers, asparagus and red onion) was grilled off with coriander, which I have to say I will be stealing when I cook at home! All in all the whole experience was a pleasant and thoroughly enjoyable one. We were looked after as soon as we set foot in the café, the service was top notch for an independent café such as this. I also noticed the friendly conversations between the staff and other customers which made the whole place feel like a happy community built inside an accommodating and pleasant establishment.
All in all, I would have to give this unique and hospitable establishment a well-deserved 4.5 T4T Stars. My only negative (and its not even that at most) would be the portions were possibly too big as I’ve never seen Lindsey leave food, so that’s saying something!
Lindsey’s choice
After deliberating between the previously mentioned loaded fries and the burger… and the French toast… and the pancakes… and well, just most the menu to be honest, I ended up ordering the loaded fries. (If you haven’t guessed I am bit of a nightmare when it comes to deciding what to order, I like to have examined the menu for at least a week beforehand to make sure I make the right choice… I know, I know, it’s ridiculous).
So, the loaded fries: I mean I’m BBQ pulled pork mad so this was always going to be a winner for me. The fact there was an option to have sweet potato fries over regular ones was also a bonus – I’ll pick sweet potato over normal potato any day of the week. The pulled pork was so succulent and juicy soaked in that yummy BBQ sauce, the cheese was melted to perfection and the jalapeños were the perfect finishing touch. What can I say, it was scrumptious, aaannnddd it was never ending. Is there a better combination? As Lewis said, I don’t leave food, ever, it’s just who I am (in other words, greedy) and even I could only manage half! I feel ashamed having to say that.
If I had to be super critical, I would say I would have preferred the sauce to be thicker rather than a runny liquid so the meat felt saucy and sticky, and it would then have made a more suitable dipping sauce for the chips. I also would have preferred green jalapeños – but both of those are just down to personal preference.
My TFT star rating for Om is where the heart is, is 4.5.
Fair to say with it being only one train stop further than Huddersfield we will be making stops there in the future, as there was still plenty for us to try on the menu from traditional Asian steamed buns to a mountain of French toast (if Lewis’ tablets and gut will allow it). On top of this, they also have Yoga sessions for those wanting to exercise and relax after finishing one of their mammoth portions!
Take a look below for their website as we hugely recommend going there whether you’re wanting a freshly roasted coffee, a pint and some food, looking for a vegan meal full of flavour or a meat eater looking to get stuck into some juicy delights. They truly do accommodate all ways of life!
https://www.omiswheretheheartis.co.uk/
Thanks for reading,
Linds and Lew
x
Trekking for Taste 