david goodfellow

Well guys I did make the journey back,and what a good feeling it is,when you return somewhere and it is the same staff. This is especially true when you know its the same chef. Old Xie is his name.I know its correct because I thought I had heard it wrongly and I asked the manager to write it down for me. Xie(his surname)roughly translates to "thanks",however the manager suggested that I do not call him Mr Thanks. Every time that I have been here,he has been in the kitchen.(where are you Mr Ramsay). I had it in my mind to try some completely different dishes this time,but in the back of my mind still craved the Spicey hot poached Lamb.This was put to bed by "she who must be obeyed",stating that it was too hot and somewhat overpowers the other dishes. Mindful that to argue the point,may have influenced the mood for the rest of the day I happily conceded,thinking that we could get an initial order in of three mains ,and tag the hot pot on later. As you may gather I am not a real "starter fan"apart from the"ribs" I think the real action is the mains. Well we pondered,and pondered a bit more and finally decided on Gary,s recommend of stir fried French bean with chilli (what else) and minced pork. We also tried the Painter Daqian spring chicken Also on the list was Stir Fried crab with a choice of three sauces,spring onion and ginger/sweet chilli/big grandma's sauce. Now I have a feeling that I have eaten this dish before with the sweet chilli sauce,so we opted for "big grandma" instead.You have to be careful with this one if you have brittle teeth, as a big part of the fun is biting and sucking the innards(ooh you are awful).Be careful also,with the spiky parts of the legs they can be lethal. Each and every dish was superb ,the wonderful saucing,all different,and all very morish,had me craving for that extra dish,but I was defeated by the portion sizes and was absolutley stuffed. The very simple looking pork dish is packed full of flavor and the Daqian chicken with its sweet sticky sauce was divine.The crab is sufficient to feed two people. and so very delish. We have eaten at many starred restaurants over the years,and thoroughly enjoyed most of them,but hand on heart this place really hits the spot time after time,which begs the question. Is this not a candidate for at least a bib gourmand? P S the bill was a "cheap as chips" £34 plus 10% tip which included a pint of lager,a large glass of wine,boiled rice,and spring onion bread! Oh,nearly forgot the perfectly drinkable Manchester tap water,(foc).

Oh Gary I wish that I had the menu in front of me now. I may try the shredded pork myself,although Mrs G served me up some stunning belly pork for thursday dinner. I may go down the seafood route as Thom is clearly,well in the know. I may well end up with the lamb hot pot! Oh decisions,decisions but what decisions. In the mean time I shall make do with a Wrights Pie,while I watch The Mighty Potters beat Portsmouth(pretty please God). Enjoy your meal and we will share notes over the coming days.

Hi David, I reckon you've caught Red Chilli at one of it's few quiet times. I often eat there at lunch and it never seems less then at least half full and in the evenings it is pretty much packed out through the week from Wednesday onwards. Sunday I'm not so sure about. I love the fact that you can't book a table because it means you can always get in there to eat on Friday or Saturday night as long as you're willing to drink in the bar for half an hour (or even better in The Circus pub a few doors down - they'll even come and get you!). They are definitely planning to run the two sites concurrently and to be honest they'll play to very different audiences. The Portland St restaurant will suit the Chinese community whose live/work pattern takes them through Chinatown itself as well as the general city centre working/living/playing population. The Oxford Road site is a shoe-in for students, being slap-bang in the middle of Europe's biggest campus, and will also clean up with the staff (and maybe patients if they can lug themselves out of bed!) from the adjacent hospital. Possibly they'll pick up a Chinese audience from the massive Chinese supermarket just around the corner as it's on-site restaurant, Tai-Pan, ain't great and has been resting on it's laurels. They'll also pick up business from those in the know who are attending a gig at The Academy, a performance at The Contact theatre, or an exhibition at The Whitworth (all within a couple of hundred metres) and who knows, they might even convert some of the many spice-hunters who are heading to Curry Mile in Rusholme barely half a mile down the road. As for the set menu's I'm sure they'll have ported them straight across from Portland St. I would say they might tweak the prices down to reach the pockets of students and nurses etc but to be honest considering the value they currently offer I'm not sure how much lower they could go without paying you to eat there. Personally I'm not a fan of set lunches as they tend to play safe with please-the-masses dishes which don't show what the restaurant can do. For £8 a head for two you could get the hot poached lamb and rice for two and maybe accompany it with spring onion bread or Beijing dumplings? See now I'm hungry all over again, and I've only just had breakfast... I hope the 50 miles trip was worth it, let us know how you got on! Cheers Thom ← Just clicked on your link on another ongoing topic,but can not access the menu as they have "exceeded their bandwidth quota" I am salivating at the thought of trying again ,the lamb hotpot,gongbao chicken,crispy pork.etc However I am going to look at your previous recommends as its too easy to stick with the same dishes because I enjoy them so much. I think the lamb hotpot is my very fave dish even though i spend a lot of my time picking most of those fiery little red buggers out of the dish.Its stunning value given the portion size and we generally doggy bag it as we always have three courses,and as you know they are incredebly generous portions. I have been meaning to try Red n Hot for ages now but on my drive up to Manchester,I am already eating(in my mind) those same dishes mentioned above. Well,another time perhaps. Its a cert for tomorrow now(Red Chilli).

They've absolutely not moved, they've just taken on the Moso Moso site. I should know as ironically I am the "Number one Red Chilli Fan" quoted verbatim on Man Con... I can't remember if I posted this here previously (so many forums so little time) but I think it's a valid point so I'll risk reiteration: I did note on Red Chilli's website that as well as having expanded to four restaurants already (a predictable Leeds, a less predictable Bacup and Atherton) they also have plans for York, Nottingham and London. That is hugely impressive and is a real success story for a Manchester based restaurant. I can't think of another Chinese restaurant group/brand which has rolled out so successfully? I have noticed a few little dips in quality here and there, probably as a result of the operation scaling up, but in terms of quality and value it is still undoubtably the best place in town (and up there with the UK's finest). Gary, I take it from your last comment York is fully up and running? How did your Red Chilli jaunt go on Tuesday? Cheers Thom ← Hi Thom,assumption is a funny thing. It does not actually say that they have moved ..However to quote "vast" site and not being able to get my head around TWO manc sites, what can I say. I did actually phone the Manchester number to verify, and the honorable gentleman confirmed "we have moved".Perhaps we didn't understand each other. When ever I have been, admittedly on a sunday or during the day they have been very quiet,clearly the evening trade must be more than brisk to support two sites. For me to travel fifty miles (both ways)to eat chinese you may gather I'm a big fan. You are of course right this is a massive success story, especially as its part of the manchester dining scene. I see that the £8 three course lunch is now available at oxford road.Am I right in thinking that this was(is)the one on the portland st,venue?

According to Manchester Confidential they have moved to oxford road into the former Moso,Moso site This has saved me a bit of a wasted journey as I'm due a chilli fix,perhaps this sunday!

Sorry about this repeat.A friend of mine was showing me some stuff that I did not understand, he must have pressed the wrong button

oops.

Only if you have a shave mate, lol

Hello Richard.of course I understand why you don,t open for lunch. Sixteen covers is intimate indeed,and there is no way that you could make a low priced meal deal work,you admitted this yourself.Indeed I think that it would harm your business. However given the scale and layout of other establishments its obviously worth a punt for them. On a more positive note I like the look of your food, but your still over 110 miles away perhaps when I go to The Star at Harome I,ll call by. Hopefully others who visit your website will put you on their visit list.

According to google maps its 144 miles away. If it were closer I would have been by now Perhaps I should dine at your place,do tell us the name, if its close perhaps we will dine with you.

Has anybody been yet? (H&F) Can't wait to read a review There must be someone out there who can post one.

Just google staffcanteen go to forums.

For a rare insight into the world of failed chef Michael Riemenschneider pop onto www.staffcanteen.com. Riveting reading.

Good post Malcolm hope you live close enough to take advantage. Sounds like terrific food.

Hi Erica just visited your website.I like it a lot ,especially the link to your suppliers I totally agree with your comments above,two years is without doubt proof positive that it works for you. I am not in the hospitality industry but if I was,and given the nations economic plight I would try anything possible to get bums on seats. It will be interesting to see how long the Hand and Flowers run their offer.

When I browse some menus I tend to go for expensive,hard to cook at home dishes,especially when I,m paying top dollar However,I have(like you) eaten some stunning dishes from cheap cuts. Todays menu Leek and chive velute or Pork Pie Bavette Steak or Coq au vin Lemon Posset or Chocolate tart. So sorry fully booked! Need to book two or three days in advance

Point taken, however the food comes from the same kitchen,with presumably, Tom Kerridge and assists doing the cooking except using cheaper ingredients As pointed out above,some chefs have the ability to put a bit of magic into their food,thats what makes them special.

I really ,really hope that GRH can pull through this. Love him or hate him he has done a massive amount to raise food awareness in the UK. I hope upon hope that he has people behind the scenes who are adept at keeping landlords and suppliers reasonably happy. Very sad rumour,to circulate (if of course it is true) about the butcher. Business can be very cruel,most especially when the economy turns against you.

Every decent chef knows how to knock up something decent from humble ingredients. Now move up a notch and some of the top guys can "pull a rabbit out of a hat" with the very same stuff. These may be tough times for restaurants,but at these prices the dining public really have something to shout about. Come on chefs entice us out of our homes,let,s see what your made of. "Cooking does not get much tougher than this"

Good morning Gary.Thanks for the heads up on Matt Tomkinson The lunch deal, when you think about it is stunning,well done, they deserve to be pulled out of the place Just proves that the money is still out there,may be not so much of it ,but sufficient to get people out of their own kitchens for a bit of a treat Places need people,and even if no money was made out of this deal(which I very much doubt) they would certainly see an increase in other business. There will be a massive rethink on "dead lunch and evening slots" testing all involved in the industry to try to get bums on seats.

Just read an article in The People dated 15 feb claiming GRH are delaying payments to their suppliers,some invoices dating back to November last year causing hardship to same! Makes very interesting reading Expect him to come out with guns a blazing.

I think The Hand and Flowers in Marlow should be awarded a star,other than the michelin one that they already hold. A two course lunch for Ten English Pounds! Well this surely must be the best value in the UK. You can add a pudding for a further Three Pounds Fifty. I think I will pack my bags and move down south. What with the property market collapse and prices like these I am assured of a multitude of top notch dining options at prices never seen before It was on my visit list last month,with an overnight stay and a meal at The Goose at Britwell Salome however they lost there star(The Goose) so I had a change of plan. Has anyone been?

Opus is on my list. the last two times I've dined at Purnells I've looked across at Opus and wondered what it would be like. I had a wonderful meal last weekend at Ambassade de Lille.and Armand,who is Jean-C hristophe's chef used to work there.I am assuming the food is going to be on the money given the fact Armand used to work there.

Although it appears that you have already decided I have to second the opinion on Galvin Bistro de luxe.The set lunch is £15.50 and the dinner is £17.50.The quality for the price is unbeatable. This is a stones throw away from Selfridges and of course Oxford st,great for lunch and then on for a serious shop. The staff are true pro's and the food is really top notch. The room is very comfortable,and you will not want to leave.I for one would be a regular here if I lived in London. They have just gained a michelin bib gourmand.

Ha Ha Gary good shout.This initially went over my head,I though it was "accountancy speak".For the others out there who missed it too, it refers to a certain Mr A-tkins.