I was very lucky to get invited to an exclusive dinner at Ibérica Manchester showcasing their new spring menu. And even better Nacho Manzano, Executive Chef for the all the Ibérica restaurants would be cooking!
The man himself – Nacho Manzano (in the middle)
Clearly I didn’t read the invitation properly, I thought it would be a couple of hours of standing at a buffet nibbling on lovely tapas.
Nope, nope, nope. It was four hours long and a proper posh sit down dinner of five courses. Maybe the clue was in the description ‘exclusive dinner’?! Well, I certainly wasn’t complaining.
Dish after delicious dish came out accompanied with exquisite wine. Each offering colourful and curious and obviously, tasty. In total I counted that we’d been served 14 dishes and we also got involved when the pescatarian on our table got fish dishes instead of meat.
Cod brandadaWarm lentil saladA nice waiter gamely posing for a photoGR 174 Red Wine
Ibérica is a beautiful, classy and colourful venue – the staff were energetic, helpful and fun – and there was a buzz to the whole evening.
My favourite dish unexpectedy was a pear and spinach salad with feta, pine nuts and pesto. INCREDIBLE. My other top dish was the chargrilled octopus brought out for the pescatarian (he didn’t get much of a look in as we all piled in to try it). It tasted like a juicy steak.
Pear and spinach salad
If you get the chance do go and eat at Ibérica – it’s a glamourous fun night out and the food is awesome. And make sure you check out the ladies toilets – they are apparently the most Instagrammable in Manchester I’m still kicking myself for not taking my phone to the loo…
Wreckfish in Liverpool opened a few weeks ago. I was already a fan of Gary Usher’s other three restaurants Hispi, Burnt Truffle and Sticky Walnut, so I made sure to book in quick at Wreckfish.
What these restaurants do well is high end, interesting food at really affordable prices in simple, attractive contemporary venues.
Wreckfish is in a lovely old building in the centre of Liverpool, inside there’s lots of exposed brick and it has a cool industrial feel. It’s really classy.
I went for crispy lamb’s tongue with pear puree and roasted peanuts for starter, and I attempted to balance out my meat consumption by having a vegetarian main of roasted turnip cakes and I finished with a dark chocolate and blackberry mousse for pudding.
The crispy lamb’s tongue was spot on, deliciously cooked and I loved the peanuts and puree that went with it.
I was less keen on the turnip cakes. It was a bit of a non dish, nothing wrong with it, but it was just a bit bland and more like a side dish. To the restaurant’s credit, they were very eager to hear our thoughts on the food and relayed back to the chef that I was disappointed with my main.
Jamie’s main, which was a roast beef dinner, was absolutely glorious though (see feature photo). I got very involved in helping him eat his dinner having lost interest in mine. I can honestly say it’s one of the best roasts I’ve ever eaten.
And I ended on a high as I was very pleased with my dark chocolate and blackberry mousse – just a very fresh and tasty pud!
All in all, I think it’s a brilliant restaurant, the staff were lovely, and the food (bar the turnip cake) was exceptional and great value for money.
Crispy lambs tongueTurnip cakeDark chocolate and blackberry mousse
It was Saturday, and we were heading into town to watch a 6pm film at Home, and fancied a light dinner out beforehand.
After a bit of a sniff about on Tripadvisor, we decided on the Northern Quarter Restaurant and Bar. Partly because we’ve both been before and loved it, but also because they have a brilliant Express Menu – 2 courses for £14.95 or 3 courses for £18.95.
4.15pm is an early dinner, but it meant that it was quite a calm, quiet time in the restaurant, which is always rather nice on a busy Saturday in town.
We only went for two courses. Much as I would have liked a pudding, I was fixated on having a tub of ice-cream at the cinema, so held off.
Jamie had a pale ale rarebit with Goosnargh duck egg and I chose Brixham crab cakes. Both were delicious and the presentation was lovely too.
Pale ale rarebit with Goosnargh duck eggBrixham crab cakes
And for mains, I decided to go carb-less with a flat iron steak and a salad and Jamie chose Goan chicken, Asian slaw and chips. I’m not a massive red meat eater, but the steak was a triumph – very melty and tasty. Obviously I had to test Jamie’s chicken too, which was succulent and full of flavour.
Flat iron steakGoan chicken
All in all it was great value for money and a lovely way to spend a wet and windy Saturday afternoon. The venue is really chilled, unpretentious and classy and I love the large glass windows which look onto the old Smithfield fish markets. I don’t go back to many restaurants, because I always like to be finding new spots to write about, but this place is worth breaking that rule for.
I’d heard so many amazing things about Umezushi, I just thought it would be nice to pop in and have a light lunch on a Saturday. However, Jamie got giddy and decided we should get the tasting menu. I wasn’t going to argue.
This was the tasting menu:
Miso Soup
Sashimi
Nigiri
Grilled dish
Simmered dish
Dessert
Served with Japanese wine or sake.
We passed a lovely couple of hours munching our way through this lot. I had the Japanese white wine, which was light and appley and very nice. And all the sashimi and nigiri was sublime, really fresh and beautifully presented. The grilled fish was mackerel and again was just exquisite. And our final savoury dish was the ‘steamed fish’ which was another soup, this time with sea snail in! Very delicious. Pudding was sake infused pineapple with a dollop of ice-cream.
The whole thing was a really relaxing, intriguing experience. And I really liked the vibe in Umezushi – a tiny wooden interior that seats about 20 people, under a railway arch near Victoria – it felt quirky and cool. And I loved that the toilet has a Japanese cityscape wallpapered all over the walls. Oh yes, and the staff were very attentive and sweet too.
Miso soupSashimiNigiriGrilled mackerelSea snail soupSake infused pineapple and ice-cream
I know very little about Sale in Manchester, and it certainly wasn’t on my culinary radar. The neighbouring town of Altrincham is absolutely chokka block with great restaurants, but I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of a single restaurant in Sale.
That all changed when I was asked to do some photography for a lovely Bistro called Chez Nous on Marsland Road. After a tremendously enjoyable afternoon snapping (and tasting) all sorts of dishes from black pudding bon bons to deep fried crab, my friend Jennie and I were ready for a sit down and a proper dinner.
Chez Nous is an elegant restaurant, but still very cosy and welcoming. The exposed brick walls and the black and white photos of Sale in the 50s are a nice touch. And even though I’d spent the afternoon working there, as soon as dinner time arrived I embraced the role of being a guest in an atmospheric and pretty restaurant.
Chez Nous
Jennie and I decided we might as well go the whole hog and order three courses. So I went for deep fried Panko king prawnfor starters, seared fillet of sea bass withAsian vermicelli and bok choi for main and a greedy sticky toffee pudding for afters.
Deep fried Panko king prawnSea bass and Asian vermicelli
All of it was top notch. I really enjoyed the breadcrumbed prawns, which were fresh and crunchy, although I did wolf those down, so unfortunately I didn’t really reflect on the flavour, other than yum! The sea bass was perfectly cooked and the sweet and sour vermicelli was a lovely accompaniment. Finally the pudding – I think the photo of the sticky toffee pudding below speaks for itself. Moist and creamy and gorgeous, it tasted as good as it looked.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Apart from the delicious food, I just thought the staff serving us were brilliant – personable, fun and friendly and very attentive. I couldn’t have asked for more.
I’ve been hearing rave reviews about the White Hart in Saddleworth for a couple of years now, and have been meaning to for a long time.
The fact that they sell excellent food and are located in the beautiful Saddleworth countryside were two strong incentives for me. And finally this weekend I got my a**e in gear and booked a table.
Both Jamie and I were in a bit of a sorry, lethargic state today (a super busy week knocked us out!), so we weren’t wildly energetic when we rocked up at the White Hart.
However we very quickly perked up on arrival which is the mark of a good restaurant for me – if it can transport your mood they are doing something right.
I was impressed instantly with the attentive service and started greedily noting the delicious looking food on other customers plates!
Jamie and I unfortunately and unusually didn’t have the appetite for a full Sunday roast, so we opted for open sandwiches.
For Jamie: chargrilled free range chicken, dry cured smoked bacon, mayonnaise, basil, mango
And a portion of duck fat fries to share.
And we were delighted with our meal! Both sandwiches were beautifully presented on chic white plates with a little rim.
You can go to a pub and order a really lovely sandwich, but these were sandwiches taken to another level, using the finest ingredients and brilliantly executed. So simple but so good. My egg yolk was just the right gooeyness, and the salad leaves were perfectly crisp and fresh, the duck fat chips were crunchy and light, the mango sauce with chicken was lovely and tart. We were very happy customers.
And the absolute mark of success was that we were very quickly planning a return visit to enjoy the full roast, which judging by the other diners plate was an absolute feast!
Rump steak sandwich, mustard mayonnaise, caramelised onions, fried hens eggThe chargrilled free range chicken, dry cured smoked bacon, mayonnaise, basil, mango put a big smile on Jamie’s tired face!
I knew the writing course I’d signed myself up to would be good. The description of the workshop seduced me on the spot.
Five days of scoffing french food; a truffle hunt; local food market and winery visits; accommodation in a renovated 16th century mansion – now a hotel, and I would be taught by two accomplished food writers. Everything about the course screamed out to me – food is an art form in France and I was desperate to immerse myself in their food culture.
Over the course of the trip I rammed smelly cheeses, light wines, sweet radishes, quiches and saucisson down my gullet. And let’s not forget the superb patisserie. There was very little that passed my lips that wasn’t exquisitely fresh and locally sourced. And eating was always delightfully social. Long breakfasts around the fire in the morning, chatty picnic lunches between classes, brilliant nights out in local restaurants. The whirlwind of gorgeous meals and the French reverence towards eating that went with it cultivated the perfect environment to learn the craft of food writing.
For all of us the truffle hunt was a huge highlight. Which had a lot more to do with the the handsome and energetic truffle hunter Louis Houette than his descriptions of the complex ecosystems of truffle farming.
Louis the truffle hunter
Next in the hierarchy list of interest on this trip were the excitable piggies Speedy and Gonzales – Louis discovered he couldn’t actually use them for truffle hunting because although they’d find the truffles, they would just eat them. So he decided to keep them as pets/tourist attractions.
Speedy the pig
Following on from the piggies here’s the order of my remaining truffle hunt highlights:
Louis’ Border Collie, Touk Touk – the true truffle hunter – a wildly affectionate and obedient dog who can sniff out truffles from 50 metres away.
The two inquisisitive and friendly horses on the farm who nearly knocked me over in their enthusiasm to get to know me.
The magical truffle butter and baguette we sampled at the end – what a creamy heady buttery hit that was.
And lastly the elegant Houette family chateau that we nosed around while eating our buttered treats.
Butter and shaved truffle on baguetteThe Houette family home – I have chateau envy
On another day we were sent out with notepads to Chinon’s food market. We were to observe and jot down what we saw – colours, shapes, sounds, movements, people and events. I have never approached writing like this. For me my writing process involves a rambling memory based effort, so I rather liked having to tune in and focus all my senses on this experience.
And after two hours of lots of listening, watching and scribbling, I returned icy toed and numb fingered to Hotel Diderot to share my writing with the group and to eat an enormous picnic of our joint purchases. 14 people sharing local cheese, sausages, breads, fruit, salads, rottiserie chicken and patisserie creates a spectacular spread. If only I could lunch like that every day!
On the Winery visit we were yet again dazzled by a sexy french man. Sebastian (below) runs Chateau du Petit Thouars with his father. He was literally bouncing with enthusiasm and humour. Just like our truffle tour, I found myself rather more interested in Sebastian himself than his talk of appellation and soil composition. The outing was completed with a wine tasting and pot eu feu (beef stew) and tarte au verginon (apple tart with wine jelly) for lunch – the experience made all the more interesting by Sebastian’s flamboyant hosting style. The six wines were delicate and delicious – the most popular being an 8 euro cremant – a sparkling wine that tastes just like champagne. My workshop buddies stocked up while I cursed myself for flying with hand luggage only.
Sexy Sebastian – I didn’t really listen to anything educational he said but his enthusiasm and humour were infectiousSebastian’s chateau – he lives in this enormous chateau with his wife, two kids and his dad!La tarte au vigneron – made with jellied wine, this tastes quite like a boozy trifle but with a delicate crispy pastry bottom
My time in France was such an adventure. If only all learning could be so hedonistic. The interesting activities, delicious food and the nurturing and safe environment created by the teachers Dianne Jacob and Jamie Schler enabled us all to learn with ease and excitement. I’ve come back to England inspired. I feel focussed and confident about how to improve my writing. And the passion and intelligence of the French food artisans we met and the quality of the food that they produced has made me very sure that I need to discover and blog about people making great food in my area.
After a busy, knackering week I fancied a really peaceful, calming Sunday, which is why we chose to go to Hanging Gate in the hills near Macclesfield. The scenery is stunning and the views from the pub are tremendous. And I’d heard very good things about the food.
Stunning views of the hills
Sunday lunch absolutely lived up to expectation – I ordered haddock with new potatoes and Jamie went for a roast dinner of aged rib of beef. Both dishes were excellent, fresh tasting and just very good quality.
Baked haddock and new potatoesAged rib of beef
But it was the pudding that really got me! A blueberry, lemon and white chocolate rice pudding with honeycomb. Jamie and I regrettably ordered to share. When it arrived I wanted it all. It basically tasted like rice pudding and lemon curd – tart, warm and comforting with the honeycomb adding crunch and excitement.
Blueberry Rice Pudding
I’m definitely coming back to the Hanging Gate in Spring for an evening meal – I can’t wait to see the sunset from their terrace. Everything about our experience today was top notch – the staff were lovely, the food was great and you can’t beat those views.
The food was absolutely superb – high end and imaginatively put together. And great value at £18 for two courses or £22 for three. The venue is stylish and vibrant (although a little on the cramped side) and the staff were friendly, fast and attentive.
And that’s all from me. I’m just going to let the pictures talk for themselves.
And trust me it all tasted as good as it looks. Contemporary fine dining of such high quality so reasonably priced is a find.
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Yesterday I ate one of the best meals of my life at Where The Light Gets In. But the food was only one factor within that tremendous experience. Thank you for the education in experiencing food and dining in a completely new way Sam Buckley!
From the minute we walked in it felt different and special. The space is beautiful – it’s been both an old coffee storage warehouse and a 1930’s dance hall. It gave Jamie and I instant aspirations to own a massive loft apartment. Shove our Victorian semi – we want to go minimalist, high ceiling-ed, big windowed urban loft! Total furniture and utensil envy too. All the chairs were original Ercol and had been sourced from across the country. And the glasses, decanters, ceramics, cutlery were stylish, neutral and tactile too. I spent periods of my meal just staring at the beautiful objects on my table.
Anyway back to our arrival. We were greeted by Sam Buckley the chef and founder of the restaurant. He was smiley and chatty and quick to get into an excited conversation with us about the comfort and supportiveness of Ercol chairs. And this very much sums up the approach at WTLGI – friendly and open and involving. They have 25 covers and all six staff do both front of house, cooking and all other tasks combined. So they all bob about serving, in the kitchen, pouring you wine and chatting to you about your dishes. It’s a very friendly intimate vibe. Oh yes and I forgot to mention the kitchen is slap bang in the middle of the restaurant. You can see everything close up.
The lounge areaThe open kitchen – this was the view from our table!
Sam took us over to the lounge area pictured above and brought us a very light and tasty sparkling welsh wine and a gorgeous starter which involved sprats and I’m not sure what else. The truth is my recollection of the precise dishes of last night are sketchy because:
a) you aren’t given a menu so I’m having to rely on memory
b) I had the wine flight so I was pretty pissed by the end of the night
However I’m going to do my best to root around in my hungover head and dig out what I can remember of this marvellous night of eating and WTLGI’s unique immersive dining experience.
Once we’d had our sprats, we were taken to our table and started cracking through the courses. All brought to us by different members of staff and explained on delivery.
Have a look at the pictures below and you’ll get an idea of the sensational food we were served. All of the ingredients were either foraged or sourced locally and very seasonal. Highlights for me were the warm spelt bread with whipped butter and chicken salt; the beef and fennel sauerkraut and a lovely fish dish with brill that had both grapes and some kind of seaweed in it (the salty seaweed and sweet grape combo was divine).
The whole meal was an adventure on so many levels. I loved being in the minimalist surroundings of this beautifully designed loft like restaurant. The simplicity of the decor and utensils allowed the food to be the true star of the night. It was fascinating watching the staff prepare all the courses metres away from us. How they remained so calm and harmonious in that kitchen on opening night is beyond me! Of course the food itself was beautiful, gentle and thought provoking and as importantly the service was engaging, passionate and informative. The staff wanted us to know where the food had come from and how it had been prepared. I’m well and truly up for that. I want to know where my dinner has come from – if it’s been foraged from Chorlton Water Park or Lyme Park, or if the beef is from a farm in Wales. I loved the stories behind the dishes. It brought the whole experience to life for me.
Spelt bread, whipped butter and chicken salt; sprats; beetroot ravioli with hazelnut custard; onions with elderberries and brothRaw ox heart with unripened quince; brill, grapes and seaweed; pear and pine pre-dessert; beef with fennel sauerkraut
The night was polished off with a slice of apple cake with raw milk ice-cream, an incredible local cheese board with the sharpest apples in the world, rosehip marshmallows tossed in grated chestnuts and original source Ethiopian Coffee made in Lancashire.
We had the best evening! We felt incredibly spoilt and very privileged a) to be at the WTLGI for the opening night and b) to be a part of something so unique and special.
Sam really wants to bring the craft of food to Manchester, to help his guests learn, watch, taste and appreciate the process of making incredible, intuitive food. It knocked the socks off Jamie and I. It’s not a cheap night, but is it value for money? Absolutely – for the quality of what you experience it’s an absolute bargain. Seek it out and let the light in!
Original source Ethiopian coffee made in Lancashire; rosehip mashmallow petit fours, cheese board; apple pie with raw milk ice-cream
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