Red Chilli Chinese restaurant

[culinary bear]

But, you do go back, again and again and again. What I found amazing was how the immense up front heat was completely balanced by the complexity of other flavours in the broth. I don't know how it works, but the stucture of the dish just keeps the fire at arms length, even though you certainly know it's there.

Exactly - it's a really lovely dish. I wonder if giving blood an hour before had anything to do with my head spinning?

Matt's just back from his 3-month stage at Michel Guerard's 3* place in Landes, and said he really appreciated 'blood-and-guts' food again.

Oh, and Thom - have you seen the natty automated paper dispenser in the Gents? It's brilliant....

Edited November 3, 2005 by culinary bear (log)

[Bapi]

Since I was meeting a Uni friend in the Malmaison Bar at 3.30pm last Saturday afternoon and since I knew where that might ulitmately end up. I insisted that we had something to eat to line our stomachs before we ventured near a pub. Having telephoned the sage like Thom - and him having guided me in the right direction as to what to order- off we set- leaving a rather plished Johny Vegas nursing his pint.

As suggested - we disregarded the "bog-standard" menu and went for the spicy one. First up were cold starters of Sesame Hot Beef and Spicy Pig's intestines. Each dish consisted of thin slices of meat cotaed in an oily and super hot dressing. The sesame beef was not too overpowering as sesame oil can ,on occasion be, if not used sparingly. Then onto the sar of the show the lamb Chilli broth- just as good as has been described above. This dish had the lot- heat, depth, spice,mountains of lamb and brasied greens and those fiery chillis- which I rather foolishly had a few of. Loved it - and at £7.50 for a portion - a bargain which one person would surely struggle to eat alone. The only slightly disappointing dish was the Gung Bo King Prawn- very acceptable but just that. But then I fear anything would have pailed against the lamb dish. With some rice and perhaps a couple of Tiger beers more than we needed, the bill was £40.

Thom- I am up for the sea-bass dish. Will give you the nod when I am given another pass. But as my A&E Consultant friend was found by his wife asleep on the toilet at 4am the follwing morning. It may be some time.

Edited December 1, 2005 by Bapi (log)

[BertieWooster]

The cod slices in chilli are gorgeous.

[thom]

Bapi, you are so hard-core! Your friend comatose on a toilet, and Johnny Vegas trailing in your wake (a lucky escape for him by God!) - you are an animal.

Glad you liked the Lamb Chilli Broth, it really is the standout dish for me but the seafood has also been excellent and there is a lot more to explore. The sweet-soy seabass is a goer, and Bertie I note your recommendation regarding the chilli cod.

Let me know when you are unshackled from your domestic duties, and the Trotter's Club can reconvene. Have to drag Gary over too, and Bertie if you can find a chink in your busy schedule you should come along as well.

Too much chilli and Chinese beers all round then?

Cheers

Thom

[Mrs Woman]

Hello Thom! Hope you and yours are well

We're off to see Ian Brown in that there Manc tomorrow and will be needing sustenance at some point. The bloke is wanting to go to Kwokman again but I may try to steer him to this place instead. Whereabouts is it and do you know what time it's open 'til (as Kwokman seems to be open all night!)

Cheers in advance

[thom]

Mrs Woman!

Well I never, it's a small world. Good to hear from you; life is good with me and hope all is well with you.

Your bloke likes the Kwok Man? I used to go there quite a lot (they were always good with big parties) and it was fine, but it has gone off a bit over the last couple of years (new owners?) and last year it got absolutely crucified for breaching various H&S laws (pics in the Manchester Evening News of floors covered in stale grease, rat droppings, cockroaches etc...). Put me off a bit.

Still got an appetite? In that case try Red Chilli, as it's great, though I don't think it's open past normal opening hours (11:00? 12:00?). Kai's used to be the place for Chinese at 4am, but since that went up in flames I've tried a few of the more downmarket Chinese on the street betweeen Princess St and the Arch. Not great (I suspect the last one gave my brother food poisoning) but choices are limited past midnight.

Of course, theres a lot of logic behind the adage that places that stay open at unsociable hours serving unsociable people (present company excused of course) do so because they're too poor to compete at the prime times. Of course following a logical argument in the early hours of the morning with full-blown drunken hunger-anger is easier said than done...

Oh, directions: Red Chilli is in a basement (used to be Beaujolais) on the junction of Portland St and the side st that leads off it to the Chinese Arch (I always get Chinatown streets mixed up). It's on the right as you walk down Portland from Piccadilly, halfway between Yates and Princess St.

Cheers

Thom

[Mrs Woman]

Hi Thom!

Unfortunately we got to red Chilli after midnight so it was shut and we went to Kwokman instead. I didn't know about all that health & safety stuff, wish I had as it would have made us go elsewhere and I wouldn't have had such a bland meal. Had some hot and sour soup that was not much of either although it was rather plentiful and had some lovely large juicy prawns in. Even more disappointing was 'pork with aubergine in spicy sauce' - which turned out to be tiny bits of minced pork with a shedload of aubergines in a kind of soy flavoured sludge. Hey ho.

Thanks for the PM, will reply in a mo

Ian Brown was fabulous by the way. He even had the bloke (liverpool fan) singing along to Georgie Best Wonderland (or whatever it is).

[Gary Marshall]

Right.

I'm going to red chilli tomorrow.

I have all afternoon, a willing accomplice, and an expense account.

Tell me what to order

[thom]

Gary,

Good work fella. I say tan the arse out of your expense account, I hear the boss at your new place is a real tightwad...

I'm sure other people on here will proffer plenty of opinions but I'd try and hit the following:

Lamb chill broth

Much described above, pretty firey, but it's so good you just keep eating. tender lamb, wilted lettuce, a mound of garlic and coriander and more chillis then would ever seem sensible, all in a huge pot full of intensely flavoured thin broth.

Sea Bass with sweet soy

This has been on my 'to do' list for a while. CB had it and rated it winner - whole seabass, fried till tender, and served on a plate covered in sweet and sharp sauce. Expertly filleted at the table with nothing more than a pair of spoons too.

Any soups

Might sound like a cop out, but I think the soups are great. The sweet and sour with trio of seafood has a huge pepper kick, but I actually think I prefer the seafood and beancurd soup, witch has a clean taste and real depth of flavour.

Stir-fried eel with Red Chilli

This is one of my favourites. I once had the eel crumbled into chunks, but generally it is served on the bone, with eel the thickness of a carrot cut cross-section into chunks. The meaty eel really works with a sticky sweet glaze, and the chillis give it a kick of heat. Although you can eat it off the bone I tend to crunch the small stuff up like you do with Chinese duck etc.

Pork in broth with fine noodles

I can't remember the exact name of this dish, but I had it with Jay on my first visit. After the full on taste-bud assault of all the chilli, pepper and garlic in the other dishes, this is decptively gentle. But, the pork is wonderfully tender, and the flavour of the broth really comes through.

Spring onion bread

Not that you will be short of food, but I quite liked this bread. It's kind of like a chapati/tortilla style flat bread, with chopped spring onion in it. A little greasy as I think it is fried in the pan, but tasty, and it would be great fodder to eat with a few beers.

Above and beyond that there are still plenty of dishes to go at. I'd had quite a few of them, and although some of the 'safer' choices aren't much better or different than a decent Cantonese chinese I would say on the whole you won't be disappointed whatever you go with.

Make sure though that you get the authentic menu (I think the English menu is the one which also has 'winelist' written on the front), and try a few diversions into the more challenging stuff.

Jay and I had the stir-fried pig intestines with Chinese black pudding which was suprisingly good (if not outstanding enough to warrant a repeat visit) and I have been meaning to get around to the 'hot wok trotter', 'chilli shredded pigs maw' and the intriguing sounding 'blessed the whole family' (purely because I want to know what it is).

Enjoy it, and let me know what you think. Also, try and find some very important clients in Manchester who you MUST visit for a boozy lunch...

Cheers

Thom

[Bapi]

As ever a veritable tome from Thom Have spoken to "Al Murray " from Westow and we will reconvene for this lunch in the New Year sir. And eat the above list whilst we are at it.

[muichoi]

I haven't been here unfortunately-but if you like tripe(not the disgusting soft version)that chilli-shredded pigs' maw should be a wonderful dish.

[Pweaver1984]

Has anyone got any pics of the food?

Paul

[Gary Marshall]

Enjoy it, and let me know what you think. Also, try and find some very important clients in Manchester who you MUST visit for a boozy lunch...

←

thanks for that thom, i'll do my best to scoff as much of that as possible. My colleagues are looking slightly scared now though as i regale them with their possible choices!

[kutsu]

I had the braised pig trotter - fantastically soft gelatinous trotter meat served in a rich sauce, and the sechuan smoked duck - nice if a little dry, but had to order it as the missus didn't fancy much pig.

Oh and of course, the spring onion bread, for sopping up the juices.. fantastic.

Can't wait to go back.

[Gary Marshall]

ok so we had

vegetarian hot & sour soup (gesture for my halal meat eating colleague)

diced chicken lettuce wrap

salt & pepper spare ribs

fillet steak rolls

salt & pepper baby squid

deep fried squid in batter

seasame prawn toast

then a whole aromatic duck

then

aromatic crispy prawns

spicy hot poached deboned sea bass

mt city duet pork

spicy hot poached lamb

painter daqian spring chicken

stir fried fillet steak with chilli

plus a special starter of smoked chicken from the specials board with the mains

the best dish was definitely the poached lamb the sea bass wasn't as hoped it was the same preparation as the lamb unfortunately . We weren't in the mood for eels today!

it was a very pleasant lunch but i still feel i need the guidance of an expert to get the most out of this kitchen, it's nicely spiced but to be honest doesn't wow me as much as i thought it might, saying that i'm sure the killer dishes are on the menu i just don't know where to look!

[YKL]

goodness me Gary - and that was for just the two of you?!?!?!

Hats off to you Sir!

I'm due there with some friends on Tuesday evening - four stomachs in total, so unless my friends choose that moment to reveal that they are chilli lightweights ... then we should be able to try a few different things!

Yin

X

[Gary Marshall]

no! there were 5 of us, and it was a lot of food!

i seized the opportunity to try as much as possible!

cheers

gary

[thom]

Gary,

That's good eating even for five of you!

Pity that you weren't blown away though. As I said, the more standard dishes are good, but it is the more unusual stuff where it really hits the heights. To be honest, part of the fun for me is just finding a Chinese menu that really excites me, as even the good Cantonese restaurants such as Yang Sing rarely inspire me any more.

Also, not sure whether maybe the Manchester site might have held onto the best or most experienced chefs as it was the original site? You notice the difference between chefs as I have once been in to the Mancheter restaurant a couple of times on a Sunday and noticed a difference in several of the dishes to the weekday fare.

Be good to see you over in Manchester; we can really give the menu a proper going over. Hope all is well over the otherside of the Pennines (and the other side of the bar).

Cheers

Thom

[Carlovski]

Now I'm really hungry

But I'm back up in the homeland on Wednesday - might have to take a trip into the centre for some 'shopping'....

[culinary bear]

I feel the need for another meal there before I up sticks and move

[Gary Marshall]

I feel the need for another meal there before I up sticks and move

←

are you going to stop being so modest and tell everyone where you are moving to?

[Carlovski]

He's sold out hasn't he, moving down to that London I bet. It will all be lah de dahs and Martinis.

Can't get a decent pint of bitter down here you know.

And not a decent wok fried pigs maw to be found.

[Gary Marshall]

no quite the opposite, although he's a bit more lah-de-dah now

[thom]

Oh he'll still be a Northern boy all right.

In fact, he's got a job as apprentice tripe bleacher in the processing plant at 'Brocklethwaites Innards Emporium' situated in the quaint little Lancashire town of Grimly-on-the-Mire.

Quality of life? Read it and weep to those of you living the hoity-toit life in that there London.

Cheers

Thom

[Bapi]

No Thom,

Gary told me CB is the Apprentice to the Apprentice Tripe Bleacher. It'll take him three years to work up to becoming an Apprentice.

Good Work fella. For a horrible moment I thought he was going to work with Gary