Tada Headingley: Inside Michelin-trained chef Mandie Chan's authentic Japanese sushi kitchen in Leeds

He then trained at Wabi Sabi, a high-end omakase restaurant where he worked with ingredients including fresh seafood and Japanese A5 Wagyu beef.

Later, his pursuit of mastery led him to work alongside some of the world’s most respected sushi chefs. At Sushiyoshi in Japan, for example, he trained under two-Michelin-starred expert Hiroki, an experience that left an indelible mark on his approach to cooking. But in 2020, the Covid pandemic put his career on hold.

With Hong Kong facing political uncertainty, he made the difficult decision to relocate to the UK with his wife and three children. It was a leap of faith – and one that led him straight to Tada. “We received a CV out of the blue – and it was the best fit for the restaurant we could have imagined,” explains Thomas.

Mandie’s approach to presentation has brought a new level of sophistication to Japanese dining in Leeds, Thomas says. “All of his dishes, regardless of how busy it is, are finished to perfection. The visual was very important for us in terms of what we wanted to create. And that’s ultimately down to marketing. Social media is so important now, and we try to post pictures of all of our dishes.”

Mandie was among the first to bring oshizushi – a pressed form of sushi – to Leeds. Katlin says: “We have items at Tada that people might not have tried before. One example is the oshizushi, which has a rectangular shape. It’s pressed to enhance the flavour of the fish. It’s quite dense and gives a really interesting texture.”

Another highlight of the menu is the Tada chirashidon, a dish that Mandie takes great pride in and features almost all of the fish available at the restaurant. Thomas explains: “The visual and the way that he puts it together is amazing. It has white rice topped with salmon, bluefin tuna, yellowtail, red sea bream, sweet prawn, surf clam, scallop, salmon fish roe, Japanese egg omelette, picked radish, pickled ginger and yuzu peel. It’s a really popular dish here – people love the wow factor.”

Thomas and Katlin’s vision for Tada was always to offer an authentic Japanese dining experience, as it was something they felt was missing in Leeds. The design of the restaurant was equally important. “When I take customers downstairs, they’re always like ‘wow, it’s so beautiful’,” says Katlin.

Tada’s popularity has continued to grow and the team has ambitious plans for 2025. “Potentially, we could move to a bigger site – or even open a second one,” hints Thomas. “We’ve gone from strength to strength. That gives us the motivation we need to create something bigger.”