Kitchenette - Manchester

I'm just going to put it out there; I'm a bit over burgers. And hot dogs. And all the dirty food spin offs that have popped up around Manchester like a post MacDonald's binge rash on the sensitive skin of a greasy teenager.

I've always had an uneasy relationship with food spawned from deep fat fryers, covered in sugar and smothered in sauce. Unfortunately I was born a woman, in a time when the media has boomed and incessant images of the 'perfect' figure are beamed into my eyeballs 300 times a day, whether I'm taking notice or not. At my grand old age I should have learnt not to notice, but no matter how much my brain/education tells me to ignore it, I still guilt trip myself about every sinful extra calorie that passes my lips.

But I ramble and this food/female hand wringing guilt issue is often written about. Someone should just pay me to write a post-feminist op-ed column about being a lazy post feminist (hint, hint? - Ed) but I think Vice already have something like that.

So it's back to my high and mighty food opinions, because how dare I be more than a two dimensional food reviewer...

Kitchenette has just opened up at the top of Oxford Road, opposite the Palace Theatre. You will have walked past it a million times without batting an eyelid when it was Fellicini; for this reason Mud Crab (who owned Fellicini) have stuck some plant pots outside and had a rebrand. This is why we noticed it after the Cornerhouse told us there was a 30 minute wait and I needed feeding ASAP.



We almost walked past. After judging the down at heel diner look and the menu full of such un-original dishes as burgers, hot dogs and mac 'n' cheese, we thought we'd have eaten it all already. But in the corner of the menu was a little box, a box which contained the words 'Eat Buns Eat More Buns.' All of a sudden I realised that 'HOLY SHIT THIS PLACE DOES THOSE STEAMED BUNS YOU GET IN CHINA TOWN' (and yes my brain was actually shouting at me and I'm not a knob who just likes to use caps; I'd entered some sort of hunger brain meltdown and was just stood on a street corner drooling/shouting to myself).

So we went in. I'm glad we did.

Kitchenette has been made over in an industrial vibe (grey walls, metal bars, bit shabby), but with enough comfort factored in for harassed grandparents to feel at ease, when being pulled in for pre/post theatre snacks by their burgeoning-on-obese grandbrats. There are leather booths and large tables, a view of the canal (not sure if that's a plus or not, at least there's natural light in the back) and both times I've been in there's been a random mix of students, daters, suits and friends.

Pulled pork sliders, they so cute

First time we ate, we eschewed everything on the menu for the steamed hirata buns. Actually I lie, we had the pulled pork sliders to start (not my choice, it's another food stuff I'm pretending I'm over because I know how many calories it contains) and the pulled pork was pretty good - none of this salty, overly sweet, sauce laden gloop you get these days; properly seasoned, soft with a bit of bite and a salty/savoury warmth.

Back to the buns - these are basically like the steamed bun you get in Chinatown (as I already said), however these are:
 - much bigger
 - not filled
 - flat like a pancake, you fold them over like a taco.

The idea is that you order your buns and then order the filling - so we went for tempura sea bass and the sticky chicken. The sea bass was light, not greasy, divinely crisp on the outside, steamed silkiness on the inside and enough for two. The sticky chicken came in a salty, moreish bbq/teriyaki sauce with sesame seeds for extra crunch - it would have been better a bit warmer, but that was the only downside. You get lettuce for a fresh crunch and (my favourite thing in the world) kimchee to add a fermented cabbage punch in the mouth that you can't get from anything else (anything else not being fermented, spicy cabbage).

Superb fried chicken

Crunchy pork salad

Second time around we had spent the day carb-loading, so buns were out of the question. We started with the fried chicken - natch it comes in a takeaway carton, a serving aesthetic I honestly quite like (and I'm not being post-modern ironic or nuffink with that statement) - whoever's in the kitchen at Kitchenette knows how to fry chicken. Crispy, spicy batter, no taste of oil and the most tender, succulent, steamed chicken on the inside. The Colonel's got stiff competition.

Hanger steak was served medium-rare without us having to ask; silky thin slices cut through by a punchy Asian style salad was made perfect with a side of fries. The pork salad was a gamble (I usually hate the limp lettuce excuse for a mains salad you get everywhere in Manchester) but I wasn't disappointed. Finely shredded veg and crispy, sweet pork were covered in a gossamer of peanut/chilli/lime dressing - zingy, fresh and the perfect contrast to the buns I ordered on the side - well, I couldn't help it and the pork salad went so well in them and what about my kimchi fix...

Kitchenette's neat fusion of Asian and dirty foods (I would call it dirty Asian, but who knows what google searches I'll come up in if I do), spot on service and their better than other dirty restaurants cooking skills, means I think Kitchenette will ride out this dirty food storm and be a Manchester stalwart that you definitely won't walk past again.

Price for one starter, two mains, one side, two beers and two cokes - £31.50

Food - 8/10
Atmosphere - 7/10
Service - 9/10
Value for money - 8/10

Total - 32/40

Go again - yep, already notched up quite a few visits!

Kitchenette, 60 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5EE - 0161 228 6633 - website - Twitter - Facebook

Yuzu - Manchester

Good Japanese food is a scarce find in Manchester. Yes there's plenty about - Sapporro, New Samsi, Tokyo Season, Yo! to name a few, but quality is hard to find and it's not easy on the wallet either.
Yuzu, on Faulkner Street at the edge of Manchester's compact but vibrant China Town, is set to change all that. The restaurant's a simple affair with an understated sign and a paired down interior; reflecting their ethos of serving simple, everyday Japanese dishes.

We were greeted to an empty restaurant when we visited and as the meal wore on we wondered why this place wasn't buzzing with a queue round the block (we did eat at 6pm on a Tuesday).

The food's not amazingly complex or outstandingly different, but is cooked extraordinarily well. A starter of prawn gyoza included large chunks of whole, well seasoned, soft prawns - none of this greasy, unidentifiable, salty mush you get in most places. The boy's chicken katsu was the best we've had in this country; the chicken soft and juicy, almost poached with a crunchy, crispy coating and no hint of old oil or staleness you often find with breaded products.

Mains kept up the high standard. The boy’s tuna sashimi set; a little pricey at £12.95, was served with miso soup, rice and daikon and surprised us with its freshness and the quality of the fish – something not that common in Manchester. The high standard of the dish made the price much easier to swallow as we’ve had worse/less than this at a restaurant just around the corner for much more money.

My tempura kishimen (king prawn and vegetable with traditional kishimen noodles from the Nagoya region) was light and fresh; with a crunchy, gossamer thin batter. The noodles and accompanying broth were as fresh as spring water and delicately seasoned; the subtle taste could have been lost with heavy accompaniments, but the balance in the dish was spot on and even for simple food the execution and presentation were exquisite and a snip at £8.95.

Many restaurants in the area should sit up and take notice of Yuzu. They source locally, the service is quiet yet first rate and the food is truly amazing considering most dishes are under a tenner and the most expensive thing on the menu is £15.95. The idea of keeping it simples ensures that what they do, they do well and nothing is lost in gimmicks, fusion or simple bluster.

Yuzu is a hidden gem, it’s a brilliant little restaurant that’s getting everything right – let’s just hope that enough people ignore the brash neon signs of its neighbours and realises that simplicity is the key to success.

Ps – Yuzu is also open for lunch with most dishes priced very attractively at 5.95!

Cost for two starters, two mains and a beer - £32.20

Food – 8/10
Atmosphere – 6/10
Service – 9/10
Value for money – 7/10

Total – 30/40

Would you visit again? Yes definitely!

Yuzu, 39 Faulkner Street, Manchester M1 4EE – 0161 236 4159
ynagami@alumni.manchester.ac.uk

http://www.yuzumanchester.co.uk/home

BBQ Handmade Noodle King - Manchester

Fancying a cheap bite to eat before the cinema I dragged the boy into Handmade Noodle King on Faulkner Street in Manchester’s China Town earlier this week.

Having been a big buzz on twitter and blogger lately, plus wanting to break the chain of eating in our usual haunts; I was eager to try these handmade noodles.

The front of the restaurant in pretty unassuming, especially as there’s a fancy looking Japanese open on the corner and more glitzy looking establishments further up the street.
The dining room is a bit bog-standard, but was clean and the staff were welcoming. I could see the boy looking unimpressed as we were handed menus in plastic books; but as we read down the list and spotted some rather authentic dishes he was appeased.

We had a little difficulty locating the ‘famous’ handmade noodles as they are listed with the all you can eat buffet – however our helpful waitress assured us we could order these separately.
My Tibetan beef soup noodles were delicious – the broth was layered with rich beefy flavours, warm hints of star anise, a good punch of garlic and some mouth tingling spice. The noodles themselves were a little chewier than conventional noodles, but this extra bite meant that they didn’t dissolve in the soup and become a soggy mess. I’m not one for over-eating but I couldn’t stop with this dish until I felt fit to burst (I couldn't even eat all my ice-cream in cinema afterwards!).

Tibetan beef noodles

The boy ordered a stir-fried noodle dish, again with handmade noodles. Here they weren't so plumped up and provided a good bite against the strong flavours of the blackbean sauce and the soft chunks of beef. The only downside to this dish was that the sauce became overly gloopy in some parts.

Handmade noodles with blackbean sauce

As a side we ordered the spicy cold pig’s stomach. This is a finely shredded dish that isn’t for the faint hearted. The spiciness of the dish blows your mouth out – thankfully it’s not a one dimensional heat smack, there’s several layers building over each other to produce a full flavoured mouthful - and for those thinking it would be a chewy, tasteless dish you couldn’t be more wrong. The pork stomach was meltingly tender with its sweet porcine flavours shining through and complimenting the spice.

Spicy pig's stomach

Service was impeccable and the staff were more than happy to keep bringing us pints of tap water (we got through about three apiece!).

Handmade Noodle King is a great little restaurant with some fab tasting dishes. It’s not somewhere to take a date or someone you want to impress (unless they’re a foodie) – but it really delivers on expertly flavoured, traditional food at great cost.

Ps – the portions are massive; we should have only ordered one main and one starter.
Price for one starter, two mains, two small bottle of Tsing Tao: £24.97

Pps - thanks to Northern Dave for pointing me in the right direction.

Food: 8/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10

Total – 29/40

Handmade Noodle King, Faulkner Street, China Town, Manchester

Baekdu - Manchester

Baekdu is a place I've always wondered about. Located on the wrong side of the Northern Quarter, near to the Shudehill bus station and the big glass car park. It's a non-descript building with frosted windows so isn't the most inviting looking place.

However boy and I were very hungry and in  pre-gig rush; everywhere was turning us down/didn't appeal - and in a fit of desperation the boy pulled me in to Baekdu in the vain hope I would actually stop whinging.

What confronted us didn't actually appeal. The inside of Baekdu is a little dingy and resembles nothing more than a back street caff; with Argos tables, white tiles and laminated menus replete with pictures. Hmmm...

Baekdu was packed with a host of Asians chattering away and excitedly slurping large bowls of Korean specialities. I'd like to say they were Korean but I don't recognise the language and don't want to generalise that just because Baekdu is Korean that any Asian people hanging out there are definitely Korean.

The boy chose Korean Beef Stir Fry and I chose Fish Hot Pot. Service was quick and efficient and we were presented with metal chopsticks, cutlery and tap water served in mugs. Very homely! Food swiftly followed and any misgivings I had harboured instantly melted like noodles into hot soup.

My fish stew was still bubbling as it arrived and was chock full of white fish, shell fish and crab stick. What was unusual was that the fish was served on the bone, but this only served to add a lovely deep umami flavour to the soup, which was also liberally spiced (though a little under seasoned).

Seafood stew

The boy's dish of stir fry and noodles was the dish that stole the limelight. Tender strips of thin beef were cooked to perfection - none of this usual Chinese takeaway stewed boot leather (aka Vermilion's poor attempt). The beef, noodles and greens were lovingly seasoned with a deeply savoury and salty sauce, kicked in to life with hints of spicy chili and aromatic garlic. And for somewhere that serves such good food the portions are also massive. Usually it's a case of quantity or quality, but Baekdu performs on both equally well.

Beef noodles

Baekdu is a great little gem that I'm glad the boy dragged me in to (hear that boy, I'm practically complimenting you!). It's a little rough around the edges, but that's what makes it brilliant. The food is great, home cooked Korean food served with no pretension in a buzzy environment. I've paid a lot more across the city to eat food half as good as this. Let's hope that many other people pop in to sample their delights rather than just popping in when they've run out of other options.

Price for one fish stew, one stir fry and one beer - £14.75

Food - 7/10
Service - 6/10
Atmosphere - 6/10
Value for money - 9/10

Total - 28/40

Baekdu, 77 Shudehill, Manchester M4 - 0161 834 2227

Simply Yu and You - Horwich

Gordon Ramsey - a shouty, crinkly faced, telly-monger and not someone I usually consult for anything other than how not to speak to other people. However female solicitor is a fan of some really trash telly and mentioned that Mr Ramsey had recently bestowed Yu and You Ribble with the title of 'Best Chinese Restaurant,' therefore we should probably nip over to the Horwich branch to see if we agreed with him.

Simply Yu and You is tucked away on St John's Street, around a corner off Winter Hey Lane in Horwich; thankfully the solicitors had done their research, presented their case and led the way.

Any winner for a restaurant is service, and the staff at Simply Yu and You made us feel like kings, or more fittingly emperors. Though service was clumsy (dropped cutlery anyone?), the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable; something many places could learn from - hope you're taking note Vermillion.

Having never visited the main Yu and You, or indeed watched that rapscallion Mr Ramsey's programme, I have no idea how Simply compares. At first glance the restaurant is very stylish; with a bright blue up lit bar, granite panelling and flock covered menus. In contrast the actual restaurant part is somewhat 'bedroom wallpaper from Homebase,' but the main thing has to be said that the small space is clean and they have at least made an effort.

The menu is a little shorter than a standard chinese restaurant's, plus seems to be much more simplified than the Ribble restaurant's version; though unfortunately the prices don't much match this simplification. The question was, why does Yu and You think the people of Horwich need a simpler menu?

Starters came out reasonably quickly, though female solicitor's didn't come out until we had all but finished ours - something she used to her advantage by nicking off our plates. If we hadn't been 'sharing' we may have complained, but portions were big enough and when it did come out they were very apologetic.

Mini duck spring rolls

The boy's vegetable spring rolls were nice enough, crispy pastry no hint of oil; but he was very jealous when female solicitor's mini duck spring rolls arrived, there were four compared with his two - and they weren't that mini either! Once again I chose the squid, was cooked well but nothing special and did have an oily aftertaste. However the winner of the starters was male solicitor's salt and pepper spare ribs - the only word I have to describe these are soft and lip-smacking - yum!

Lip smacking spare ribs

For mains the boy's beef with green pepper was good, female solicitor's predictable sweet and sour pork was predictably alright - good compared with the stuff you get from the chinese takeaway, not mind blowing, but for once a sauce that is both sweet and sour, not just cloyingly sweet.

Sweet and sour

Male solicitor was vying for first place again with his Thai style crispy king prawns - the sauce was lovely, however his prawns were slightly overdone and chewy. My steamed sea bream was cooked to perfection with the flavour of the fish delicately skipping across my tongue, the crispy noodles a great contrast in texture - however the dish was spoiled by the soy sauce; instead of a complimentary, slightly salty flavour the sauce overpowered the delicate fish and left me gasping for water: therefore no winners on the mains front.

         

Steamed sea bream

To finish off we ordered the fruit fritters; too oily, not worth mentioning and not worth the £4.95 we paid for the them no matter how good the presentation was (thought the server had managed to knock over both towers bringing them to table, we restyled them for the photo).

Fritters

Simply Yu and You is better than the takeaway but seems to have simplified not only its menu, but also it's award winning cooking style - however not its prices. Although the service is charming, the food isn't worth the prices charged; whether this is a reflection on Gordon's taste I am unsure, let's hope the Ribble restaurant is worth eating at - the Horwich one certainly isn't.

Price for four starters, fours mains, two sides and a pudding - £72.25

Value for money - 6/10
Atmosphere - 6/10
Service - 8/10
Food 5/10

Total - 25/40

Simply Yu and You, 2 St John Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7NY - 01204 698600 - http://www.simplyyuandyou.com/

Izakaya Samsi - Manchester

Not matter what many people tell you cheap is most often not cheerful. I am highly suspicious of things I think are too good to be true. So imagine my surprise in enjoying a very cheap meal in the basement of one of Manchester's premier Japanese restaurants.

Izakaya Samsi is the newest addition in the rapidly growing Samsi chain of restaurants in Manchester. Located in the basement underneath Samsi Manchester, Izakaya sets out to recreate a type of Japanese drinking establishment that serves heartier food than bar snacks. And hearty it is! Myself and the welsh fashionista spent hardly anything and ate like kings in the process.

With thanks to Samsi

To start we both ordered the miso soup, plus the vegetable gyoza whilst we read through the rest of the menu and tried to decide what to have from the many delectable dishes on offer - and after what seemed like an age fashionista chose chicken katsu AND the yakiudon, whereas I was a little more restrained and went for the bento box; although it was hard not order a curry as well -  there was a special offer of all curries half price (working out at about £2 per massive dish!). It almost seemed rude not to order one.

Our tummies were rumbling after we'd had the miso, as even though we were the only other group in the izakaya, service was very slow.  This is due to the server doubling as the cook, therefore having to prepare everything and see to all the customers' needs at the same time.

However, the wait was worth it. When the food arrived it was very generous in size and had a good flavour for the cost we were paying. For twice the price I have eaten dishes of the same quality (or worse!) and a smaller size in other parts of Manchester.

My bento was especially good value at £4.50 for two large pieces of expertly cooked salmon, a large mound of  well cooked rice (not cold, not soggy, just right), pickles, seaweed and sauce. The bento has the added advantage of offering many different combinations including; gyoza, salmon, chicken, beef, teriyaki, katsu, noodles, rice and so on - and if you order takeaway it comes in a proper bento box.

The good value bento

Fashionista's katsu was a large portion of very crispy chicken in panko, nothing special, but thankfully with no taste of stale oil and no pieces of gristle. His yakiudon was massive and delicious; we had to apologise to the server/cook for how much we wasted (I did question two mains did I not Mr WF?).

 

Katsu and the massive yakiudon

The overall quality of the food wasn't Michelin star, the service was slow but very attentive and friendly, the izakaya was noisy (due to an extractor fan) and was cramped in next to the shop. But for the cost, the taste and overall experience I couldn't have asked for more. For the price we paid and the time we had it was indeed everything I could wish for from a Japanese pub in a basement and am already booking in with the boy for our next visit (well, I couldn't not take him with his favourite dish being katsu, could I?).

Workers in the area should also be aware that Izakaya Samsi is open for lunch and has a takeaway option. Thankfully I don't live or work anywhere near, otherwise I'd be twice the size I am right now!

Price for two including: three starters and three mains (we bought drinks separately) - £17.70.

Value for money: 9/10
Service: 6/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Food: 7/10

Total: 28/40

Izakaya Samsi, Basement, 36-38 Whitworth Street, Manchester M1 3NR - 0161 279 0023
info@samsi.co.uk
http://www.samsi.co.uk/izakaya-samsi.htm

Vermillion - Manchester

Readers I have a confession to make - I've visited Vermilion before and I had such an awful experience I swore I would never cross the threshold again. However, Best Friend wanted to spend her birthday there, and who was I to tell her the food was awful, the music was too loud, they refused to serve me tap water and the attitude of the staff would make Gandhi go postal.

In the belief of second chances, fair trials and being grown up about things, I promise I will leave that experience at the door whilst reviewing this time.

Vermilion and Cinnabar (to give it it's proper name) is situated out near Sports City in Manchester. From the outside Vermilion looks exactly like a warehouse, and the surrounding area is a mix of industrial, council estate, new housing and the City football ground.  It was initially built in anticipation of the super casino, the plans for this have been shelved.

Vermilion Cinnabar outside - with thanks to the dailymail.co.uk

I have never entered a Bond Villian’s den, nor a Wag’s bedroom, but would not be shocked if they were identical to the décor inside Vermilion. Walls are decked out in black veneer with low level orange lighting and intricately carved wooden patterns. The greeting staff seem to be comprised of mysterious, long legged, beautiful East European ice maidens who, with minimal interaction, immediately whisk parties up to the bar in an incense laden, silent lift.

Walking out into the bar area you are greeted by a long bar made to look like ice opening out into an even lower lit seating area comprising bookable fibre glass pods and other seating. A large column of up-light Buddha’s heads breaks through the floor and drops into the dining room below.

Cinnabar - with thanks to mrdaz.com

The bar was as silent as the staff save for the thudding dance music, I must note we were there early Saturday at 6pm.

Without a word we were immediately taken down to our table without the offer of a drink, once more in the over powering lift – even though the dining room is a mere floor below. We did ask to walk down the stairs, however we were declined.

The dining room is again decked out like an upper class tart's boudoir; low lighting, swivel chairs, marble, black veneer and strong incense. We had booked in for the early menu (I wasn't paying what I had previously paid for a meal that had the potential to be bad).

Vermilion Restaurant  - with thanks to Trip Advisor

It was not until the rest of our companions arrived (about ten minutes later), that we were offered drinks - here was the test, would they refuse tap water as before, even after I had got the manager involved? Birthday girl looked on in trepidation as I dared to ask for a glass of corporation pop; and to my relief (and that of the rest of the table), my order was taken and brought back without any quibble, I even got ice!

The early bird menu does not offer much choice, offering just five starters, five mains and three puddings compared to the fourteen pages of the a la carte/set menus.

After placing our order we hardly caught a breath before an amuse bouche arrived; a tiny samosa. Unfortunately it didn't amuse much – although presented mostly well the pastry was a bit thick, soft and with a spiced middle with the underlying taste of stale meat.

With quite a few vegetarians in the group we politely asked if the samosas were vegetarian and were reassured three times, by three different staff members that these were vegetarian - 'a type of pea, madam.' I must say it was the meatiest pea I had ever eaten.

Luckily, us carnivores in the group had started first, we complained twice, and finally a small plate was thrust in front of the veggies. This was a motley collection of flame sultanas, croutons that tasted of stale oil, soft cashews and a sweet, cloying mango chutney that tasted very much as if it had come out of a well-known, green labelled jar. A confused and unamusing concoction if I ever saw one.

Starters came out quite quickly and I was glad I ordered the Yam Ped (grilled duck breast salad with roasted herbs, served with chicory petal).  Beautifully displayed, though I could see no chicory petal or roasted herbs (with the level of lighting in the restaurant this wasn't surprising). The dish packed a sour punch with a contrasting crunch from the tamarind dressing compared to the duck which was meltingly soft, if not pink enough for my taste.

Yam Ped

Just as I was finishing my dish was whisked away from me whilst my companions were still dining; maybe Bond Villain was becoming bored with our presence, or maybe the restaurant was filling up and us early diners were not welcome any more?

Mains followed swiftly, unlike the starters these weren't presented in any delicate manner - school dinner-esque as I think Birthday Girl mentioned. Whereas I was very satisfied with the Yam Ped, my dish of Pad Thai Khoong Sod - stir fried rice noodles with prawns and tamarind sauce - was lacklustre, under seasoned with tough prawns and greasy noodles.

Course Mate's Veg Thai Green Curry (Kheang Keiaw Waan Jay) was an overly hot dish with a watery sauce - indeed the heat seemed to make up for the lack of flavour and depth,  accompanied by awfully disappointing rice - claggy, cold and over done - I won't go on.

Pad Thai Khoong Sod

Token Boy's Nue Pad Nam Hey (Stir Fried Beef and Oyster Sauce) was best described as flabby. I've had better from the greasy chinese round the corner at the end of the night, when drunk, and after I've left it to go cold.

The only redeeming main was Birthday Girl's Chicken Karahi - succulent, aromatic, deep flavoured, wonderful.

Again plates were cleared from the table whilst most of the party were still eating. We asked the waiting staff to stop but they carried on until Birthday Girl very firmly asked them to stop (she can be quite firm!). We relaxed and thought this was the end of premature plate clearing, however Bond Villain’s minions once again swooped in even though three were still eating – at this point we’d been in the restaurant for a mere 35 minutes, hardly out-staying our welcome.

Pudding came out quickly and some who had not ordered before the meal asked if they could in fact order some now,  'you should have ordered at the beginning,' was the courteous answer. Thankfully they were saved the boredom of the puddings: the fruit salad was just fruit in a bowl and the mango cheesecake could have come out of a packet.

To sum up Vermilion it seems to be all looks and no substance - a place where people go to be seen rather than eat the food. Yes the restaurant was designed by Miguel Cancio Martins (Buddha Bar, Man Ray and Opium) and is described as ‘the most luxurious and opulent restaurant and bar in Manchester…(a) lavish hidden gem.’ But like the Wags of Manchester City and casino goers it seeks to attract it is nothing more than style over substance and I wish it would stay hidden.

Please visit this place if you really enjoy flashing cash to impress, spray tans, leopard print, cleavage on show coupled with short skirts, high prices and bookable pods that come with thudding music and Verve. If you enjoy good food, courteous service and substance then please stay away.

Pre-theatre early bird menu everyday between 5 and 7pm –

2 courses for £12

3 courses for £15

Described as ‘for those in a rush…luxury food, service and atmosphere before the theatre..’ Indeed rushed, but in now way luxury in any category.

NB - although which theatre you will be attending near to Sport City I have no idea, unless you believe football to be the theatre of the masses.

Value for money: 4/10

Atmosphere: 5/10

Service: 2/10

Food: 4/10

Total: 14/40

Vermilion and Cinnabar, Hulme Hall Lane/Lord Street North, Sport City, Manchester M40 8AD – 0161 225 0055

reservations@vermilioncinnabar.com

Tokyo Season - Manchester

Having become something of a Japanophile lately (mainly from copious amounts of comics and Mikado biscuits I have consumed) I was intrigued when the boy mentioned he had been recommended a Japanese restaurant on the edge of Manchester's china town.

The restaurant is non-discript from outside with a slightly garish sign, not the most welcoming. We entered and walked down into the basement, which is surprisingly light for a low level room. The restaurant is small and the tables somewhat basic and cramped, however we had the good sense to book ahead and were shown across the main dining area to the traditional japanese tables at the back. These had been updated for westerners so you don't have to kneel, but the effect is the same as your feet dangle down in to a carpeted well and look like you're sitting at a low table. These tables come with posher chopsticks (woo!) and traditional paper screens. (Wear good socks if dining this way as you have to take your shoes off).

At first the restaurant seemed dead, but by 7.30pm we were glad we had booked ahead as the place was chock full of Japanese - a good sign we thought.

For starters I ordered a miso soup, the boy and an ex-colleague had the sashimi rolls and our new friend went for the edamame.

The miso was miso; warm, salty and full of tofu and seaweed. The edamame were edamame, nothing special, but were clean tasting. To our consternation the sashimi rolls came out as salmon and smoked salmon, although the menu had said tuna. The boy was obviously disappointed at this, but this was made up by the inclusion of cucumber and pickled ginger in the centre, which added a great contrast in texture and fresh, zingy flavours (picture below).

As we had the taste for raw fish we ordered the Chef's Special Shashimi and Sushi 16 piece Platter to come out with the starters. This dish was presented traditionally as a selection of nigri, maki and gunkan, but disappointingly there was no sashimi as promised in the dish's title.

It was refreshing to be served a sushi platter that didn't pander to western tastes, with only one salmon nigri on the whole plate. There was a wonderful mix of seabass, spankingly fresh squid, flying fish roe, crab and others. The only disappointment came from the arctic clam which had definitely come from the arctic freezer and a soggy tuna mayo gunkan.

Mains followed swiftly and these consisted of the Tokyo Season Special Teppanyaki for the new friend, Unadon for ex-colleague, Beef Fillet Yakiudon for the boy and Sashimi Rice for myself.

The special teppanyaki was a mixed bag of various skewered things including very baby squid (they were tiny, it almost seemed a crime to eat them), prawns, beef and what we presumed was eel. Unfortunately the squid and the prawns were terribly overcooked, almost what I presume chewing tyre rubber is like. The beef was soft but unremarkable but the eel was very, very good. The poor cooking of the seafood was, however, saved by the delectable sauce everything had been cooked in.

Unadon was eel cooked in sauce over rice. The eel was brilliantly cooked in a lip-smacking sauce, the only downside being the skin on the eel. This maybe how it's eaten, but I personally like my eels skinned at the skin had gone a little sticky and gloopy.

Sashimi rice was as it said on the tin, sashimi on a bed of rice. Again the selection was varied and I was surprised at the inclusion of Sea Urchin, not at all western and somewhat a luxury for the price of £12.95. This was only marred by the obviously defrosted arctic clam that had reared it's ugly head in the chef's platter.

The boy's food came out much later than everyone else's (much to his dismay), if we had not been sharing everything I think we would have mentioned this to our server. The wait was almost worth it - the noodles in the dish were soft and unctuous, deeply filled with the flavour of the sauce and masses of them. The beef though wasn't that great, thin strips were presented in a way that looked like the beef you get from a second rate chinese takeaway - but for £9.50 and being tasty we weren't complaining.

Throughout the evening the service was charming without being over-bearing. We did occasionally have to wait for a server to notice us, but in a very busy restaurant this was understandable and we were always greeted with a bow, a smile and the utmost friendly charm I have ever come across.

Tokyo Season was a good night out with friends, it wasn't spectacular or mind-blowing, but for a  tasty mid-week meal it was fun and we were throughly looked after.

Cost for four including four starters, five mains and six beers cost £99.97.

Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Food: 6/10

Total: 27/40

Tokyo Season, 52 Portland Street, Manchester M1 4QU - 0161 236 7898
www.tokyoseason.com