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.

Kyotoya - Season 2 Episode 1

Date: Friday 18th January 2013

Address: 28 Copson Street, Withington, Manchester, M20 3HB, 0161 445 2555

I'm back!

After taking a much needed sabbatical (from blogging) I think my experiences from the past year have broadened my knowledge in the fine dining. From the burgers of America, the street food of Kenya, and the Peking Duck of China, I do consider myself as a more well rounded diner than previous. So my first review on my return, I thought it would make sense to try this great little Japanese restaurant in Withington, as my taste buds have so recently tasted the fantastic eateries Japan had to offer. I actually came across this little gem as Trip Adviser rates them as one of the highest rated restaurants in Manchester.

It is probably unfair for me to compare this place with the food I had in Japan, so I will try and judge this place as a Japanese restaurant in England.

The actual restaurant is very small, it could only fit around 15-20 people, but to be honest it kind of added to the cramped Tokyo feel. It's a low budget restaurant so the decor was not extravagant, however it had true Japanese charm. The staff were all friendly and welcoming, not as much as the Japanese were in Japan but still very nice. In Japan, on entry the staff all yell to you 'irasshaimase' (sounds like 'wasa wasa' when they say it fast) even when busy, which means welcome, but unfortunately they did not here.

The menu tried to incorporate a lot of different Japanese dining, from gyoza (dumplings) to Ramen (noodles) to a range of sushi dishes. I really had a hankering for sushi so this was the majority of my order. On the menu, if you are an inexperienced sushi taster then you could order set platters however it wasn't clear what was included in the sushi platter. I personally went with ordering individually however you could only order it in a set of six unfortunately, stopping you from ordering more variety.

I personally thought the sushi variety was quite thin, but then again I think I'm judging harshly from the huge variety of sushi I had in Japan. They also had sashimi, which is literally sliced raw fish by itself, but I knew I wasn't a fan from previous experiences. It's a first I've seen sashimi in Manchester.

Between the two of us, we ordered five plates of 6 pieces. One plate of gyoza, three plates of nigiri sushi (sliced fish on rice) and one plate of maki sushi (rolled sushi). The chicken gyoza was pretty good. Not as crispy as I like but still as juicy. If you like your Chinese dumplings then I think these will be the dish of choice for you. Gyoza is my personal preference over the Chinese dish.

The maki sushi we ordered was the prawn tempura (cooked rather than raw). Maki isn't that popular in Japan, unless the rice rolls fish eggs, so I didn't have it much over there. Even though this is a western touch on a Japanese dish, it was delicious. The warm prawns in the rolled rice blended really well.

The nigiri sushi was just great. We ordered all the available fish options, so the smoked salmon, prawns, and tuna sushi. Wasn't too much a fan of the smoked salmon, wishing I ordered the normal salmon. The prawn nigiri however was gorgeously sweet and tender. The tuna was my favourite though, with the fish so succulent. Watch out though, you may get a piece with a tad too much wasabi so make sure you have a glass of water just in case. The sushi in my opinion is the best I have had in Manchester, if not outside Japan, so for certain I will be back.

The bill came back at under £30 which in my opinion is great for what we ordered. The best thing about this place is there were still a range of dishes I still need to try, from the Ramen to the cooked sea-bass. Also if the restaurant is full, or you just rather eat in the comfort of your own home, they do have a take away option, which is the first I have seen for a Japanese restaurant. For sure I'll be back, if not for the sushi then to try one of their other great looking dishes.

8.5 out of 10 rating.

Damson

Date: Wednesday 22nd February

Website Link

This is possibly the best restaurant I have ever been to.

Big claim I know, but this is most definitely a deserving one. This place is in a league of their own in terms of fine dining, everything was to perfection.

Located in my local village Heaton Moor (represent) this hidden British restaurant is snugly neighbored by a DVD store and a Fish and Chippy. So although the dining is high class, there was definitely no hint of snobbishness. The staff was very friendly, and what seemed like the owners, were very welcoming. I absolutely loved the decor inside. Largely using wine bottles to give the place character, the place oozed class. This place would be perfect for a candle light dinner with that special one, or to have an upmarket business dinner to impress a client.

We were given a A La Carte menu in a very posh binder, and also a separate set menu costing a reasonable £14.95 for two dishes or £17.95 for three. I personally could not resist some of the dishes from the A La Carte menu upping the price of my meal, but I was fine with that. Although the menu seemed a little limited, it seemed have classic favourites for all taste buds, from delicious sea-bass to a succulent sirloin steak. It also has fat chips as a side for ones that don't like to experiment. Also, attention cheese lovers, I saw a neighboring table order a selection of 10-15 different cheeses. The waiter brought all the blocks of cheese available over letting you choose which you fancy (if not all) and slices a piece for you to try. It looked like a very interesting thing to try one time.

They begin your meal with complementary home made bread accompanied by cubes of butter. They can also bring balsamic vinegar with the bread on request. For starter I went with the crab and parsley risotto, which simply said, melted in my mouth. At first glance, it looked interesting, with the risotto topped with a foamy broth, but it was simply fantastic.

For main I went with the shoulder of lamb (not on the online menu) accompanied with the saute potatoes with parsley and garlic. It was just wow. It was the best lamb I have ever had (sorry Mum). The lamb was unbelievably soft, with an amazing flavour. The potatoes were also great, coming uniquely sliced in a square, sandwiched a beautiful garlic sauce.

I also tried the salmon accompanied by fresh mussels, which was part of the set menu. The salmon was good, the mussels were simply spectacular. They were nicely soft and tasted wonderful.

The portions of everything were very generous. We were all very full after the two dishes, however we couldn't resist getting a dessert to complete our meal. I went for the chocolate and orange cheesecake. It was amazing. It possibly could have surpassed the cheesecake I had in Chicago. It had a scrumptious chocolate orange flavour, with both orange and chocolate sauce flowing out perfecting the taste, and honestly topping off my meal.

As you can see, I cannot recommend this place more highly. It makes me proud that this is in the village I grew up in, and hopefully encourages other places to follow this marvelous eatery. The only reason I cannot give this (or any restaurant) a ten is because I refuse to think my dining experience has peaked. So now it seems the Dining Gods have given me an important task, to hunt for a place to surpass this fine dining in Manchester.

9.5 out of 10 rating.

Mughli

Date: Wednesday 1st February 2012

Located on the famous Curry Mile, and rated as the best Indian on the road, possibly in Manchester. I personally feel this place has football's Scott Parker syndrome, decent but over-rated. It definitely is not the best place I have been to, far from it. But I thought it was pretty good and would probably make another visit ahead of most of the places on Curry Mile.

The place sticks out on the tacky neon lighted road as it looks classy. It has a Mughal themed look and sitting inside is definitely a different experience to other restaurants. There was clearly a heavy investment made for things like decoration, uniform, cutlery etc. One thing I liked was the cup they served lassis and cocktails in; it was a copper like mug which was pretty cool to drink from. One thing I disliked was that I was really cold inside the restaurant, which definitely decreased my enjoyment. Also I thought the music was way too loud, making it difficult to converse with my friends.

Poppadoms and chutney were not complementary, to our disappointment. I didn't mind too much to pay but the poppadoms arrived burnt so had to be replaced. The restaurant had an original chutney which I had not tried before at other Indian restaurants. It was a red tamarind sauce which was sweet and spicy; leading me to make this my chutney of choice ahead of the classic mango chutney.

The menu wasn't too interesting, having recognized most the dishes from other Indian restaurants. However unlike some places, it was very easy to choose, as each dish had a detailed English description of what to expect. You were also allowed to be flexible, letting you choose different fillings with your choice of sauce. I went with the lamb tikka sizzler dish, with my friends going for the kahari masala fish and the saag paneer.

We ordered naan and rice to accompany our dishes. I was disappointed when the naan came out. This is me being picky, but I rather like when the full naan comes out fresh on a stand, or a basket, looking appetisingly buttered up. However here the naan was sliced into quarters on what looked like a receipt stabber. One thing that also annoyed me is that the waiter seemed to be washing the table after we were done with the poppadoms, which he also did again when the other two were done eating but I had yet to finish.

Now onto the food. Admittedly I thought it was very good. The lamb came on a sizzling hot plate. The meat was very tender and spiced to perfection. The portion was very good. The saag paneer was very tasty, however I thought it could do with more paneer pieces inside. The best dish was definitely the kahari fish. It was excellent. The fish was juicy, and the kahari flavour had a hint of sweetness making the dish marvelous.

In conclusion, although this experience was slightly tarnished by a group of loud university lads clearly on the lash, with a few improvements I think this place has potential. This was far away from the perfect meal, but I do think if they work on a few things like restaurant etiquette and making the customer comfortable, you could come away with an enjoyable evening.

7.5 out of 10 review.

La Casona

Date: Thursday 26th January


After hearing positive feedback about a Tapas restaurant/ bar down my road (Heaton Moor), I thought this would be a good place to be next on my hit list. It is a nice little family run restaurant which was exactly what I was in the mood for.


On entering the Spanish gentleman welcomed and escorted us to a table, giving us the menus. The place was small, but had a decent amount of seating, and decorated simply but elegant. When we arrived the restaurant was pretty quiet, but we have heard that on prime nights it can fill up pretty quickly.

The two sided menu was categorized with Tapas dishes on one side, organized by vegetables, meat and fish. The other side was a classic A La Carta menu with sides and mains. We decided to get a selection of tapas, seeing as we fancied tapas. We were also served some homemade bread which came with a tasty garlic mayonnaise dipping sauce. The main entre selection was impressive as well, and next time I try this place I may be tempted to get a main dish, like a steak, or some type of sea food dish.


The waiter advised us to order six tapas dishes with bread, between the two of us. This ended up being too much food for us, however it would comfortably feed a party of three. When the food came, I was so impressed. The beef strips were nice and tender with a wonderful pepper corn taste. The lamb meatballs gave an explosion of delicious flavour into my mouth.And the seafood selection cooked in egg batter was delicious; with the calamari (fried squid) being the best I've ever had, including when having it abroad. All the dishes we ordered pleased our palates, except for the seafood dumplings, which were too flavorless for my liking. 


We had a Hi-Life Diners Club card, giving us 50% discount off the menu, making the meal very cheap. Even without this card though the prices are still reasonable, however the very nice waiter said he was not going to stamp off the card, meaning we can use this offer again next time.


This place left a very positive impression on myself, making me leave a generous tip on departure. I am really chuffed that this gem is just walking distance from my house and will surely be using this place to entertain guests or to give myself a deserved treat after a hard days work.


8.5 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