Manchester City Center

[Harters]

You'll want Chaophraya on Chapel Walk.

It's "proper" Thai not just "hot Chinese". Brilliant fresh fish (like the Pla Pao).Spot on Som Tom salad and the like.

http://www.chaophraya.co.uk/about_manchester.html

Edited September 19, 2009 by Harters (log)

[thom]

Yeah, I heartily agree on Chaophraya, I think it's excellent (anywhere that does a top notch papaya salad is ok in my book) and comes out of this year's Good Food Guide with a creditable 3.

Some people suggest it's dipped lately but I think there's a bit of ingrained sniffiness because it is, in effect, now a small "chain" with branches in Leeds and Liverpool (and more on the way I think). Don't be put off though, it's big, slickly-styled, with quality food, an excellent wine list, and good service.

Other options, should you want to stay closer to Chinatown (but personally I'm recommend the five minute stroll down atmospheric King St to Chaophraya) are the Royal/Thai/Siam Orchids (I always forget which is which) which are long-term Manchester fixtures but which never wowwed me, or the Thai floor of Pacific (good back in the day but dropped off the radar a bit) or a place called Simply Thai which many people seem to rate currently.

I think Chaophraya is great, but to be honest if I took an average foody there I thing they would be pleased but not blown away, and would probably have eaten many comparable meals before. Red Chilli on the other hand is truly something special, and even serious food nerds who travel the world's finest restaurants have had culinary experiences there which have become serious addictions. It's not just big-standard Chinese food, it's spicy, fragrant, intense with lots of fresh herbs and many layers of complex flavour.

So to sum up Chaophraya won't disappoint if you have to scratch your Thai itch (so to speak), but if you order the right things at Red Chilli you could have a spectacular meal. You'll be happy either way!

Cheers

Thom

[Gary Marshall]

I think Chaophraya is great, but to be honest if I took an average foody there I thing they would be pleased but not blown away, and would probably have eaten many comparable meals before. Red Chilli on the other hand is truly something special, and even serious food nerds who travel the world's finest restaurants have had culinary experiences there which have become serious addictions. It's not just big-standard Chinese food, it's spicy, fragrant, intense with lots of fresh herbs and many layers of complex flavour.

So to sum up Chaophraya won't disappoint if you have to scratch your Thai itch (so to speak), but if you order the right things at Red Chilli you could have a spectacular meal. You'll be happy either way!

only been to chaophraya once in leeds and wasn't impressed, bog standard thai i thought. Though its quite popular amongst leeds chef community for its all day sunday service (and banquets? - i may have dreamt that).

deffo red chilli over chaophraya in my book, for the reasons thom has posted.

[thom]

Anyway, back on the subject of food... The lunch meeting I referenced in the Red Chilli thread (a client from Buy Art Fair funnily enough) cancelled with late notice and as Red Chilli was a good stomp out of my way I missed out on the enticing notion of razor clams and looked for somewhere spicy on my way down to Urbis.

Kabana I thought. One of Manchester's infamous curry cafes. It's got itself a shortlisting for the Manchester Food and Drink Festival in the casual dining category, although it didn't garner my own vote as I had always thought it fine but nothing more, and certainly not even the best in the category of Piccadilly curry cafes.

Anyway the strong counter-opinion amongst some of the judges made me think this could be a useful opportunity to reassess my opinions so in I went. I kept it short and sweet - half karahi lamb (on the bone), half spinach and potato, and a chapati. Water from the the jug to drink, and a grand bill of £4.20.

It was... fine. The lamb was pretty good, rich spicing with decent meat, and the spinach and potato was fine but not a patch on the superlative example at the Kebabish. My friend, who is no great fan of Kabana, does cede that it was does a brilliant mixed veg, and in retrospect maybe I should have played to it's strengths.

My beef though is with the bread. I am a bread addict and a bread snob, and as is so often in the N4 curry places the breads were ready-made rather than to order, and were grilled/hot plated rather than done in a tandoor. My chapati was dry, a tad chewy, and - when you are using your bread as both scoop and sole carbs balance to your meal - was just not good enough.

So to sum up, Kabana was fine, and for £4.20 it represents a quick tasty hot lunch which largely hit the spot. The problem is that so do most of the curry cafes in it's vicinity, and at least two do it noticably better.

Cheers

Thom

[Harters]

I had lunch at Kabana a couple of weeks back and, yes, it was an enjoyable and cheap meal. No better than , say, Aladdin or This and That, both just round the corner. I think Thom got them on a bad day for the chapatti - mine was fine.

[Harters]

In today's Guardian, Simon Hoggart mentions he was at the Tory Conference in Manc this week and that he had dinner one night at a "modern upmarket Indian restaurant". He had a tandoori haddock as a starter followed by sheeps trotters. He describes the latter as "a bowl of flourescent red and orange sauce with a single bone, perhaps 5 inches long, floating on top.Under the bone were pieces of a dark substance which looked like meat but turned out to be fat with soft glutinous skin attached". He didnt like it!

Anyone know the restaurant based on these items? Doesnt seem like Akbars,Dilli, EastzEast or Shimla Pinks but I can't think where else might fit the "modern upmarket" description

[thom]

That'll be Zouk ("teabar and grill" or some-such), on the Quadrangle off Oxford Road opposite the BBC.

It's yet another of these huge and generally decent operations that have pitched up in town after success on the wrong side of the Pennines (EastZEast, Akbars etc) and on my single visit I really quite liked it.

That said I still find it slightly off-putting that on a menu with treats as authentic as sheep trotters they also go overboard on upselling chips and a variety of bland Western dishes.

I heard it was popular with the tory delegates and hangers on, but then so were most places in town (including, alledgedly, the champagne selling wine-merchants and the lap-dancing clubs...

Chers

Thom

[Harters]

Thanks for that, Thom

As you suggest, bit of a worry to see a place have a menu claiming "traditional Punjabi" alongside its chicken burgers and Lobster Thermidor. I may not be in a rush to visit.

John

Edited October 10, 2009 by Harters (log)

[Infrasonic]

I'm asking this on behalf of a member of a different forum (financial).

Manchester is an unknown city to me so I am requesting some help here.

We want to hold a presentation over a lunch somewhere in the centre. I've been given the name of one hotel but it is charging top rates.

Does anyone know of a decent restaurant or club that has a private room that would take about a dozen people for lunch?

So if I could get a range of responses I'll post a link over there, to here...

TIA

Infrasonic

[Harters]

Abode will sort you out.

They have a couple of rooms with a "moveable wall" so it can be made into one large one. You should get a dozen into one of the halves. It's off the main restaurant area.

Mrs H was going to book it for her retirement thrash but got a better deal away from the centre.

[thom]

Manchester is an unknown city to me so I am requesting some help here.

We want to hold a presentation over a lunch somewhere in the centre. I've been given the name of one hotel but it is charging top rates.

Does anyone know of a decent restaurant or club that has a private room that would take about a dozen people for lunch?

So if I could get a range of responses I'll post a link over there, to here...

TIA

Infrasonic

Ohhh... there's all sorts of places to be honest, and the general split would probably be that hotel's will try and nail your hat on (meeting rooms are a crucial revenue stream for them) whereas restaurants will probably be more accomodating and just look to make a margin on the f&b.

For hotels Abode is a good shout and, talking facilities rather than out an out quality for a moment, Malmaison also has a nice (if dark) private dining room and I'd be suprised if any of the other decent outfits in town weren't keen to accomodate you - Radisson, Lowry, Great John Street etc.

Otherwise loads of the big restaurants (again talking variety rather than quality) have separate rooms or seperate areas - Gaucho, Linen, Room etc for example, as well as quirkier places such as The Market Restaurant. A good option might be a room at Urbis? You'd get catering by The Modern.

Which, topically enough, just one Restaurant of the Year at the Manchester Food and Drink festival awards last night. Well done to Vaughan, Annie, Paul, Sam and the team.

Cheers

Thom

[SaladFingers]

Visiting Manchester in December with a friend. Him being someone who has no interest in food whatsoever and me being someone who'd consider a visit without trying somewhere a wasted opportunity, I'm wondering where's best for informal dining. That is to say, I would love to be able to eat good food without feeling inconsiderate of my friend who will probably sit and have a drink instead. I was wondering about trying the grazing menu in Abode's bar but I think we'd need somewhere a bit more casual than that. Any suggestions welcome.

[Soundman]

The Chop Houses are both good, informal and pretty good food.

[Harters]

The Chop Houses are both good, informal and pretty good food.

Mr Thomas' is the pubby one, Sam's the restauranty one. Former might be a good bet and the friend might find something to nibble at whilst enjoying a decent pint.

Linky link

[SaladFingers]

Mr Thomas' Chop House sounds like a good idea. Thanks

[thom]

I think either place is worth a crack. They have been accused of resting on their laurels somewhat recently but I still find them consistent, comfortable and satisfying places to eat. Good beers and wines for those who value liquid sustenance over solids too.

If you fancy a shade more of a trek then venture up Rochdale Road (five-ten minutes walk from the city centre proper) and hit The Marble Arch. It has incredible beers from it's it-house micro-brewery, and very decent pub food (they seem to change chefs a lot but it's normally good) in stunning surroundings.

It's a proper pub-lovers pub.

A wild card is to wonder over to the Mark Addy, on the Salford side of the river at the bottom end of Bridge Street. It was a "stuck in the 80's" waterside place with a great aspect but mediocre execution. Now Robert Owen Brown (great chef/terrible businessman) has partnered up with some money-man to relaunch it in some style.

Very early days so you're taking your chances a little (wouldn't suprise me if it was a soft launch and the full launch might not happen for a while) but worth a Google or 118 to find out the lie of the land. If it's open and finished then it's I reckon it'd be well worth a short detour.

Cheers

Thom

[PhilD]

The Mark Addy is a blast from the past; memories of staying with a mate in the dodgy "deck access flats in Hulme, nights across the road at the Hacienda, a curry in Rusholme, and lunch by the canal....but in those days lunch never really involved solid food.

[PhilD]

Repeat post

Edited November 3, 2009 by PhilD (log)

[BertieWooster]

And back out in the suburbs, the AUmbry is starting to attract serious attention. Rated MAry-Ellen for years (indeed, we tried to ger her for The Modern), and un by the people behind The Roadhouse.

At least three people I know have been and great reports coming in. Next star for greater manchester. You heard it here first, unless someone else has already said it.

Edited November 6, 2009 by BertieWooster (log)

[howardlong]

Crikey the Mark Addy. Last time I was there was well over 20 years ago. I remember meeting a BBC aquantance there who had one of those semi portable briefcase sized mobile phones. Bottle of Moet for a tenner, and a big plates of bread and cheese.

I mentioned the Plaza 'curry' joint to someone the other day, an establishment with more urban myths than most. The Cypress Tavern, The Conti. All 80's dives. I'd like to think things have improved since then.

Cheers, Howard.

[Infrasonic]

And back out in the suburbs, the AUmbry is starting to attract serious attention. Rated MAry-Ellen for years (indeed, we tried to ger her for The Modern), and un by the people behind The Roadhouse.

At least three people I know have been and great reports coming in. Next star for greater manchester. You heard it here first, unless someone else has already said it.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwy6JWbnJaqiNwF6IHqi&realname=Aumbry, Prestwich, review

The Roadhouse connection is Katie on the right, good friend and ex next-door neighbour/employee of mine.

[Harters]

The Mark Addy's now open and looks like it might be worth a punt. Link to review at Manchester Confidential.

Mark Addy

[Harters]

Back in February, Thom & Infrasonic replied to my query about Sweet Mandarin confirming its mediocrity. I've just seen it on the F Word where it "won" Ramsey's best local Chinese restaurant award.

Has anything happened recently to the cooking that might actually warrant that? Perhaps an even better question is how it even got shortlisted, just from Manchester Chinese places? I've looked up the two restaurants featured each week and many have had a decent enough Good Food Guide listing.

[PhilD]

Back in February, Thom & Infrasonic replied to my query about Sweet Mandarin confirming its mediocrity. I've just seen it on the F Word where it "won" Ramsey's best local Chinese restaurant award.

Has anything happened recently to the cooking that might actually warrant that? Perhaps an even better question is how it even got shortlisted, just from Manchester Chinese places? I've looked up the two restaurants featured each week and many have had a decent enough Good Food Guide listing.

John, I fear you need to "take one for the team" and give it a go. I suspect they are very PR savvy and thus massaged themselves to meet the researchers criteria.

I saw the F-Word has been pushed in the schedules due to falling ratings and they are going to reformat to appeal to people who like food; very interesting.

[Harters]

I suspect the short-list is drawn up based on number of nominations so, if they are as, erm, "proactive" as Infrasonic hints this may account for things.

But perhaps you're right and I'll just have to bite the bullet and try it - inviting ridicule from everyone here for going somewhere that's been dissed. I'll be back researching in the city centre for a while from late January so there'll be an opportunity.