Australasia - Season 2 Episode 4

Date: 22nd October 2013

Wagwan Nurbites!

Website: http://www.australasia.uk.com/

Apologies for being away for so long! Been very, very busy. From getting married in Chicago (via an incredible stag in Vegas) to hanging in Miami, and honey-mooning in Jamaica, I have for sure been well fed! The food on my trips has been incredible! But nothing is better than being back home to Mad-chester, the home of the Rolls Royce, the center of the universe. Manchester is the greatest place this earth has seen. Well not quite, but it is home!


Having dined at several great restaurants in Manchester recently, I thought I'd come back with a bang with a place many have heard about in Manchester. Australasia oozes class from their Louvre style stairway entry to the high tech DJ playing with what it seems a 40 inch iPad! We were sat in a booth which was excellent for privacy, giving the place the slight edge if you prefer the more intimate vibe.

The menu had 3-4 sections, sushi, smaller plates and bigger plates. The waiter liked to talk about waves, bringing the meal in 2 or 3 parts but we wanted it all to come together. We treated the restaurant like an Asian tapas bar and so we all ordered 3 dishes each planning to share everything. This was nice as it gave us like ten different small dishes to try. The drinks menu actually came on an iPad which was cool to browse through.

Before the food came, the waiter came over with a fresh piece of wasabi and grated a portion of it on our table. Never seen this from a restaurant so was a nice touch (although seemed like a lot of effort from his part!). When the food came out, just about fitting on our table, the first thing we noticed was presentation. It was impeccable! Everything looking delicious. I would show you pictures but I don't like to give away too much spoilers for you and ruin the experience.

From what I tried, the sushi was great, but for the price not spectacular. The beef skewers stuck out to me as a gem, very flavoursome. The squid tempura, and the prawn and wasabi mix were pretty average. The dish I had heard about most was the expensive black cod. We ordered two of them as it was something everyone wanted to try. It was great, but I'm not sure if it warrants the fame it gets. Sure it is quite different, something you would not have tried elsewhere, but for me it was not the 'melts in your mouth' experience.

Now onto dessert. Fans have probably realised I don't really have a sweet tooth, and due to my lack of passion for the sweet dishes I tend to shy away from talking too much about them. It was due to the also hyped Mango soufflé with coconut ice-cream and mango soup, that I left a little space for this. When the soufflé smothered in the 'mango soup' and the ice cream touched my lips, this was the highlight of my meal...possibly my week. It was just delightful. The explosion of flavours in my mouth, the textures complementing each other ever so perfectly. This was the elite of desserts.

The restaurant decor is very impressive, and is a must if you just want to hang out, or impress someone. I was a tad disappointed with the food, however I did give it incredibly high expectations. The dessert though made me leave the place on a high, and may be the thing that forces me to return again.

8 out of 10 rating.

Ocean Tr235ure

Date: Saturday 21st January

Kung Hei Fat Choi! (Happy New Year)

In celebration of the Chinese New Year, I thought I would treat myself to one of the hottest Chinese restaurants in Manchester. This place is located next door to the 235 Casino (hence the name). On entry what struck me first was the beautiful Oriental deco. Lighting was spot on however it was a tad too cramped. We were lucky to get a table, apparently the place has been fully booked for a week, however there were only two of us so they managed to squeeze us in.

Like other Chinese restaurants, they offered a few banquets for a set price however we chose to order the dishes separately. The waiter came quickly, offering us drinks then giving us a few moments to order our food. A nice touch to the menu was that they included a 'Chef's Recommendations' sections which I chose to pick from as I wanted something different to my usual Chinese order (aromatic crispy duck, sweet and sour chicken, beef in black beaned sauce). I went for the crabmeat and sweetcorn soup for starters and for mains the Sesame Pak Fa Duckling, which is sesame fried prawn meat stuffed with roasted duck, served with oyster sauce. On the menu they also had a variety of Dim Sums I do want to try at some point.

On ordering, it did take some time to get the food, but not too much of an extended period, plus it was very busy (take note Zouks). The soup was pretty average, I guess there is a generic way to make this soup as I find similar quality at Chinese buffets. The main, also served with noodles to make the dish filling, was very original. It was delicious. It was like having a big portion of dumplings drizzled with the oyster sauce which arrives in a separate pot. Although some people may take this as a negative, I personally loved it as I do enjoy the starter more so the main most the time.

In conclusion I thought the service was great even though it was busy, decorations were fantastic, and thought I got a decent Chinese meal from them. I think as with most Eastern restaurants, you need to play around with the dishes to get the perfect meal. Although the meal was enjoyable, and it did satisfy me, I think on another day I would want a more complete main meal. However for the originality of the dishes I would recommend and come again.


7 out of 10 rating