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.

110 Restaurant

Date: Thursday February 9th 2012

Website Link

Menu Link

For once this was a planned meal, where we wanted to take advantage of our Hi-Life Dining Card (2 for 1). So after assessing the list of restaurants on offer I came across this peach. The interesting thing about this restaurant is that it is inside Circus Casino. For people not familiar with this casino it is the one on the end of Oxford Road, by Palace Theater.

This place is not advertised well. Even walking past the place, it is clearly a casino, however there is little reference to the dining part. To be honest, unless I was a massive gambler, I probably would not have found this place if it was not for the Hi-Life Card.

On entry, they do want you to become a member, however they are lenient if you are over 21. Me being exactly 21, they did want me to become a member, however I actually signed up in 2009, which I completely forgot about.

Okay now onto the restaurant. Before I start I must say that one of our waitresses was a moody old cow, which slightly tarnished our experience. She just gave us the odd dirty look and had a grumpy aura about her. Seating wise, I really enjoyed my experience. It was quiet, relaxing, and had a nice view of the whole casino, giving it a pleasantly different vibe. They also had a glass kitchen giving us a view of the chefs at work. On observing them, it seemed that they worked very bloody hard, always on the go, trying to make sure that their food is a success. I think as they know they are on view, it probably gives the chefs a little added pressure to perform.

The menu was one of the main reasons I chose this restaurant, with very eye-brows raising dishes. The menu enjoys elaborate fruit fusions into the dishes and attempts to be unique. For example one of the starters includes king scallops with fresh strawberries and aged balsamic (which I'm gutted I did not choose). I for myself ordered the white crab meat with ripe mango and avocado salsa. This was my mistake, because it came out as more of a cold salad dish, but I was definitely feeling a hot dish at the time, however looking back at how the menu describes it, I should have known it was a cold dish. My companion ordered the pasta of the week for his starter which I had a try. It was spectacular. From the reactions of my other friends trying their starters too I can predict that most the early dishes will definitely please you.

For main I went for the lamb tagine, apricot and chickpeas couscous. I asked for the lamb to be pink. It was marvelous. The lamb was deliciously tender and flavoursome and was perfectly accompanied by the couscous. There is also a selection of other mains such as a duck dish with plum and cherry dressing, and various steaks. I also had a fair share of the duck dish, which I also loved. The problem with duck at other restaurants is that is soaked in a sticky sauce which would be high in flavour. This was perfect though. Cooked and seasoned the way I like it, and lightly accompanied with the yummy, distinguished sauce. We also ordered sweet potato mash sides which tasted like it was home made, and some hand cut chips, which  was one of the best I have had.

For once, due to the fantastic food, I also ordered dessert. I got the fresh strawberries with hazelnut shortbread and minted cream. I liked it. I wouldn't absolutely rave about it but it tickled my taste-buds and topped off my meal as a delightful experience. Apparently the orange and dates sticky toffee pudding was amazing though, so maybe try that next time.

If you don't have a Hi-Life card they still have a very good offer of two dishes for £14.95, or three dishes for £19.95, which for what you get is definitely a bargain. You also receive a free £5 gaming chip to have a play at the casino after.

In conclusions, ignoring the bitchy waitress (although food did come at perfect timing and dining etiquette was in order), I cannot promote this place even more. Food was amazing. Atmosphere was so cool. They really need to be promoting this place even more. If you want great food with a James Bond feel to it, definitely give this place a try.

8.5 out of 10 rating