The Modern, Urbis, Manchester

[malcolmwilliamson]

I had a very enjoyable lunch at the Modern on Tuesday.

The £15.95 three course experience was:

Corned beef hash potato cake, fried hens egg

-The plate and contents should have been a bit warmer, otherwise very good.

Grilled Goosnargh maize fed chicken, braised leeks and Cheshire smoked bacon &

a grain mustard sauce

-An excellent plate of food, well executed and presented and full of flavour.

Warm parkin with spiced roasted William pears

-Not as spicy as I was anticipating but still very good

My 250 ml glass of Lonsdale Ridge Semillon Sauvignon 2005 was a bit tart but otherwise good QPR.

There were two other couples in the restaurant along with a group of five from work (BAe) and a lone diner.

A few dishes were also delivered upstairs to the bar.

The welcome in the bar was a warm one, as was the goodbye. The waitress service was efficient and friendly. I liked the fact that a service charge wasn’t added to the bill. That provided extra motivation to leave a well deserved tip.

IMO the Modern deserves to succeed. I look to the support of northern egulleteers to ensure its open for future visits to Manchester.

(The only disappointment was that the potentially grandiose view from the 6th floor was severely restricted by the mainly frosted window glass. The narrow clear slits made it akin to looking through the rear window of a car on a frosty morning shortly after switching the heating panel on.)

[Gary Marshall]

lunch on friday with Bapi & Thom, despite thom's most excellent directions, (keep walking straight down from picadilly, then turn right past the arndale, it's the glass building- unfortunately there's quite a few glass buildings in manchester!).

I arrived to find them sat at the bar I suspected harrassing the staff for durian fruit for Bapi's own brand gin that they obviously didn't have at the right temperature, but to be fair having a chat over a bottle of Laurent Perrier, they kindly let me have some too.

We had plenty to chat about as they nice staff gently tried to cajole us into ordering/looking at a menu maybe / even making *some* intimation that we were actually there to eat as booked, and not just keep them hanging around all afternoon at our beck and call.

Eventually hunger took over and we went downstairs (relatively, when you're six floors up) to the restaurant. We had a nice table by the windows, as you do when they have an inkling you might turn out to be PIA's (this happens quite a lot oddly?)

On a cold day the lunch menu looked a marvellous choice with such delights as corned beef hash and toad in the hole but seeing as i'd made a 'special' journey we got stuck into the ALC, which was also very reasonable. I was tempted by the hash but went for scallops and bacon with monkfish and oxtail to follow. The scallops were cooked & wrapped well but could have done with something more excting than a bed of piped mash (and looking at the web menu originally came with roast black pudding, infinitely preferred) to sit on. The monkfish was very good, a decent tranche on the bone, good oxtail and girolles and a well reduced red wine sauce, job well done really. The others seemed contented with theirs which i'm sure they will add.

As by this point, we had decided not to go 'mad' so as to afford us a soupcon of stomach space for some of manchester's other culinary delights, we only had two desserts, well i had a steamed marmalade sponge pudding and thom a quince tart (v nice tarte tatin -esque) and bapi played the lady 'no, i don't want a dessert, yes i do want a spoon - and half of your dessert'.

On the wine front it's not a bad list, but unfortunately looks a 70% gp-er so there's not a lot for the value hunter but credit for the 1973? cantermerle at £34 on the fine wine list, though unfortunately they were cleaned out of that.

After the champagne Laurent perrier 99 (£50) we had a Cave de ribeauville riesling grand cru (£40) which was dee-lish and as the vote was for bordeaux a ch. lanoite st emilion grand cru 03 at err, £60. As you can probably imagine the wine side of the equation was significantly bigger than the food side, but hey, we don't get out much nowadays.

We paid up and headed off in a not-very-circular route to to trof for beer, then sam's chophouse for more wine, then grado for sherry and tapas, then more beer, then red chilli for chinese. Then, thankfully, it was time for a sleep on the train.

[thom]

Ah, Gary plunges in first with the review. I should have guessed it would be he, as Bapi's memory seemed to fizzle out towards the end of the night.

Just to fill in some of the dishes in and around Gary's rather neat summing up:

We did indeed linger in the bar, but once Bapi had led us in a round of timepiece-comparing we made our way down to the restaurant.

I had the hen's egg on the corned beef hash cake which is a new favourite of mine. Beautiful soft fibres of beef and a wonderfully runny egg, both knitted together by a beautifully intense veal stock reduction.

My main was the slow roast loin of lamb with winter veg. A few mixed reviews on this one so far - and opinions on whether such a prime cut needed slow cooking - so I was keen to see if they had tweaked the dish.

Both I, and Bapi (who nicked some) though the lamb was cooked to perfection; wonderfully tender and juicy. The liquor was also warming and intense, and the veg and whole roast garlic cloves kept the interest up till the last mouthful.

My dessert (which Bapi and Gary stole - there is a running theme here) was a favourite of mine, the quince tart. As usual is was excellent with crisp flaky tatin style pastry, and it met with universal approval around the table.

Wines were excellent, as we left the choices in the hands on Gary the wine-nerd. The lack of the 1973 Cantermerle caused some gnashing of teeth because at this price it seemed an unbelivable bargain.

Service was sweet but terribly nervy. A request for a decanter for the red caused some confusion, as did our attempt to pay the bill and the tip split three ways across three cards.

Following that is was Trof for beer, then Sam's chophouse for a bottle of red, the identity of which escapes me. Next up was another beer. Then Grado, where it was sherry time, along with some assorted hams and a couple of tapas which are beyond my recall.

The final stint took us to Red Chilli (with a beer next door whilst we waited for our table, natch) where we had the time-honoured chill lamb broth, as well as spring onion bread, shredded chilli pigs maw and maybe another dish or so just to make sure we didn't go hungry.

Then a gin and tonic at The City Inn whilst we waited for trains. It may have been this which tipped me over the edge.

Then home, eventually, for a wafer thin mint and a well earned sleep.

I awoke the next morning at 6:30 am to my one year old sitting in a cot full of vomit, from which he was picking and eating the more appetising looking morsels in an absent minded way. A heart-felt thank you to my better half who let me cry off and slink back to bed for an hour.

Cheers

Thom

[thom]

IMO the Modern deserves to succeed. I look to the support of northern egulleteers to ensure its open for future visits to Manchester.

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Malcolm,

I meant to say earlier that I'm glad you enjoyed your lunch. Always nice when a recommendation works out for a visitor to our fair city.

Impressive too that you could find it unaided, unlike Gary, who managed to ignore my sterling instructions - "turn right onto Cross St, it's 100m down on the left" to amble off straight across Cross St, and then slightly to the left, in search off other random glass buildings...

Next time you're in Manchester give the lamb chilli broth at Red Chilli a go.

Cheers

Thom

Edited February 4, 2008 by thom (log)

[Gary Marshall]

The final stint took us to Red Chilli (with a beer next door whilst we waited for our table, natch) where we had the time-honoured chill lamb broth, as well as spring onion bread, shredded chilli pigs maw and maybe another dish or so just to make sure we didn't go hungry.

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don't recall the shredded pigs maw, do recall a cold dish that looked remarkably like, well, sliced cold roast beef.

Now was it the aforementioned dish or have i eaten some particularly unpleasant part of a pig that i can now boast about?

at least if i'm ordering you can tell it's chicken & cashew nuts

[thom]

don't recall the shredded pigs maw, do recall a cold dish that looked remarkably like, well, sliced cold roast beef.

Now was it the aforementioned dish or have i eaten some particularly unpleasant part of a pig that i can now boast about? 

at least if i'm ordering you can tell it's chicken & cashew nuts 

You did indeed eat shredded chilli pigs maw! I even double-checked with the waiter what it was, as by that point my mind seemed a tad fuzzy and I had lost track of what we had eaten.

It was good though. I'd have it again next time.

Cheers

Thom

[Bapi]

Ah, Gary plunges in first with the review. I should have guessed it would be he, as Bapi's memory seemed to fizzle out towards the end of the night.

I had the hen's egg on the corned beef hash cake which is a new favourite of mine. Beautiful soft fibres of beef and a wonderfully runny egg, both knitted together by a beautifully intense veal stock reduction.

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I think it unsuprising that my memory fizzled out rapidly. What were we thinking? Let me put it this way- my cab driving friend who shuttles my family about has seen me in such a tired and emotional state only twice before. Only one guess needed as to which two reprobates I was with on those two previous occasions- hence his "Oh you were out with THOSE friends" comment as I lurched into his car.

Back to The Modern. I opted for Reg Johnson's smoked duck salad to start- delicately smoked, with various leaves and crunchy green beans. Perfectly acceptable- but I am afraid I had food envy upon seeing and trying Thom's dish above. There is no way I am not having this next time I am there. My main, was John Dory, with mussels, razor clams and a champagne sauce. The fish was well cooked and the sauce competently made, though the small amount of razor clam lacked the urgent freshness it so requires. A good dish nevertheless.

Yes - I did steal their puddings and yes, they are obviously a real strength at The Modern. Service was very good both in the bar and in the restaurant- if slightly nervy. But hey, she was charming so who cares. I did notice that the suited front of house chap - came nowhere near our table at any point though.

As Gary writes- the wine list is a little aggressive in places and needs a little tweaking, but it comes as no suprise that ALL the "fine" wines had long since disappeared, especially at those prices. But I think our wine spend would have been high in any case. In short- my parameters for any Manchester restaurant are simple- 1) Would I take the missus there and 2) As she works in the city-would I suggest it as a venue to take clients. The answer is yes to both.

I don't even want to think about how many places we went to after. But as Thom mentioned it - the wine at Sam's chop house was a Douro from Portugal for £25(ish).

Grado did not do it for me. The bar area was rammed at about 5:30 and as we knew we wanted a quick bite we opted to sit down. We ordered a minimal amount- Jamon Iberico, Padron Peppers and some calamari. The order was taken by one of the senior staff- but it was one of the juniors chaps who finally told us that there was no Jamon Iberico. All credit to him he had a lot more nous than some of his colleagues and dealt with our request for replacement jamon with ease. The peppers were odd though- in that they were bloody huge and lacking in flavour and the coating on the squid was flaccid as it arrived at the table- quite poor. On the plus side- the drinks list is very good and excellent to see La Gitana Manzanilla, Hidalgo on the list at a mere £18.50 a bottle. At about £7-8 retail- that level of pricing has to be applauded. Gary hated it though

Er, I don't remember much about Red Chilli- other than the fact that Gary really tucked into the Spicy Poached Lamb with Chilli and yes that cocktail at the City Inn was indeed one step too far. A cracking day out though and dare I say it- actually rather good to see chaps in good form. And yes my wife took pity on me to- well, till 8:30 that is.

Edited February 4, 2008 by Bapi (log)

[Andy Lynes]

Bapi's own brand gin

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Bapi's got his own brand of gin? Really!?

[Gary Marshall]

he might as well have, the queen's taster that he is, on his first visit to the modern (up thread) he was bemoaning the lack of cucumber for his hendricks gin. Even i thought that was a complaint too far.

[kutsu]

Hopefully I'm in Manchester tommorow, and if so, I'm going to chance getting a walk in table for me and t'other half.

Is the menu online up to date for lunch?

Looking forward to writing my impressions!

[BertieWooster]

think so. Lunch only for tomorrow, all sold out for dinner, should you be running late.

[thom]

Hopefully I'm in Manchester tommorow, and if so, I'm going to chance getting a walk in table for me and t'other half.

Is the menu online up to date for lunch?

Looking forward to writing my impressions!

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Kutsu,

Hope you have a great time. The lunch menu is online at http://www.themodernmcr.co.uk/restaurant_menu.pdf.

From experience, my tip is to quit whilst you are ahead after leaving Urbis sated, instead on carrying on in Mr Creosote fashion through Grado and Red Chilli...

Cheers

Thom

[kutsu]

Well, back at home; safe sound and my bank account only minus the cost of a slap up meal and a DKNY handbag for a V-day pressie..

Long and short; food was delicious, staff friendly and not overbearing, very impressed.

I will preface that the only "problem", which I guess is my own fault, is that for someone like myself who is claustrophobic, it created a bit of a fuss when I asked to use the stairs. Both members of staff were very curtious and helpful, full marks to them, but I'm suprised that the stairs aren't able to be used freely.

On to the room; big, bright, well decorated, but empty. Three other tables were eventually filled, but the music helped to stop it being "dead".

Food was scotch egg for myself, served being pernickity slightly too cold, but the dish was fantastic, second only to the Ginger Pig's version. OH had cornbeef hash, which she snaffled down and declared it delicious.

Main was chicken (more on that later) for me, fish pie for t'other haff and a portion of chips. The fish pie was again declared fantastic, very big portion (ooerr) but lots of fish. My chicken, with bacon, braised leeks and mustard sauce was honestly one of the nicest pieces of chicken I've had; ever. It was full flavoured, crispy skinned, seasoned absolutely perfectly and so moist. Really really impressed. Chips went uneaten as we were too full.

We managed to pluck up the courage for steamed pudding with creme anglais; which was so so delicious, but this, coupled with a decent bottle of plonk, topped me off - stick a fork in me, I was done!

Decent bread and butter at the start (please offer salted butter as well, as the rolls were decent but slightly underseasoned for my liking), a decent bottle of white wine, bottle of hildon and a decent tip for under £55 for two.

If it becomes less of a problem in asking to use the stairs, I would 100% definitely return, and am going to recommend this place for all those in the neighbourhood.

[BertieWooster]

So those helpful comments from me and Thom were on the wrong day, damn this merkin site's dating system, but glad you enjoyed it.

I will preface that the only "problem", which I guess is my own fault, is that for someone like myself who is claustrophobic, it created a bit of a fuss when I asked to use the stairs. Both members of staff were very curtious and helpful, full marks to them, but I'm suprised that the stairs aren't able to be used freely.

Hmm, yes, it has been mentioned by a few people. The stairs basically drop you at a corridor at the back of the kitchens. Its a fire exit and all the locks spring open in the event of the alarms going off, but otherwise you're surrounded by locks--not really surprising when you consider the four floors of gallery space beneath the restaurant. So, unless someone actually accompanies you down the stairs to open the doors....

Main was chicken (more on that later) for me, fish pie for t'other haff and a portion of chips.

Fish Pie AND chips? Potato ANd potato? Thats my kind of eating. I guess two types of potato counts as two veg towards the daily five?

[RDB]

Hopefully I'm in Manchester tommorow, and if so, I'm going to chance getting a walk in table for me and t'other half.

Is the menu online up to date for lunch?

Looking forward to writing my impressions!

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Kutsu,

Hope you have a great time. The lunch menu is online at http://www.themodernmcr.co.uk/restaurant_menu.pdf.

From experience, my tip is to quit whilst you are ahead after leaving Urbis sated, instead on carrying on in Mr Creosote fashion through Grado and Red Chilli...

Cheers

Thom

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Especially Grado, after Jay's review on Sunday, which in my opinion totally sums up my continual experience in Manchester. I actually took great comfort that someone (especially with such experience as Jay has) was seeing Manchester the way I do.I suppose the average punter and food critics have no vested interest in the places they dine except hoping for really good food. I am praying the Modern will deliver.

[thom]

Especially Grado, after Jay's review on Sunday, which in my opinion totally sums up my continual experience in Manchester. I actually took great comfort that someone (especially with such experience as Jay has) was seeing Manchester the way I do.I suppose the average punter and food critics have no vested interest in the places they dine except hoping for really good food. I am praying the Modern will deliver.

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Yes, Grado was an upsetting experience. The more so because previously I had had two excellent meals there, and I was keen to show Jay a non-typical Manchester experience.

Sadly, so soon after opening some serious and frustrating variabilities seem to have manifested themselves. Service is warm but inconsistent, and the it's pot luck as to the success of the dishes you get. The morcilla and duck egg, quail, and creme catalan are fantastic, the tomato bread, the squid and the treatment of some of the hams are appalling.

Jay has, by his own commited to paper admission, had some wonderful experiences in Manchester though. Namely at The Bridge (RIP), Mr Thomas' Chophouse and Red Chill (all three long term favourites of mine). He's also had more mixed and ultimately unsatisfying experiences at Grado, Juniper and Dilli.

I think that brings Manchester out at a 50/50 hit rate. "Could do better", as my teacher used to say...

Ahah, apart of course from the time at Vernons, the Caribbean place in Rusholme, which was probably one of the worst meals of both of our lives. But to be fair he chose that so he brought it on himself.

Cheers

Thom

[kutsu]

In the interests of journalistic integrity, I have been advised to let everyone know that t'other half did NOT in fact partake of the chips and fish-pie carb combo, but I am the fattie that ate all the pies, as it were.

Also, if the staff are briefed that people may ask for the stairs and are ok in giving a hand down (literally, after all those chips) then I'd have no issue with returning as it was top notch indeedy!

[RDB]

Especially Grado, after Jay's review on Sunday, which in my opinion totally sums up my continual experience in Manchester. I actually took great comfort that someone (especially with such experience as Jay has) was seeing Manchester the way I do.I suppose the average punter and food critics have no vested interest in the places they dine except hoping for really good food. I am praying the Modern will deliver.

←

Yes, Grado was an upsetting experience. The more so because previously I had had two excellent meals there, and I was keen to show Jay a non-typical Manchester experience.

Sadly, so soon after opening some serious and frustrating variabilities seem to have manifested themselves. Service is warm but inconsistent, and the it's pot luck as to the success of the dishes you get. The morcilla and duck egg, quail, and creme catalan are fantastic, the tomato bread, the squid and the treatment of some of the hams are appalling.

Jay has, by his own commited to paper admission, had some wonderful experiences in Manchester though. Namely at The Bridge (RIP), Mr Thomas' Chophouse and Red Chill (all three long term favourites of mine). He's also had more mixed and ultimately unsatisfying experiences at Grado, Juniper and Dilli.

I think that brings Manchester out at a 50/50 hit rate. "Could do better", as my teacher used to say...

Ahah, apart of course from the time at Vernons, the Caribbean place in Rusholme, which was probably one of the worst meals of both of our lives. But to be fair he chose that so he brought it on himself.

Cheers

Thom

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I was only going by what I had read on Sunday which was a fair assessment by someone giving an unbiased account of his experiences in Manchester. I seem to recall his review of Juniper was by in large positive and if you are basing it on 50/50 then your figures are therefore a little more out especially if you take into account his review of Luso. Or as my Teacher used to say " Really need to stop daydreaming if you want to do well at all. "

[thom]

Ah, yes, Luso! And for that matter The French. I forgot those two. I don't think either attracted the ravingly ecstatic style of review that Red Chilli got, so maybe Manchester is faring even less well than I hoped. I think from memory of the reviews I liked Luso less than Jay, but I was suprised that he seemed to like the French more than I thought he might.

As to the tenor of his reviews Jay has an intensely annoying habit of absolutely nailing the pitch and context of his reviews in a way which makes them impossible to argue with. I have no dispute, sadly, with his Grado experience, or for that matter any of his other Manchester missives.

As you say the Juniper review was largely positive - i don't think many people could fail to be engaged by Paul or his style of cooking - but for a Michelin star restaurant a review which contains the phrases "Did I really like all this stuff? Well, yes and no", "a splatter gun approach which undermined the effect" and "more than a slight weakness" can not be deemed a total success.

As ever though, Jay pretty much summed it up with "And that was a shame because, hidden inside this clattering menu, was a truly stunning meal fighting to get out." Spot on. Although I'd stuggle to name all 30 odd dishes I remember to this day a handful of truly stunning plates of food including a early doors shot of mango and beetroot, a saddle of hare, a magical piece of salmon, and the namechecked hot cross bun souffle which was a work of genius.

Hohum, once the doors close I guess it will be to Fraiche or a trek to the outstanding L'Enclume for me if I fancy some seriously off-pieste and stimulating cooking.

I shall watch with great interest to see who replaces Paul. Could it be a Mechant House type situation all over again?

Cheers

Thom

Edited February 12, 2008 by thom (log)

[RDB]

I would challenge you on Juniper but you have already accused me once of 'being on Paul and Katies payroll .' In my opinion unless Ferran Adria himself decided to upsticks to Alty no-one of any merit will replace Paul Kitching. Sycophantic and proud

[kutsu]

Strange, I had the worst Mich-starred meal of my life at Juniper about 10 months ago, it was dire..

[adey73]

Me too.

Though it was the £25 Wednesday thing in early November.

I will go back before they close.

Edited February 12, 2008 by adey73 (log)

[Sturge]

Juniper are planning a whole month of events, set menus, special dinners etc before Paul and Katie leave at the end of April, so if you want a la carte it might be wise to go in March...

[RDB]

A little old but a review none the less.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ent..._modern_mission

[BertieWooster]

A little old but a review none the less.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ent..._modern_mission

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the buggers gave us four stars originally (I have the evidence) online and then reduced it...grr.

In Restaurant mag this issue...