Manchester City Center

[Infrasonic]

The house mineral water is.....HILDON....aaargh. I moaned about this to katie, the excuse is it's British. So no Pellegrino then. I'm sure there is a better UK water than HILDON!! Even tap water...

You're Michael Winner in disguise, aren't you?

Must get meself round the M60 for a nosy at Aumbry.

I only found out Winner had a thing about Hildon about a year ago, it did make me laugh. My hatred goes back many years...

[Infrasonic]

Ithaca to close...

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Food-and-Drink/Other-Food-Stories/Ithaca-to-close_10379.asp

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1260846399130

Dear Guest,

We wanted to take a moment to let you know that Ithaca will be closing its doors once and for all next month.

To be precise on Sunday 28th February 2010.

[Harters]

This week's bargain lunch:

"This & That", Soap Street, Northern Quarter (I fancied a change from my favourire Aladdin)

One of the several curry cafes in that neck of the woods and one offering the now traditional "rice and three". I settled on lamb & spinach, dahl and a sliced lamb (which wasnt that brill).

Cracking deal for four quid.

Edited February 22, 2010 by Harters (log)

[brendan mc aleer]

any reccomendations of where to eat on the curry mile

[Harters]

Bear in mind that The Mile is no longer the place to get the best of Indian food in the region. And, IMO, hasnt been for a goodly while.

My reccs for the best round and about are Dilli in Altrincham or,in the city centre, EastzEast, Akbars, Shimla Pinks (in that order).

On the Mile itself, everything is much of a muchness. As you've titled the thread "curry house", that's pretty much what you'll get everywhere. I regard the Punjab Tandoori (at the southern end of Wilmslow Road) as the stand-out. It has a far better range of vegetarian food than anywhere else along there. And, in spite of its name, also has some South Indian specialities such as a bhel puri starter and a good range of dosas. Other than that, if you're just fancying a bog standard Bangla curryhouse meal, just take your pick of whatever looks most inviting.

[Harters]

SHIMLA PINKS, DOLEFIELD, CROWN SQUARE

I usually think of Shimla Pinks as being the bronze medallist of city centre Indians

And now having to return its medal!

Manc. Confidential is reporting that Shimla Pinks has closed (although other branches in the mini-chain are still trading)

[Harters]

GAUCHO, ST MARY'S STREET

I haven’t been to a branch of Gaucho for some months. Last time was in the summer and it was the Richmond branch, where I had a distinctly average meal.

Therefore it was with some trepidation that I suggested a trip to the Manchester one as part of the nephew’s 18th birthday celebrations. I reckoned it would be the sort of food the “trainee foodie” would enjoy and, also, that he’d enjoy the buzz of the place. I just love it when Uncle John gets it right!

I think the room’s great. Modern, sleek and slick - yet still retaining features of this Grade 2 Listed Building that I vaguely remember from its original incarnation as a Methodist chapel. Service was also modern, sleek and slick throughout. They’re getting something very right here – place was packed all evening. I have a niggle with the table size – it’s damned cramped for 4 people and there seemed to be a constant need to rearrange condiments, glasses, side dishes, etc.

Some good bread was brought with a bowl of chimichurri sauce for dipping. Nice

The nephew rated his crab cakes highly - good crabby taste. His mother thought her squid salad was OK – but to me it looked like you had to search hard for the squid. I went with the “Peruvian Shrimp Causita”. Causita? No, me neither. So I Googled it. Apparently Peruvian slang for Peruvians – so a meaningless name. And meaningless is what the dish proved to be. Supposedly a concoction of shrimp, olive, onion , chilli, smoked paprika – it proved to be just a bland mousse sort of affair.

The four of us all went for steaks – 2 rumps, 2 sirloins. Well, what else are you going to have? Mine was far better than the Richmond experience (which had been a scaggy piece of meat), although my partner wasn’t at all keen on the taste of hers. She also wasn’t keen on the taste of the chips which she reckoned had been fried in very old oil. Have to say, I found mine were OK. Not OK was the béarnaise sauce – as soon as I tasted its blandness, I recalled noting after Richmond that it needed far more tarragon. Humitas are my side of choice at Gaucho and they were, as always, thoroughly enjoyable – nice sweet flavour of corn, presented wrapped in corn leaves.

I was full by this time, but the other three had desserts. Two pancake orders and a vanilla flan – all reported to be tasting as expected. Good coffee finished the meal.

I know it’s not the “done thing” to praise chain restaurants. I also know that meals at Gaucho are not without faults. It does, however, offer what I think is the best steak in the city centre.

[Soundman]

Thanks for that John, interesting to hear an opinion I trust on Gaucho as there's one opening near us soon, and I've never eaten at one.

[Harters]

I was surprised how busy the place was. We've been to the Manc one on a number of occasions and there'd been few punters. Last night, we'd only been able to get an early (7pm) table.

I've previously thought this was to do with "London prices". With everything separately priced, it's comparitively easy to rack up a thirty quid dinner that's just steak and chips when it comes down to it. Maybe there is now some adjustment for places outside the south east as the steaks at Manc now come with chips or salad in the pricing - something of a saving when a mixed salad is priced at £4.75.

Edited March 14, 2010 by Harters (log)

[Harters]

I wouldnt normally tip an Indian buffet. Of course I make an exception for Nawaab in Levenshulme. Well, it looks like I'm going to have to make an exception for the GRAND BUFFET, corner of Princess and Whitworth Streets.

Food quality is on par with the "curry cafes" in the Northern Quarter,IMO. Usual poppadums and chutney to start. Nice crispy onion bhaji. Not so nice uncrispy samosa. A range of mains - couple of lamb dishes (keema/peas and another with koftas - both perfectly OK) couple of chicken (didnt try these - the tikka massala was a very lurid colour) - and four veggie things , including a good chana daal.

£6.50 gets you thr all-you-can-shovel-down food. Another £1.50 for unlimited fizzy drinks.

[eatenmess]

anyone been to Walrus? my sister is taking me there next month for cocktails and food. ex nobu chef, but that tends to mean bugger all.

so long as its a good bit of grub and the cocktails are exciting ill be a happy chappy.

http://www.walrusmanchester.com

[Harters]

AKBAR'S

Ages since we've been here. It's still as good as it was.

Chicken liver tikka was an interesting spin on the usual western starter serving. Moist, just cooked through, livers; punchy spicing.

Onion & potato bhaji - not at all greasy and the potato adding an interesting texture.

Star of the starters was the nephew's lamb chops. He said they were best he'd had anywhere. They looked great but there was zero chance of getting a taste as it took him next to no time to hoover them up.

He also got the best of the mains with an on-the-bone lamb handi. Mrs H & I both had the bone-off karahi gosht. All three dishes providing very generous portions of long cooked tasty lamb, wiht the small amount of sauce just clinging to the meat. Perfect.

For carbs, we waded through a couple of portions of rice, couple of really crisp roti and one of those naans which come hanging vertically off a, erm, hanger. Great, if silly, showmanship - and your bread goes cold quickly.

[Harters]

SAM'S CHOP HOUSE

Sam’s is the place you’d take a foreign visitor who wanted to try “traditional” English food. It’s all dark oak panels in the dining area and brown Victorianesque tiles in the toilets. It’s quite a while since we were last here and, indeed, on that occasion, my partner was sussing out the place as a venue for her to host a meal for her European colleagues. It worked well, apart from a couple of “near vegetarians” who were not well served by the heavy offerings of flesh. Suits us fine.

Smoked salmon provided one starter – a light cure to the fish, accompanied by potato salad which had a hint of horseradish, beetroot puree and a very thin rye crispbread. Not so much a traditional taste of Manchester but the nod towards eastern Europe perhaps reflects the changing make-up of the city – or it’s a nod to earlier immigrants of a century or more ago. Whichever way you look at it, this was a good offering of a classic.

It was followed by the “Roast Beef Dinner” which did exactly as it says. Slices of sirloin, cooked to medium, a good Yorkshire pud, roast spuds crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, carrots, broccoli and separate jug of gravy. Not bad. But not as my partner cooks. The accompaniments outshining the beef.

I seemed to have the better of the ordering. A starter of homemade pork pie gave me everything I want. Good pastry, some meat chopped as well as minced giving texture, a tasty jelly – and some excellent piccalilli on the side – crispy, vinegary, mustardy – perfect.

For a main, I had “baby’s head” as we sometimes call it in these parts – or steak and kidney pudding as it’s better known. We probably all know the Hollands version at the chippy and this is nothing like it. A firm suet pastry, encasing long cooked beef and nicely generous ratio of kidney. A big spoonful of thick and solid mushy peas – none of the liquid slop you often come across. And some very decent chips – seemingly cut from real potato in a real kitchen. And a jug of gravy.

Service was good and the prices are very reasonable*. And the folk on the next table were foreign.

* Exceptionally reasonably priced for us tonight. Mrs H has been given a "Hi-Life Dining" card as a pressie that basically gives you a 2 for 1 deal. Now I have to say that there aren't too many places available that we want to go and eat at - so I can't see us renewing it ourselves. But a nice thoughtful gift from someone who knows we enjoy eating out.

[Harters]

CAFE ISTANBUL, BRIDGE STREET

It’s never going to win great accolades but this very long-standing restaurant is probably where you’re going to go if you want to eat Turkish food in the city centre (but for better Turkish-ish food, then try the Armenian on Albert Square). It provides a good dinner , albeit one lacking any WOW factor. But there’s a nice room, excellent service, a menu that widens out from just kebabs and provides a really excellent selection of decent wines by the glass.

They offer a mezze plate as a starter but we decided to make our own. Stuffed vine leaves were very much what you’d expect (except in voice heavy with condemnation, my partner pronounced Marks & Sparks to be better flavoured). A portion of sucuk brought several slices of char-grilled spicy sausage. We’d not had this before so have no idea what it’s supposed to be like – but I liked the firm, slightly chewy texture and the hit from chilli. A plate of mixed olives and pickled chilli peppers were well flavoured; the crispness of the peppers making up for the fact that, on first bite, the pickling juice ran down my shirt front. Best of all was imam bayildi – a dish we make at home and confirm this was a good effort. As expected, the aubergine, tomatoes, peppers and onion were all cooked through till soft but not to a mush, so each could still be tasted. Would have been even better if the kitchen had got it out of the fridge before service.

A main of lamb casserole was a large portion of meat, peppers, tomato together with a thin sauce. It was OK but was somewhat one-dimensional and really needed “something” doing to it to lift it. Came with salad and some very flavoursome and perfectly cooked rice.

Lamb was also the other main. This time a large chunk of very slow roasted leg that simply pulled apart with the fork. It came with an apricot sauce which worked reasonably well adding a sweetness but, perhaps, a little too sweet. Rice was also here and a few quickly sautéed veg (carrot, courgette, mangetout).

We went away satisfied and very full. It was a good feed.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Harters (log)

[Harters]

EASTZEAST, PRINCESS STREET

A return visit after a gap of many months sees the original branch, at the Ibis Hotel, as busy as ever. We’d booked which was probably just as well as the queue of people waiting for tables just grew while we were eating. It vies with Akbars in our affections for being “the best” in the city centre. It’s modern and it’s comfortable – although tables are close enough to feel that you’re part of the next one’s conversation.

We decided to start with a mixed platter of vegetarian offerings – aloo tikki, deep fried paneer, vegetable samosa, onion bhaji and a couple of pakoras. This was OK, the samosa crisp and tasty, the tikki soft and nicely spiced but the other items were less than stellar. However, what lifted the whole thing was the best pickle tray we can recall – half a dozen or so very different bowls – a world away from the mango chutney and vivid red onions of the high street curry house. Here, a thick plum chutney contrasted with a more thinner yoghurty coriander and chilli dip. Another included large chunks of garlic guaranteed to keep the vampires away.

My partner then went with karahi gosht dopiaza. A very substantial dish of tender lamb which, when her arm was twisted to make a decision, said that Akbar’s version just edged it. Amongst the list of handis was a new one for me – achari lamb. It was described as being prepared with pickles and, indeed, there was sourness to the dish. I liked it – perhaps more for the newness to me of the flavours than something that might become a regular item to be ordered.

We had some rice and couple of delicious tandoori rotis to mop up the thick sauce of both dishes. And a side order of aloo gobi just to make sure we didn’t go short of carbs.

Mrs H still has few weeks left on her Hi-Life card retirement present so, using that, we saved the price of a main course and half the starter price. Full whack, including four drinks, would have been around £43. Still a bargain, IMO.

[Harters]

YANG SING, PRINCESS STREET

OK, it may no longer be thought of as one of the country’s top flight Cantonese restaurants. And, indeed, its star certainly has faded. But the Yang Sing is still packing them in. On this midweek evening, it was full. Properly full. With folk waiting for a table to become free. It was the usual mix of diners that you’d expect there – some obvious corporate entertainment groups, family parties of Chinese; Anglo couples like us.

As before, we ordered a banquet and gave them a budget of “around £30 a head”, told them we like seafood, don’t want chicken or duck and, other than that, they could bring us what the chef felt like cooking for us. What we got was a substantial meal of good quality food cooked in what may be the “modern Cantonese” style but felt quite westernised.

Firstly, an array of dim sum:

- crispy king prawn with mayo

- prawn dumpling

- pork dumpling, with sweet ginger sauce

- pork wonton

Then a series of dishes described as the “intermediate course”:

- squid in cheese batter (a bit chewy, probably frozen squid)

- fillet steak roll (encasing garlic, mushroom & onion). “Gravy” over the top. Boring

- scallop served in the shell, with soy, sesame & spring onion (a bit overdone but good flavour)

Then the main courses, which came with a plentiful supply of fried rice:

- king prawns in a cointreau sauce. Big juicy prawns. Odd sauce.

- breaded & fried strips of pork belly, which wouldn’t have seemed out of place in Vienna.

It’s not so much that we could find things to fault here, but this wasn’t a meal to relish. I just felt a bit let down by the Yang Sing.

[Harters]

RIVER RESTAURANT, LOWRY HOTEL

Sometimes, going back to a place where you’ve had a good meal can be disappointing. Really disappointing. And we had a good Sunday lunch here last year.

Tonight, service was disappointing, with gaps between courses far too long. And food was disappointing.

My starter was instantly forgettable in the details. There was some cured salmon, a few thin discs of scallop and a single oyster. There were some blobs of sauce as well. Oyster was good. Remainder was indifferent

The other starter, a courgette soup was fine, with a little Blacksticks cheese melted on top.

Mains were monkfish and lamb. A large piece of fish, with bacon and capers, sat on spinach, surrounded by a red wine sauce and a few sauté potatoes. There was nothing there in the cooking to give any excitement or interest. Cannon of lamb was a lovely piece of meat, perfectly cooked to medium rare. Advertised as coming with rosti, the potato was a small thin disc that was nothing more than decoration. Alongside, a tasteless puree of aubergine. A side order of spinach, when it eventually arrived, was well cooked, retaining some texture and not at all watery. To be fair, the delay was acknowledged and the item was comp’d.

It says something about the meal that we thought desserts were the best course. We never think desserts were the best course. A Snickers brulee came with peanut butter mousse hit all the notes you want it to hit. The mousse appeared on the other plate, along with a pecan tart and caramel icecream – a nice rich finish to the meal.

[Pam Brunning]

Very interesting John. You know why the pud was the best part don't you?

I have just been doing some research on '3663', the foodservice giant, for my next article in our September issue - I am sure I recognise the peanut butter mousse as one of their desserts - I bet your puds were bought in!

Edited July 31, 2010 by Pam Brunning (log)

[kutsu]

Only a quick post, but came back from the Abode again, 4 course with wine for c. £30 a head - amazing value.

Terrine of confit duck, nastrum salad and apricot - rich, moist and good quality duck; slow poached mackerel with chorizo and red peppers - michelin star quality on this one, in fact, as nice as a similar dish at Le Gavroche with sea bass, chicken with a bacon veloute was super tender and packed full of sticky richness, and a divine lemon meringue with basil sorbet.

The highs in this place (the mackerel especially) are really something, and the chef is of top-notch quality. Seriously better than anywhere else in Manchester, and the value is great. Michelin should recognise this place, I previously thought the service was holding this back, but the sommelier to the servers were all very good indeed.

[Harters]

Is this off the "grazing" menu, kutsu?

[kutsu]

Yep, I think it's £20 for 3 courses with matched wines going up to £35 for 5 courses + wine at lunch, off a choice of 6 savoury, 3 sweet. Well, well worth it.

[Harters]

CHOICE, CASTLEFIELD

I’ve a soft spot for Choice. It’s in the Castlefield area just on the edge of the city centre (although us old ‘uns know the area better as Knott Mill). It’s not so long back this was a pretty derelict area surrounding the old canal basin but is now well gentrified.

The restaurant used to make great play of local north western produce but, regrettably, this seems now to be passed by. That was a disappointment – but I was greatly cheered up by a starter of oxtail risotto. A very high ratio of tender flavoursome beef to well cooked rice. It seemed at first that this was going to be stodgy but the topping of a spoonful or horseradish cream soon started to melt, softening the whole texture of the dish. A well conceived and executed plate of food. My partner had smoked salmon and sesame fishcakes – another success. Good smokiness of the fish to the fore, a dollop of crème fraiche and crispy fried capers adding texture and taste.

Unfortunately, things then dived a bit. A main of cote de boeuf (noted as being Cheshire beef – is there not an English term for this?) was underseasoned but otherwise OK, the abominable fat chips were undercooked; a stilton topped portabello mushroom had a good taste but was oddly chewy and a small handful of salad leaves were undressed.

A lack of seasoning was also apparent in the other main. A fillet of sea bream was perfectly cooked with suitable crispy skin. It sat on what was described as tomato and coriander colcannon. However, it was just colcannon with the very occasional bit of colour dotted through which added nothing by way of taste. It was a decent enough mashed potato though. There was also supposed to be parma ham somewhere in the dish – I played hunt the ham without success.

Service was good. Place has a very good range of decent wines by the glass.

But it had been a bit of a disappointing evening. Nothing vile. Nothing bad enough to send back. Just some food that could so easily have been a lot better. Perhaps it was a bad night or a new chef. Or something. I won’t be writing it off just yet.

[Infrasonic]

Anyone else going to the Bourdain talk @ The Lowry Hotel on Tuesday 31st?

[Harters]

CITY CAFE - AT THE CITY INN HOTEL

The City Cafe took a nosedive when David Gale left for the Hilton and we haven’t been back for ages. I reckon it’s now very much back on form. There’s still the very impersonal corporate look to the dining room and service is sharp if lacking in a little warmth of approach. There’s keen pricing here – no doubt due to competition on the immediate plot from Malmaison and Abode – a main carte offers three courses for under £22 and a regularly changed “market menu” gets you three for £16.95.

Of course, there are signs of how they achieve those prices in the smallish quantities and some little irritations – such as a single tiny slice of bread being served and no “seconds “ offered. But you’re not going to come away hungry – well, not if you order a side of chips between the two of you.

I started with a duck rillette – decent helping of tasty duck meat, perhaps a little dry, topped with some watercress and slivers of apple. I like duck in whatever form it appears on my plate and this was no exception. The main was a pave of beef. Or, to be more precise, a few slices of a pave. It came with a celeriac puree and a few sautéed mushrooms. And two chips – so rather glad of the side order.

On the other side the table, Veggie Vera had started with carrot soup. Well seasoned; tasted of carrot. Job done. She followed with a turnover of beetroot and chard – in essence a lattice pasty enclosing the veggies which were almost, but not quite, a puree. Quite clever this as, alongside was a “piccalilli” – some cauliflower florets, gherkin and onion, drizzled with a mustard sauce and scattered with some of those rather twee baby shoots that taste of not very much but do look pretty.

Desserts were an apple and blackberry strudel with cream and a bitter chocolate and mascarpone cheesecake served with a praline ice cream. Both served warm and doing their job well, if not exactly edge-of-the-seat cooking.

Worth mentioning is their very good range of wines by the glass, which suited Vera down to the ground.

[Carlovski]

Was just looking at the website for the 'Mark Addy' (yes, I know it's in Salford, not Manchester) having just watched the 'North on a plate' programme on BBC4. On the menu they had Vimto Trifle with Mint Ball Wafers - maybe taking the northern nostalgia thing a little too far?

P.S Was everyone aware of the mass popularity of Vimto in the middle east? Only discovered it the other day.