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MichaelJM
MichaelJM
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5 out of 5
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A Little Bit of Japanese

  • August 14, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by MichaelJM from Nottingham, England
A Little Bit of Japanese

Samsi
Some time ago I’d been watching "Dragon’s Den" on TV (it’s a show where budding entrepreneurs try to get millionaires to buy into their business ventures) and a restaurateur, although she was unsuccessful in her presentation it turned out that she had a successful Japanese restaurant close to the City centre. With a bit of interrogation on the Internet I tracked down the place and walking past it on a horrendously rainy night I noticed that they did an "early bird meal deal" (Tuesday to Friday) from 6.00 ‘til 7.00. This deal seemed like a good way for me to test out Japanese food at a reasonable price.

It was a four-course meal for £10.95 starting off with Miso Soup with Spring Onions. I didn’t know what to expect and I was a bit surprised that the small bowl of soup was delivered to the table without a spoon in super quick time. I pondered a little while and then assumed that I needed to drink directly out of the bowl. No one gave me a strange look so I assumed that it was the "correct procedure." Mmm it was real tasty- a spicy bite to it although not enough to encourage beads of perspiration.

I took my time drinking the soup as it was piping hot and whilst savouring the taste checked out my dining environment. The busy waitresses decked out in their smart kimonos swept up and down the length of this log restaurant. There is certainly an eastern feel to the place and although the furnishing are western the wall hangings, ornaments and fitments certainly "spoke" Japanese" to me. Up a short flight of stairs was a classic Japanese dining area (or at least my idealised perception of how it should be) with low tables floor cushions and some exotic and colourful lighting. I’m sure the place had been subject to Feng Shui and pot plants and pebbles were strategically placed around the room.

After a decent wait my starter arrived I’d chosen chilli and ginger fired ribs from a choice of 4 pieces of sushi, smoked salmon and Avocado, chicken breast tempurn, amongst others. I had toyed with the idea of being real brave and going for the sushi but at the last minute "chickened out" and chosen the safer option. The portion was huge and this time I had no problem about the best way to devour them. Ribs are always a tactile affair and its a matter of getting in there with the fingers. I paused momentarily to ensure they were fingertip touchable. The first bite tickled the taste buds with its fiery taste and although reasonably mild I knew that chilli was present! They certainly hadn’t skimped on the quantity and I was soon sure that the quality was also sound. This was a fantastic starter and I was beginning to wonder if I’d manage all four courses. Well, not for too long as I was soon polishing off the final few ribs and enjoying the pint of Japanese beer that I’d ordered to accompany it. A good choice, I decided as it helped deal with the chilli! I guess I was surprised that I wasn’t provided with a finger bowl, but at least there were a couple of serviettes on the table to wipe my sticky fingers.

Again there was a nice delay before the next course arrived. I ‘d selected my main course from a selection of half a dozen and knowing little (or do I mean absolutely nothing about Japanese food) I opted for Tonkatsu pork in breadcrumbs with a bowl of sticky rice. I had not a clue what it would look and I guess the best description would be to liken it to a sliced escalope. Long breaded strips of tasty pork were initially a little difficult to manage with the provided chopsticks but I was determined not to succumb, as others had, to western cutlery. Soon I was handling the chops sticks with amazing dexterity and the tasty pork was being easily managed. Even the meagre portion of vegetables (cabbage and red peppers) was not escaping my efforts.

I managed the Sticky Rice with aplomb right down to the final grain. I’d thoroughly enjoyed my meal and as I supped the last drop of my beer the Japanese sweet arrived. It looked to be an apology of a pudding but to be honest my appetite was already fully sated so this was OK as a "taster". It was a small tartlet cut into quarters with a dash of ice cream and a bright pink piece of flavoured marshmallow. A Japanese mocha sweet was how it was billed on the menu and I was happy to take their word for it. This was perhaps the least inspirational part of the meal but I’d enjoyed the rest and although I polished off the sweet I have no lingering memory of its taste.

The meal at Samsi was superb and at just short of £15 for a meal and a pint of beer it constitutes excellent value. Get in nearly to enjoy this reduced price mal although I’m sure you wouldn’t be too disappointed if you were to pay the full price.

Well worth a visit.




From journal Summer Dining In Manchester

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