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.

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

Drink Tea, Eat Cake

I came here a few weeks ago, as I was sick of the commercial 'Starbucks-esque' Cafe's and wanted somewhere new where I could kick back and relax with a brew. Also the fact that I am dominantly a tea rather than coffee drinker made this place stick out for me.

It is located next door to the Krispy Kremes by Piccadilly Bus Station. So a good location for anyone using public transport to get into Town Center. On entering the cafe it is very unique. Light colours easy on the eye, the counter on entry with fabulous looking home made cakes and brownies on display. What stuck out the most though were the booths. They were in a cute looking wooden huts, similar to the stores of the yearly German Market.

The menu was quite big, considering it was dominated by tea and cake. They offered all kinds of varieties of tea, from the Indian Chai, to the classic Earl Grey. We decided to ask for assistance who recommended the home brewed tea for two. For cake, he invited us up back to the counter and let us pick out the most desirable.

The tea came in a classic English style, with traditional teapots and teacups. In fact the teapot could have served four, a very generous amount for just two people. The brownie we ordered was also very generous. so big we asked them to pack it to finish at home. I must say, the tea was an excellent cuppa. Went down very smoothly. The chocolate brownie is the main reason though to give this place a visit, it literally melted in my mouth. Spectacular!

Looking at the bill at the end I was amazed, I was expecting to spend that amount per person, and the fact we couldn't even finish our serving made the bill even better.

I must recommend this place as highly as possible. If you fancy a cheap hang out place with friends, this is your place. Drink Tea, Eat Cake has a great English atmosphere which would be a treat for anyone, especially for tourists wanting an English experience.


9 out of 10 rating