Cantonese in Manchester

[thom]

I just thought it was worth breaking out a few individual Manchester threads, as currently everything is getting piled into the "Is it possible to eat somewhere nice in Manchester" thread which a) seems a bit of a negative viewpoint, and b) is getting to be a big bloated and ungainly.

One of the subjects at the forefront of my mind recently was Chinese food in the city, based on the fact that I have had a number of very good experiences in Mancunian Chinese establishments recently and neither of them was Red Chilli (Splitter! Freak! Burn him!).

The first is the Glamourous restaurant above the Chinese cash and carry on Oldham Road, about five minutes walk out of the Northern Quarter. If you ignore the possibly ironic name (it overlooks the inner floors of a multi-story carpark) and the tediously trad decor than it is a very decent place.

So far my handful of trips have been limited to dim sum, and personally I think it represents the best I've eaten in town (certainly now that the Yang Sing has fallen far, far from it's perch). It reminded of some of the London Chinatown places actually (or possibly San Franciso) with a heavy skew towards Chinese diners, a businesslike air, and lots of rickety stainless steel dim sum trollys.

The menus are extensive and well priced, and on chatting to the manager I get the feeling there are many things on offer which arent flagged up to your average Western diner. I'll try and push a little harder for some off-piste delights next time I am there.

All the basics are present but on my last visit I also enjoyed goose-feet, braised and wrapped in a kind of pancake or rice-skin with a chunk of pork bunged in for cold measure. The only negative was a grainy chunk of some Chinese root veg (like a jenga chip) which really was a bit gritty and mealy.

High-point I think, and it's become a regular for me, are the satay baby-squid which are bloody delicious. They little bulbous bodies turn out to be just perfect for scooping up the hot, sweet satay sauce which zings with chilli heat. Absolutley moreish.

Better still once you have eaten at Glamourous you can pop downstairs to the Ho's Bakery concession in the cash and carry and grab a bag of honey-buns (or custard-buns!) to take away. Mhmmmm... Honey-buns...

Second high point was the Ocean Treasure @ 235 restaurant, which is nestled at the bottom of the impressive but seldom buzzing Manchester 235 casino just at the side of Manchester Central (G-Mex). It occupies the site where Numero, the Italian, was and I hold my hands up by admitting the owners do have some family link to Red Chilli and Beijing dishes (if not Sichuan) do occur on the otherwise Cantonese menu.

It's not normally somewhere I would have headed to but a drunken night in Manchester led to 1am weekday hunger pangs and a yearning for a proper sit down meal as opposed to a staggering kebab. Where would be open and decent at such a time (the late night places in Rusholme of Chinatown tend to be grim)? Why, obviously a restaurant in a 24 hour Casino, and I'd heard a couple of recent good reports.

On sitting down in the suprisingly "styled" and comfotable dining space we got brought a 2,156 page menu (I may be exaggerating) so we fell back on the age-old practice of saying "£20 a head, cook us what you think best", following up with the important "nope, no food allergies or phobias, do your worst".

What followed was a very passable mini-banquet, starting with steamed and fried dimsum (fish, meat and veg) and then hitting the first high point of the meal - crispy duck pancakes but with crispy lamb instead of duck - equally fatty and equally moreish - served with an impeccable plum sauce along with the pancakes, cucumber and spring onion.

Next high point was stir-fried pork which was served on a bed of wilted greens which, on asking the (excellent) restaurant manager, were identified as mange tout tops - imagine pea-shoots, but bigger, and almost more "greener" tasting. A really tasty and unusual delicacy, and not something I'm ever seen in a Chinese supermarket.

All in all then it was really good, and for £20 it was great to eat food that was not only delicious but also suprising and interesting. My only caveat is someone since then has said they believed the soups to be microwaved (turning prawns to rubber etc) so it pays to avoid the regular dishes and order things which take more bespoke prep.

I can't comment on that, but I would definitely make a return visit. Even if I wasn't drunk.

Cheers

Thom

[david goodfellow]

Thanks for the heads up on those two, £20 a head is peanuts money for a tasty and very filling (I assume) meal. Red Chilli money really.

Don't suppose you have been to F Word featured Sweet Mandarin yet?

[thom]

Yep, several times, and it's stupendously mediocre (though a journo mate of mine likes the crispy beef). It's not the best Chinese restaurant in the Northern side of Manchester city centre, let alone one of the top eight (or sixteen or whatever) top "local" restaurants in the whole of the UK!!!

Utter, utter, madness. They girls who run it are great, there's a fine back-story, and they are consumate PR's, but to pretend their restaurant is anything other than average is bizarre. I'd be stunned if any eGullet denizens put it to the test and came away thinking much different.

RE Ocean Treasure the £20 a head worked a treat for our mini-banquet. As I say I'm not sure if what we got was a one off (my friend's warnings niggle a little) but I'd certainly set a price per head rather than slaving through the menu and I suspect having the manager take a keen personal interest may have upped the game with the food we were served.

The crispy lamb pancakes and the manage tout tops were absolutely fantastic though.

[Gary Marshall]

and the casino place isn't open at lunchtime, is it thom?!

[david goodfellow]

Nearly went Sweet Mandarin three or four weeks ago now, glad we went off in another direction now.

I owe you one, you saved me a bob or two and a two hour round trip.

[Prawncrackers]

All the basics are present but on my last visit I also enjoyed goose-feet, braised and wrapped in a kind of pancake or rice-skin with a chunk of pork bunged in for cold measure. The only negative was a grainy chunk of some Chinese root veg (like a jenga chip) which really was a bit gritty and mealy.

That's usually with duck's feet in the UK, the wrapping is bean-curd skin and the veg is taro. It's an unusual dim-sum item that one, I like all of the components but that dim-sum is not greater than the sum of its parts!

[Harters]

Nearly went Sweet Mandarin three or four weeks ago now,

Me too. I'd raised the question a couple of times (latterly after the Ramsey programme) and PhilD "challenged" me to go and try for myself. Fair point, I thought. So I did. Fucking place doesnt open for lunch any more - long schlep back to Central Library.

I'll gladly give another vote for Glamorous - my current fave Cantonese. Last time I was there for lunch, it was packed (200 covers, easily?) - I was the only non-Chinese. In the evening, more Anglos but still very popular with Chinese folk.

BTW, how are we defining "Manchester" for this thread? City centre only - as the "Manchester City Center - is there anything good" thread? The city boundary?

Edited February 11, 2010 by Harters (log)

[Harters]

Never eaten there, but I assume Wings , on Brazennose Street in the city centre, is as good as the original Cheadle Hulme branch (which is nearer for me than the schlep into town - perhaps I should start a Cheshire thread). No particular stand-outs, just a reasonably good allround Cantonese.

[thom]

I think throw it open to anywhere in GM in Harters, and dammit let's go crazy and loop in any of the parts of Cheshire and Derbyshire that are also inextricably linked into this fine city of ours.

Interesting point about Wings, I've not been there for a long time and must admit I didn't know they had a sister restaurant. I always found the food absolutely fine, but over-priced, and the atmosphere a little stuffy.

Didn't they start doing sushi or Japanese dishes too at one point?

And no Gary, you're right, Ocean Treasure doesn't open for lunch (damn it!) but that's what Red Chill is there for!

[thom]

All the basics are present but on my last visit I also enjoyed goose-feet, braised and wrapped in a kind of pancake or rice-skin with a chunk of pork bunged in for cold measure. The only negative was a grainy chunk of some Chinese root veg (like a jenga chip) which really was a bit gritty and mealy.

That's usually with duck's feet in the UK, the wrapping is bean-curd skin and the veg is taro. It's an unusual dim-sum item that one, I like all of the components but that dim-sum is not greater than the sum of its parts!

Ahhh... Thank you Prancrackers, I think that's exactly what it was.

The Manager did explain that the grainy block was a kind of root vegetable but didn't know the name in English. He also said that he didn't like it either, and that equally he wouldn't eat goose or duck's feet as they reminded him of his baby's feet. A passing waitress and a Chinese family on the adjacent table then also chimed in about how they also find them a bit grim.

Yes, I felt like the token Englishman who's been suckered into ordering the most gonzo item on the menu in a pathetically contrived and middle-class pursuit of gastronomic authenticity...

[Infrasonic]

The other thing of note about Glamorous is that it will do you a nice private dining experience (with karaoke if you want) for larger parties of people. It's a good laugh, honest. (Well once everyone has had a bit to drink anyway)

[Harters]

Jay Rayner comprehensively "does for" Glamourous in his review in today's Observer.

I won't be letting it put me off my favourite Cantonese in the city.

As an aside, he comprehensively "did for" Cabbage Hall,at Little Budworth, a week or so back. I havnt let it put me off and am going for lunch soon. Looks a cracking menu to me.