Around the World in 80 Meals! (part 2)

Chiquito

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "11) Chiquito - Viva las Fajitas!"

Chiquito Photo - Chiquito, Manchester, England

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Mexico - 27/02/09Friend and fellow IgoUgo member Colette was flying in for the weekend from Ireland so I arranged to meet her for lunch. Only having an hour we decided to go to Chiquito in the Printworks for a Mexican meal – not only was it near my office, but it also served a set price lunch menu. Moreover it was another step on my quest to travel Around the World in 80 Meals without leaving Manchester.The Printworks is precisely what it says – a former newspaper printing works on the corner of Corporation Street and Withy Grove, oppo...Read More

Mexico - 27/02/09

Friend and fellow IgoUgo member Colette was flying in for the weekend from Ireland so I arranged to meet her for lunch. Only having an hour we decided to go to Chiquito in the Printworks for a Mexican meal – not only was it near my office, but it also served a set price lunch menu. Moreover it was another step on my quest to travel Around the World in 80 Meals without leaving Manchester.

The Printworks is precisely what it says – a former newspaper printing works on the corner of Corporation Street and Withy Grove, opposite the Triangle and the Arndale Centre annex. It is just over eight years ago now that the big grey building was redeveloped as an entertainment complex. It now houses a collection of bars (Lloyds, Tiger Tiger, Henry J Beans, Waxy O'Connors, Norwegian Blue, Hard Rock Café), restaurants (Old Orleans, Wagamamas, Nandos, Café Rouge, Yum Yums), clubs (Opus, Pure) and an Odeon cinema. On weekend evenings it is a good place to hang out, particularly the interior courtyard, watching as the tipsy hen parties trip past.

Of course, there were no hen parties at 1pm on a Friday. Still, Chiquito was almost full – I think we were steered to the last free table. I knew that the menu promised beers (Mexican such as Corona and Dos Equis, or Spanish such as San Miguel or Estrella Damm) – and of course margaritas – as the last time I had visited a branch of Chiquito (in Southport) it had been an evening affair. However it wasn’t really appropriate to be drinking during my lunch hour, and we both went for soft drinks. You can order a ‘bottomless’ glass with unlimited refills for £2.45. This maybe wasn’t the wisest move considering our limited time, and we never had refills. Still, otherwise you can only get soft drinks by the 330ml bottle for £2.20 each, which is pretty expensive – the beers are only £2.95 each!

The lunch menu is available from noon to 5pm on weekdays. The offer is one course for £5.95, two courses for £7.25, and three for £8.45. Vegetarian options are prominently signified. Deciding for two courses I ordered Stuffed Pepper, followed by Chicken Fajitas; Colette ordered Loaded Potato Skins and a Meatball Sub.

When the potato skins were served, they looked to me like a bit of a paltry appetiser. They come stuffed with cheese and your choice of bacon, barbecued pork, vegetable or beef chilli, or a tomato / red onion / jalapeno mix. In contrast I got quite a hefty red pepper, stuffed with rice and enchilada sauce and topped with melted cheese. Both main courses were sizeable. Colette’s sub came with fries and posed the question of how to actually attack it – with fingers or with a knife and fork. The meatball sauce of tomato and chilli and the melted Monterey Jack cheese oozed everywhere. No such problem in deciding how to deal with my fajitas. Chiquito describe the dish as ’Our Famous Sizzling Fajitas’ - and with good reason. I ended up taking over half the table as I was brought warm flour tortillas on one plate, and then a wooden block with a sizzler plate as well. From the latter came a ferocious hissing and a cloud of steam. The strips of chicken and the sliced onions and peppers still fizzled on the iron plate – you could see that several other diners around the room had ordered the same thing as periodically wait staff emerged from the kitchens hissing and smoking like steam trains. Alongside came pots of fairly standard tomato salsa and cooling sour cream (both of which I used), and another of guacamole (which I didn’t). There were enough tortillas to fashion four fajitas, and they were as good as any I have had at a Mexican restaurant.

If I had a complaint to make it was that we had quite a long gap between our starter plates being collected and our main courses arriving. In fact it was quite hard to attract the attention of the wait staff at all. But as I say, the place was full, and I suppose most of the diners had the same time restrictions on them and needed to get back to work. I certainly didn’t see any of the staff idly standing around. And really it only took 70 minutes between arriving and leaving, after we had each paid a tenner to cover drinks and meal, so I can’t grumble too much. Chiquitos may be a chain, but that does mean that they have put together a tried-and-tested menu, and can offer these lunchtime deals.

(There are other branches of Chiquito at Capital Quay in Salford Quays, and at Parrswood between Didsbury and Stockport. Other Mexican restaurants that I can think of in Manchester are the long-running El Macho on Portland Street, and Barburrito in Piccadilly Gardens.) Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 28, 2009

Chiquito
2 The Printworks
Manchester, England M4 2BS
0161 830 1560

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Dalat

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Restaurant | "12) Dalat - North (enden) Vietnam"

Dalat Photo - Dalat, Manchester, England

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Vietnam - 03/03/09Imagine my delight to spot a Vietnamese restaurant in Northenden! It had been a while since I had headed south down Palatine Road from where I live. However I was in rehearsals for a play in Northenden, and coming straight from work I found I had arrived very early. It was then that I spotted a new restaurant. Its sign stated that it served Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Needing to take shelter from the rain and with 40 minutes to kill, I entered. Dalat could in no way be described as the largest restaurant in the world. Essentially the front room of a blocky retail unit it could only have space for 25 diners at a push. Decor ins...Read More

Vietnam - 03/03/09

Imagine my delight to spot a Vietnamese restaurant in Northenden!

It had been a while since I had headed south down Palatine Road from where I live. However I was in rehearsals for a play in Northenden, and coming straight from work I found I had arrived very early. It was then that I spotted a new restaurant. Its sign stated that it served Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Needing to take shelter from the rain and with 40 minutes to kill, I entered.

Dalat could in no way be described as the largest restaurant in the world. Essentially the front room of a blocky retail unit it could only have space for 25 diners at a push. Decor inside is functional. Behind the bar there was a little Buddhist shrine however. Plinky-plonky gamelan-style music played. At first I thought "Ooh, how atmospheric". This soon turned to "Hmm, how annoying!".

As a 'Thai and Viet' restaurant, the menu is mostly Thai. It ranges from starters (eg Thai Dimsum or Chicken Satay, £3.95), through Tom Yum and Tom Kha soups (£3.95), curries all the colours of the traffic lights (£4.95), stir-fries and noodle dishes like Phad Thai (£4.95), up to meals based around duck, rib-eye steak, squid or seabass (£8.95). For the majority of meals (eg curries, noodles and stir-fries) you have the option of having it made with chicken, beef, pork or beancurd - or for £1.00 extra, with prawn. Including starters there were some 50 Thai dishes on offer.

In comparison there were only seven Vietnamese dishes on the menu. However, that was seven more than I had seen anywhere else. A pot of green tea appeared for me, as did some prawn crackers while I chose. There were two types of spring roll (Cha Nem and Bo Bia) for £3.95. The other dishes were £4.95 - Mi Xao Hai San (seafood noodles), Goi Du Du (papaya, prawn, pork & peanuts), Bun Cha Nem Thit Nuong (barbecue pork with noodles), and Nem Nuong (pork, fish & prawns with salad). But the most characteristic Vietnamese dish that I knew of (and which the waitress suggested I have if I wanted an introduction to Vietnamese food) was the famous soup Pho. Given the choice of either beef or chicken I opted for the former, and waited.

I didn't have to wait long. I had been concerned that a mere bowl of soup would not fill me up; the waitress had told me not to worry. I shouldn't have. A large bowl was produced, heaped high with noodles. These were topped with sliced sping onions, shreds of lemongrass, crisp-fried onions, and numerous thin slices of beef. In all it looked a lot bigger than was expecting for £4.95. It came with chopsticks and a wooden ladle for eating. And for seasoning there came a slice of lemon, a bowl of crushed and dried chili peppers, and a bottle of glutinous Vietnamese chili sauce. Now I quite like spicy food, but I soon found that with this sauce a little certainly went a long way! Combined with the piping hot broth it proved to be the perfect antidote to a cold and drizzly evening

As I slurped away at my soup, alternating with cups of the sharp green tea, a sort of zen came upon me. I retreated into my own little world where the plinky-plonky music combined with the hypnotic sound of car tyres slicing through the dark rain-slick streets of south Manchester to bring a little moment of peace to me. I came too with a start when I hit the bottom of the bowl. I loked up. The Buddha behind the bar was smiling at me.

The total bill came to around £7.00 - eminently reasonable. As this is the only Vietnamese restaurant I know of in Manchester (though I saw loads while down in London in February) - and as it is almost next door to one of the drama societies I frequent - I feel it is quite likely that I will return and try some more of their Vietnamese dishes. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 28, 2009

Dalat
Hatro House, 401 Palatine Rd
Manchester, England M22 4JS
0161 945 4624

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Marmara

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Restaurant | "13) Marmara - Unlucky Thirteen"

Self-Catering in Marmara Photo - Marmara, Manchester, England

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Iraq - 05/03/09The Around The World In 80 Meals quest had to crash and burn at some point. Who would have thought it would occur on meal number thirteen? I had been desparate to track down a Moroccan restaurant in Manchester. Of all the countires I have been to Morocco was without a doubt the country where I consistently ate the best. When a friend advised me that they believed Marmara in Rusholme was Moroccan I had no hesitation in insisting that we make that our next visit. To quote Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca: "I was misinformed". While a quick scan of reviews on the internet brings up references to Marmara being Moroccan and serving good food, it...Read More

Member Rating 1 out of 5 on March 28, 2009

Marmara
501 Claremont Road, Rusholme
Manchester, England M14 5WU
0161 249 3943

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Coriander

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Restaurant | "14) Coriander - The Healthy Herb"

Traffic Lights Photo - Coriander, Manchester, England

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Bangladesh - 09/03/09Apparently, in Bangladesh coriander grows widely. It is thought to have specific health-giving properties: to protect against nervous complaints in general and against hepatitis A in particular. If Coriander the herb is both Bangladeshi and healthy, the same too must be said of Coriander the restaurant. Coriander is some way south of the centre of Chorlton along Barlow Moor Road, opposite Southern Cemetary, though there is plenty of parking space outside. It seems an unfancy place with a white stucco frontage. The pink dining area inside is not the largest in the world, with space for maybe 30 covers. A couple of tables were occupied when we a...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 28, 2009

Coriander
279 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton
Manchester, England M21 7GH
0161 881 7750

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Waxy O'Connor's

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Restaurant | "15) Waxy O'Connors - St. Guinness's Day"

St. Patrick's Night 2009 Photo - Waxy O'Connor's, Manchester, England

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Ireland - 17/03/09I read once that one third of the population of Manchester was of Irish descent. As someone called Liam whose Grandad Paddy hailed from Templeogue I can believe it. And they were all out for the craic on St Patrick's Night. Leaving work at 5pm I only had a small slot within which to bag an Irish meal as I had to be elsewhere for a play rehearsal by 7.30. Thankfully there is an Irish pub a few doors down from the office in the Printworks entertainment complex, so I headed to Waxy O'Connor's. It was heaving. Partularly for a Tuesday. I've only ever seen pubs this busy at 5 on weekdays on Fridays in Summer, or when there's a world cup on. But...Read More

Ireland - 17/03/09

I read once that one third of the population of Manchester was of Irish descent. As someone called Liam whose Grandad Paddy hailed from Templeogue I can believe it. And they were all out for the craic on St Patrick's Night.

Leaving work at 5pm I only had a small slot within which to bag an Irish meal as I had to be elsewhere for a play rehearsal by 7.30. Thankfully there is an Irish pub a few doors down from the office in the Printworks entertainment complex, so I headed to Waxy O'Connor's. It was heaving. Partularly for a Tuesday. I've only ever seen pubs this busy at 5 on weekdays on Fridays in Summer, or when there's a world cup on. But it was already three deep at both bars in this cavernous pub.

I've commented before on my dislike of fake Irish pubs. I feel that pubs should evolve their own character naturally and be a reflection of the regular customers, rather than get a pre-packed identity in a box sent from St James's Gate. The actual pubs you find in Ireland are wonderful and quirky - they don't feel the need to stress their 'Irishness'. It is the same with pubs patronised by Irish expats in the UK. A good example would be The Albert in Withington. It's a microscopic place with gaelic football showing on the TV. On Friday night a tiny man sits in the corner in a bootlace tie and accompanies himself on tin whistle and Bon Tempi keyboard to The Fields Of Athenrae. It's just an old 19th century pub that has evolved naturally over time into an Irish bar.

Having said that, I don't really mind Waxy's. For starters, its decor is so over-the-top there is no way it could have come from a kit. Taking up a vast space in a former newspaper printworks it rambles over at least three floors, connected by winding wooden staircases that never end up where you expect them to. Two helix around themselves (and a tree!) to connect the main levels. Entering from within the Printworks Courtyard you are on the middle floor. There is a bar right in front of you (before it to your right is a door and another staircase; this leads up to a gallery with sofas and a pulpit looking over the rest of the pub. No one ever seems to know about it and so it is the quietest and comfiest location in the place). Down the main stairs is the main bar. The place has a definite 'ecclesiastical' theme, with rich wooden beams and bars, and narrow seats like choir stalls.

On St Patrick's Day both bars were heaving with people. So was a smaller auxiliary bar they had set up in the Printworks courtyard to sell Guinness. They generally have a range of Irish beers on, from Guinness to Harp to Caffreys. I got a Guinness (served for today in a plastic glass) and the menu. This revealed that today was actually a bad time to visit Waxy's. The menu at Waxy's is usually wonderful - a lot of choice, and quite palpably Irish. You can have Irish Stew, Rossmore Oysters by the half-dozen (£7.80), a crock of Irish mussels (£8.20), Donegal salmon, onion rings in a Caffrey's batter, steak with a Jameson's whisky glaze, or the all-day Irish breakfast (sausage, black pudding, white pudding, bacon, mushroom, potato cake, tomato, poached egg and soda bread - £7.00). Generally I just go for the 4-oz steak sandwich for £7.00. However on this night the menu had been stripped back to just six options, obviously just to deal with the number of customers they were expecting, most of which were actually just generic pub fayre.

I ordered a bowl of Irish Stew for £4.50 and sat out in the Printworks’ covered courtyard. A stage was being set up for a band to play later on that evening. The stew was not long in coming – clearly they had big pots ready to dole out. It was lean lumps of ham, alongside cubes of carrot and swede. Obviously it contained potato, but whole new potatoes rather than the cubes I would have expected. The broth was flavoured with thyme. It came with two slices of soda bread and a pot of butter. To be honest I would have preferred just normal bread. Also, the butter was straight out of the fridge, and trying to spread it caused the soda bread to shred and disintegrate.

To be fair, for £4.50 the stew wasn’t bad. I was just a bit upset that the usual menu was not on offer tonight – I was looking forward to finally trying the mussels. So this was not really a typical night to rate Waxy’s. Also, because I was there early, before the entertainment had set up I shouldn’t really compare it to the fabulously rocking St Patrick’s Night I had enjoyed the previous year in Siena of all places. Particularly not as Siena has only the one Irish pub, whereas Manchester has several – others I could mention are O’Sheas on Whitworth Street, Mulligans just off Deansgate, O’Neills on Wilmslow Road in East Didsbury, or Celtic Tiger on Mauldeth Road. And there are plenty of Irish social clubs around. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 28, 2009

Waxy O'Connor's
The Printworks, 27 Withy Grove
Manchester, England M4 2BS
0161 835 1210

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Habesha

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "16) Habesha - Haile Unusual"

Ethiopia Tops Turkey Photo - Habesha, Manchester, England

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Ethiopia - 23/03/09At Habesha they really know what's what. And what's wot... This Ethiopian restaurant is a real find. Located on the corner of Sackville Street and Richmond Street in the Village (actually only one street over from Canal Street) you might miss Habesha as first glance. It is located on the first floor over Istanbul Grill (hmm, there's Turkey for me right there...). You actually have to enter Istanbul Grill by a separate door, from where a caged-off spiral staircase leads up to what could quite well be another world. Where the downstairs takeaway is white-tiled and brightly lit, Habesha is dark and atmospheric with artworks on its moody dark...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 28, 2009

Habesha
29-31 Sackville Street
Manchester, England M1 3NZ
0161 228 7396

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Horus

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Restaurant | "17) Horus - Pyramiddle-Eastern"

Horus Photo - Horus, Manchester, England

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30/03/09 - EgyptEgypt has never really been particularly noted for its food. I once heard a theory that in the Arabic lands around the Mediterranean the best food will be found at the extremities, in Lebanon and Morocco, with the quality getting worse as you near the mid-point of the crescent. Which is pretty much where Egypt is located. Now, personally I did not have a problem with the cuisine when I visited Egypt for a fortnight, where food I ate ranged from fish from Lake Nasser or the Red Sea, Cairene kebabs...Read More

30/03/09 - Egypt

Egypt has never really been particularly noted for its food. I once heard a theory that in the Arabic lands around the Mediterranean the best food will be found at the extremities, in Lebanon and Morocco, with the quality getting worse as you near the mid-point of the crescent. Which is pretty much where Egypt is located. Now, personally I did not have a problem with the cuisine when I visited Egypt for a fortnight, where food I ate ranged from fish from Lake Nasser or the Red Sea, Cairene kebabs and koshary, Nubian cuisine in Aswan or chicken and beans cooked on a small stove as I drifted down the Nile on a felucca.

But because of this reputation I was pretty sure that I would not be able to find an Egyptian restaurant in Manchester. And then one opened up a street away from my house!

So after our enjoyment of Ethiopian cuisine the week before, it seemed only appropriate that Paul and I continued our intrepid exploration north up the Nile valley...

Now, to be honest, the menu at Horus is not dramatically Egyptian. Its sign declares it to be a ‘Mediterranean restaurant’. Food on offer runs the entire gamut from kebabs to burgers, panini to pizzas to jacket potatoes. And in conversation I discovered that the proprieteress, Huda, hails from Beirut. But the exterior is decorated with the Eye of Horus and images of Egyptian gods – Anubis, Thoth and Sobek as well as the eponymous falcon-headed hero. Inside the walls are hung with papyrus, illustrated with pharoahs, hieroglyphs, and the Meidum geese. And there are one or two distinctly Egyptian touches on the menu.

With Horus being a new arrival, the place is still perfectly pristine and shiny inside. This place is a cut above the usual side-street kebab house. For a start it keeps restaurant hours (11am-11pm) rather than catering for the late night post-pub-and-club crowd. (Which is actually a bit of a shame as Withington is bereft of a good late night kebabery, and it is something I have been definitely missing since I moved from Rusholme). Both Paul and I ordered chicken kebabs (£3.80 each), but we fancied something while we waited, and dips were just what the doctor ordered. Huda cautioned against anything too weighty, and so we were guided by her suggestions. The dish I was determined to order was Foul Medamas, which I had enjoyed in Egypt and knew as an authentically Egyptian dish. This was a plate of mashed kidney beans in a tomato-ey sauce, served warm. Think a less spicy chilli sin carne without the peppers. As someone who is not generally a big lover of beans, it says something that I not only insisted we ordered this, but also took real enjoyment in scoffing more than my share. To compliment it we ordered Baba Ghannouj, a cold smoky-tasting paste of aubergine, tahina and garlic. Each cost £2.00, and were brought to our table with big pieces of Lebanese flatbread to dip and scoop with. We had drinks at the same time. Paul had mint tea (from a teabag, not a pot, and more powerfully minty than he was expecting). I had noticed hibiscus on the menu. I had enjoyed this cooling pink cordial in Egypt, but it turned out they were out. In its place I ordered a glass of mango and guava juice; this turned out to just be a can of fizzy Rubicon pop.

The kebabs were well-presented. Chunks of grilled chicken on more Lebanese bread, alongside salad. The salad was not the most inspiring – lettuce and onion. And I’m not sure how authentically Egyptian (or even Mediterranean) the chicken was – is was red with tikka spices which had been dry-rubbed into the meat prior to cooking. Don’t get me wrong, the tikka chicken was nice, not just what I expected. Alongside we were served two saucers, one of what I originally thought was yogurt but proved to be mayonnaise (!), and another of chilli sauce. At first glance it looked and smelled like plain tomato ketchup mixed with dried chilli, but it did have a bit more fire to it than we at first suspected.

Huda came over to check how we were getting on. Paul found himself getting full. She promptly reappeared with a take-away tray so that he could take the remainder of his kebab away with him as a doggy-bag. She told us of the plans she has for Horus. The decoration is not complete yet. She wants to organise Arabic music nights on Fridays. And she plans to extend the menu. I asked whether she would be planning to add koshary. Eyes gleaming, she said that yes she would, she makes very good koshary. In the meantime, next time she was making it for herself she would let me know and I could come along and share it with her! It was this sort of enthusiasm and welcome that makes me think that Horus could be a very good new addition to Withington! Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on April 5, 2009

Horus
19 Copson Street, Withington
Manchester, England M20 3HE
+44 161 434 4999

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Gaucho

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Restaurant | "18) Gaucho - Red, Red Wine & Red, Red Meat"

Gaucho Heaven Photo - Gaucho, Manchester, England

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Argentina - 08/04/09When I started my Around the World in 80 Meals challenge, one of the restaurants I was most looking forward to visiting was Gaucho. And I have to say, that having now eaten there, I am not disappointed!Gaucho is, as you might expect, an Argentinian restaurant. But whereas, say, the Brazilian restaurant Tropeiro plays up its Brazilian heritage with frescos, objets d’art and stylized uniforms for the wait staff, Gaucho keeps the Argentinian influence to its menu and wine list alone. Visually, the restaurant is very ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 10, 2009

Gaucho
2a St Mary's Street Deansgate
Manchester, England M3 2LB
+44 161 833 4333

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Kro 2

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Attraction | "19) Kro2 - Great Danes"

A Danish Feast Photo - Kro 2, Manchester, England

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Denmark - 14/04/09Manchester took legendary Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel (still one of only a handful of players to have turned out for both United and City) to its heart. In much the same way it has embraced the KroBar chain of Danish hostelries.At first glance you might think that ’KroBar’ is just a bad pun for the name of a bar (as with Baa Bar, Sand Bar, or Bar Code). However kro in Danish means ‘inn’, so it is a double edged name. From its original location opposite the University of Manchester Student’s Union on Oxford Road it has expanded up to Kro2 by the BBC building, and Kro Piccadilly in the centre of town, and a catering arm. What I didn’t...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 18, 2009

Kro 2
Oxford Building, Oxford Road
Manchester, England M1 7ED
+44 161 236 1048

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The Bar

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Attraction | "20) The Bar - Chorlton's Bread & Buddha"

Tibetan Fridays Photo - Manchester, England

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Tibet - 17/04/09When I mentioned at work that I would be going out for a Tibetan meal everyone wanted to know where on earth I had managed to find Tibetan food in Manchester. And when I replied "Chorlton" they shrugged and said "Oh yeah, that figures". Chorlton has improved a lot since I used to travel down Wilbraham Road on the bus to school. Then it was a bit of a groggy area. Now it has become a trendy, folky, bohemian suburb, a bit more of a rough-around-the-edges Didsbury, with bars for every different subculture. Apparently there are no less than four different Buddhist centres in Chorlton. And there was once famously a lovely bit of non-confrontational I’m-...Read More

Tibet - 17/04/09

When I mentioned at work that I would be going out for a Tibetan meal everyone wanted to know where on earth I had managed to find Tibetan food in Manchester. And when I replied "Chorlton" they shrugged and said "Oh yeah, that figures".

Chorlton has improved a lot since I used to travel down Wilbraham Road on the bus to school. Then it was a bit of a groggy area. Now it has become a trendy, folky, bohemian suburb, a bit more of a rough-around-the-edges Didsbury, with bars for every different subculture. Apparently there are no less than four different Buddhist centres in Chorlton. And there was once famously a lovely bit of non-confrontational I’m-okay-you’re-okay graffiti in Chorlton reading "C’mon – free Tibet" (even Chorlton graffiti is grammatically correct in terms of punctuation). So where better to go for Tibetan food?

The Bar is not a themed Tibetan restaurant. It is just what it says, one of a number of drinking establishments along Wilbraham Road. There are three bars with wooden porches next to each other opposite Morrisons supermarket. The Bar is the easternmost of them. And on a previous visit I had noticed a chalkboard announcing that they hosted ‘Sonam’s Tibetan Fridays’, when Tibetan dishes would be added to their menu. When Paul and I arrived the place was already busy – cool kids congregated outside in the evening sun, drinkers queued at the bar, and more than a few people inside were eating. And though the man before me at the bar was ordering burgers, the Tibetan dishes seemed to be quite popular. There are only three dishes on the Tibetan menu, priced at £6.00 each – Shasha (sesame chicken), Shatak (capsicum beef), and Shokhog (fried potato and pak choi). At first we did think of ordering one of each to share. However, looking at other peoples’ plates, the dishes seemed to be of a fairly substantial size, so we just went for one each, Paul for the shokhog, and me for the shatak. We were informed that there would be a 45 minute wait. That was quite alright. The menu did point out that food was freshly made so "the chef appreciates your patience", and it was understandable given the crowds. Plus, we had managed to find a table in a corner with some armchairs, so we were happy to get a drink and wait. And no, there were no Tibetan beers on offer. But there was a range of Belgian beers and also three real ales on tap. Paul ordered a Cumberland Ale (3.5%), and I went for a Black Bee (4%), a honey porter of a very very dark plum hue with the honey giving it just a little bit of sweetness.

As it turned out, we did not have to wait the full 45 minutes before our meals were delivered. My shatak was strips of beef fried up with peppers, onions and one or two rogue mushrooms. The meat was good quality and had a little bit of chilli heat to hit the back of an unwary throat. To be honest, it was not dramatically different from something I could have expected to be served in a Chinese or Indian restaurant – perhaps not surprisingly considering Tibet’s geographical location. Paul’s shokhog were slices of pan-fried potato with pak choi (Chinese leaf) with a subtler overall taste. Both were accompanied by egg fried rice and Tibetan bread. This proved to be a yellow knot of dense spongy dough, unrisen. To eat one tore off strips. A chilli and garlic paste topped it. It was certainly an unusual addition to the meal!

Both dishes were good. From the couple of tastes I had I think I preferred Paul’s potato dish. But one has to wonder about a beef dish and a potato dish being equally priced at £6.00 each. My instinctive thought was that the shokhog was over-priced. Paul pointed out that the shatak may equally well have been underpriced. After all, in a curry house one would probably be paying around £6.00 for a meat main course, with extra for rice and a bread something (naan, paratha, chapatti etc).

So: The Bar. A lively atmosphere, a good range of interesting drinks, and some unusual Tibetan food. All in all, very Chorlton.
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on April 18, 2009

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