From Baghdad To Broadway Market: Suzie Bakos Charity Supper Club Review
On a crisp December night, LEON turned up the heat, teaming up with chef Suzie Bakos for a one‑night‑only charity supper club. The evening celebrated the joy of Middle Eastern feasting: bold flavours, bright colours, and dishes designed to share.
Every ticket supported The Felix Project, which rescues surplus food and delivers it to over 1,200 community organisations across London. I’d only discovered this remarkable charity last week at The Great Christmas Feast, and their mission to no one goes hungry is both vital and uplifting. A single £50 donation helps redistribute the equivalent of 135 meals — so every plate enjoyed tonight helped fill another elsewhere.
Suzie, the Baghdad‑born, London‑raised chef behind The Little Sauce, reimagined LEON favourites into a spice‑laden sharing menu. Served family‑style, the spread included:
• Sticky Tamarind Chicken with sesame and spring onion
• Hash Brown Bites with amba garlic mayo, chilli & coriander
• Fish Bites with gochujang, crispy onions, parmesan & amaranth
• Cod Loin with dhal, zhug, sriracha, harissa chilli oil & butterfly sorrel
• Spiced Squash with black beans, pomegranate, pine nuts, lamb lettuce & sumac dressing
• Crispy Potatoes with mint & mustard sauce, pickled red onions & nasturtium
• Fattoush Salad with fried flatbread & pomegranate molasses
• Kunafe with hot honey, pistachio & rose
The cod loin with dhal was the standout: flaky fish paired with a dhal that carried a satisfying kick. It felt like the most complete dish of the night — one I’d happily order with rice at a restaurant. The fattoush salad drew repeated exclamations of “so fresh” and “so good,” its pomegranate adding a welcome sweetness. The spiced squash with black beans was hearty and wintery, though the shared‑plate format meant awkwardly dividing four pieces among five diners.
Other highlights included the reimagined fish fingers, elevated by parmesan and a touch of heat, and the hash brown bites, where mango and chilli played beautifully together. The tamarind chicken divided opinion — its bold flavour might have worked better with rice — while the crispy potatoes lacked the promised crunch. Still, presentation across all dishes was lovely. Dessert, a warm kunafe, was cheesy, balanced, and not overly sweet.
With eight dishes, I left feeling full and satisfied. Tickets were only £20, with all proceeds going to The Felix Project — extraordinary value for a night of flavour and generosity.
The setting added to the charm: a council estate along the Hackney canal, three flights up into an open‑plan space with a long dining table, plants, and bookshelves. Guests were welcomed with wine and quickly settled into conversation. The sharing plates encouraged neighbourly chatter — we talked travel, music, and of course, the food.
This supper club also showcased LEON Grocery’s 2025 launches, from sauces to frozen items and ready meals now available in major supermarkets. Inspired by LEON restaurants menu the items offer a healthy and convenient solution. With Suzie’s flair and LEON’s award‑winning year behind it, the night proved itself not only a feast, but a night of connection, generosity and joy.
I’d sign up in a heartbeat for any future supper clubs.
Website: https://www.thelittlesauce.com/supper-clubs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzie_bakos
Website: https://leon.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonrestaurants
Website: https://thefelixproject.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefelixproject
