Wahaca, Manchester - Summer Specials

God we've got about a bit recently. It seems that everywhere is launching an exciting new summer menu, and there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to try them all. Is that my belly rumbling, or just gout softly calling my name...? This hobby may well kill me before long. 

Last week my blogging partner in crime (Mexican division) and I were invited to Wahaca to sample their new goodies. Not exactly a tough gig hey? There's nothing better than an early dart on a sunny day, to find yourself surrounded by food and cocktails, giggling away without a care in the world. Once again, Lee was keen to write this one up as she was so enthused about the whole experience. She'll be putting me out of a job this one... So here's what we ate, and her accompanying thoughts.

Wahaca is a firm favourite of ours, so an invite to try the new summer specials was gratefully received!

Frijoles and tortilla chips - creamy twice cooked black beans served with crumbly Lancashire cheese and crema: We started with Frijoles and tortilla chips; I always love this kind of to start a Wahaca feast, and the Lancashire cheese crumbled on top is delicious.

We did our usual trick of ordering food for ten, for two! The summer specials of chorizo and cheese tacos served with fresh avocado salsa, and Devon crab tostada were amazing.

Chorizo and Cheese Taco: Sautéed British free range chorizo from Trealy farm with sweet roasted red onions, melted cheese and fresh avocado salsa.

Devon Crab Tostada: Handpicked Devon white crab meat, with creamy mayo, fresh lime and diced tomatoes, served on lettuce with crispy tortillas on the side: The tostada in particular has been playing on my mind ever since; fresh crab meat with mayo, lime, and tomatoes served with crispy tortilla. Fortunately for me, Rach isn't a massive fan of crab meat so I tanked the lot (and will be back for more soon). It's also worth noting that 20p from the sale of each of these dishes is donated to charities here in the UK and in Mexico, so you can feel good about eating your body weight in street food.

Sweet potato and feta taquito - roasted sweet potato, feta and caramelised red onion wrapped in crispy blue corn and dotted with salsas and chipotle mayo: We also ordered my old favourite, sweet potato and feta taquitos, these blow me away every time.

Mexico City style chicken enchiladas - two classic enchiladas, with grilled chicken, tomato salsa roja and topped with melted cheese: New to the menu were the larger Enchilada dishes, so we chose to try the Mexico City style chicken enchiladas. These were delicious, and although a much bigger plate, still allowed for gorging on other dishes when it was shared.

To accompany these gorgeous dishes we had a bowl of spicy slaw, creamy frijoles, and sweet potato chunks; all were wonderful additions to the meal. 

Sweet potato - crispy fried chunks of sweet potato, dressed with smoky caramelised mojo de ajo.

Frijoles - rich, creamy black beans cooked twice for flavour. Served with crumbled cheese and crema.

Spicy slaw - fresh crunchy slaw mix with our chipotle dressing.

Churros y chocolate - our favourite! Mexican doughnuts with rich chocolate and caramel sauces: We managed to fit a portion of Wahaca's churros in to finish, served with both sauces. Needless to say I didn't need to eat again till much later in the day.

Another delightful meal at Wahaca, accompanied by fantastic service and heavenly cocktails (you must try the Earl of Mexico - actual game changer right there!)

Strawberry & Basil daiquiri - golden rum, winter spices, fresh lime (left)
Earl Of Mexico - gin & Earl Grey lemonade with a hint of aniseed (right)

Classic - freshly squeezed lime with a hint of agave
Passion fruit margarita - A tropical twisted margarita

Many thanks to Wahaca for such a beautiful afternoon; the food never fails to wow us, and the service was top notch too. See you soon for more Mexican loveliness.

Salvi's Mozzarella Bar, Manchester

A couple of years ago, I discovered the wonder that is Salvi's. I sampled their 'Cucina' on John Dalton Street, and was totally smitten. I'm generally a bit non-plussed by Italian food, often favouring spicier options like Indian or Mexican. Italian as I knew it changed when I went to Salvi's. Fresh pasta, constantly changing specials, home made desserts and entertaining waiters make this family run business, the business. 

Their 'Mozzarella Bar' has just reopened in the city's newest foodie haunt, The Corn Exchange. Gone are the drab, soulless days of 'The Triangle', and now Salvi's rub shoulders with the likes of Mowgli and Wahaca. However, unlike the fancy exteriors of their neighbours, Salvi's have a small, unassuming shop front which can only be accessed from outside. It may look like a small deli, but if you venture inside, you'll find one of the cutest dining rooms in the city. 

I'll be honest, this set up caused confusion to begin with. We walked inside to find we appeared to have joined a queue. When we got to the front, the chap serving appeared very confused when I explained we had a table booked, however after a few awkward seconds, pointed us towards some stairs at the back of the deli. It's tiny, so you will genuinely wonder whether you have gone horribly wrong.

Downstairs is a different story. We were warmly welcomed by a cheery Italian chap, who showed us to a lovely table in the dimly lit dining room. The lighting is low, but it feels far from gloomy with the brightly coloured furniture and shiny green leather. Drinks were offered swiftly, and menus were in hand, with the upstairs confusion strictly in the past. 

Minestrone soup: My husband's favourite, personally I'm not usually a fan. This was gorgeous. It tasted as strong as a tomato consommé, but with lovely chunky vegetables.

Bruschetta con Tallegio: Basically posh cheese on toast with a tangy balsamic glaze. I'd give it a big kiss if I wasn't too busy eating it. I'm adding balsamic vinegar to cheese on toast from now on; Bruschetta con Horwich.

Pasta with Italian sausage: Pasta never thrills me. It's just pasta. However, pasta from Salvi's is a very different story. I'm confident I could try any pasta dish of theirs and love it. Perfectly al dente with generous chunks of sausage.

Rib eye steak with roast potatoes: The photos do not do this beaut of a dish any form of justice. Seriously, it's one of the best things I've eaten in some time. Thick cut strips of rare rib eye steak, covered in cheese and that beautiful balsamic reduction. The potatoes are no afterthought either; perfectly crisp with fluffy interiors. It made me very happy indeed. I also need to add that this dish is under £15. Bargainous.

Apple strudel: Paddy, 'I'm just having a coffee'. I've heard that before. Needless to say, I only saw half of this. Genuine joy.  Genuine anger that it isn't in front of me this very second.

I've never had a bad meal from Salvi's. They were really busy on Saturday, and there were a couple of incidents where the wrong food was delivered (awkwardly, it was for the table next to us!), but this was dealt with using equal measures of sincere apology and humour. Forgiven in an instant. The front of house staff were excellent, and the food blew our socks off. It even prompted me to make fresh pasta for dinner on Sunday! Not the same, it turns out.

You're going to struggle to find better Italian food in the city.


Disclaimer: I was invited to go and sample the new menu at Salvi's Mozzarella Bar. However, this was met with genuine elation, as I already knew how much I loved them. They have not paid me to say nice things, and indeed I regularly pay them to feed my face. 

Cabana, Manchester

So we were well peckish, and about to go and watch Anthrax and Slayer; a Brazilian meat emporium was the obvious choice (nods to Sepultura). We arrived in Manchester to near 'end of days' style weather, and threats of going on a carousel, which incidentally never materialised. 

Cabana is one of the latest openings in the newly refurbished Corn Exchange. I've already tried quite a few of the new places, but was captivated by Cabana's twinkly lights and meaty promises. When I was asked to review it, I jumped at the chance. Pre-gig was the perfect opportunity - two birds and all that. 

We were enthusiastically greeted by a young chap whose name I unfortunately didn't catch, but he was very keen to tell us all about Cabana and was spot on with his recommendations! 

Two for one cocktails... my old friend. We couldn't resist veering away from the food menu to warm those cockles (cockles that were almost frozen off by that Arctic style blast outside). For some reason I appear not to have taken pictures of them all; that was obviously eagerness to drink them.

We were a bit over-faced by the menu, so were happy to run with whatever our chappie recommended. I must apologise for the quality of the pictures; it was quite dark inside and outside looked like it might never be light again.

Starters
Guaca-molho: I love a bit of guacamole with tortilla chips. I could cane my own body-weight in them, and on occasion, have come pretty damn close! I liked the little bits of sweet onion mixed in.

Spicy Malagueta chicken wings: That Malagueta sauce is on everything, including a big bottle on the table. Overkill? Nope. It's immense! Sweet, a little spicy and all kinds of ace. Run with it. 

Parmesan and wild honey: Who would have thought that this would be so great? I can't say I've ever had parmesan in chunks before, but this was bloody marvellous!
Pulled pork sliders: Little bits of pulled pork rammed inside dough balls. Very clever. I tried to eat mine in some sort of lady-like fashion. Don't bother, it makes more mess! Down in one please.

We were a little surprised when the manager suggested that we both have the same main, but ran with it. Feel bad about that two birds comment now, because that's what we had!

Spicy Malagueta chicken skewers: There's that sauce again, but I was secretly quite pleased! Those little charred bits from the grill were absolutely delicious. The sauce is perfectly sweet, and turns quite sticky when cooked. Mouth is watering whilst writing, again. 

Sides
Sweet potato and standard fries: Exactly what you would expect; crunchy fries which were well seasoned. It was nice to have a bit of both.
Rio beans: One of my favourite items that we tried. These beans had a lovely after-kick from what we thought may be smoked paprika. Lovely.
Homeslaw: This is a 'dressing' style coleslaw for all of those mayo haters out there. Really crunchy with a subtle tang that went well with the sweet chicken.

We declared ourselves way too full to attempt a dessert, for we feared that we had already eaten enough to make us nod off through Raining Blood. We did however perk ourselves back up with another Caipirinha, which seemed to do the trick.

I'm very excited by everything that's going on in the Corn Exchange. Firstly, there are lots of lovely restaurants and bars in the same venue, meaning you're never far away from somewhere to have a quick drink before or after your meal. Secondly, it's a stones-throw from Victoria Station, so there's little wasted travelling time. Lastly, it's all inside which is perfect for nesh people like me. I'm not a fan of winter and all the horrors which accompany it.

Go to Cabana with your mates if you like barbecue charred meats, plentiful sides, chatty staff and lovely cocktails.


Disclaimer: I was invited to Cabana to try out their meaty goodness. I was under no obligation to get excited about that sauce, eat so many beans or talk their waiter's head off. 

Mowgli, Manchester

Two posts, back to back, both Mowgli. The only difference was the city. Last Saturday my husband and I went to Mowgli in Liverpool. I loved it so much, I was texting my friend pictures of the food and suggesting that we go the following Friday. I was hooked.

Manchester's Corn Exchange has had a major refit recently. It's gone from being a drab collection of shops that no-one knew about, to a bright, open space to go and enjoy lots of wonderful food and drink. I've already been to Wahaca, and The Cosy Club and Banyan for drinks, and also have my eyes on Pho and Cabana in the next few weeks. There's even another Byron popped up in there. It's all very exciting indeed.

Mowgli's Manchester site is very different to that on quaint little Bold Street in Liverpool. They've maintained the cute interior, but outside is treated to that wonderful light that splashes through the glass ceiling of the Corn Exchange.

Friday was my friend Clare's birthday. She's a veggie so if I'm picking where we go, I like to make sure it's somewhere where she has more than vegetable moussaka or baked fungus to choose from. Mowgli seemed the perfect answer, as much of authentic Indian cuisine is vegetable based anyway, without compromising on flavour.

Once again, we were greeted by some lovely front of house staff, who made a point of putting us in a 'nice booth'. The menu was explained, and drinks arrived soon after. You'll notice I didn't take as many pictures this time. There were two reasons for this; firstly we had a lot of the dishes I had covered in my Liverpool review, and secondly it was very dark in there!

Cocktails
Sweet Delhi Diazepam - Gin, raspberries, green chartreuse, fresh ginger, lemon, passion fruit & apple juice: Not pictured, but covered in my last post. My friend Clare likes a sweet, fruity cocktail, so I recommended this. Bursting full of fresh raspberries, it does exactly what you'd imagine from the name; chills you right out.
Lychee Rose Martini - Vodka, fresh lychee and lemon juice, infused and shaken with rose petals: This one was a recommendation from our lovely waitress. I may have declared it the best cocktail I've ever had. My friend Lee pointed out that I have said this many times, but upon trying it, understood.
Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned - Monkey shoulder whisky, apricot liqueur, smoke of freshly fired black cardamom, fresh curry leaves finished with an orange twist: Usually an Old Fashioned is a little on the boozy side for me, but the cardamom gave this a beautiful warmth which mellowed the whisky a little.

Now to try and remember everything we ate! Don't judge us... there were four of us and we were hungry like the wolf...


Food
Tamarind Chat Bombs - Tangy tamarind mint water bombs: So weird... yet so good! They are literally like spicy water-bombs. Put it in your mouth in one go and pop it! You can keep your molecular gastronomy 'spherification' - I prefer this!
The Bombay Chip Butty - Roti wrap, fenugreek kissed turmeric fries, chilli pickle, red onion, coriander, green chilli and Mowgli tomato relish: This was on my radar in Liverpool. I urge you to try this! Crisp, spicy chunks of potato mixed with a load of goodies in a wrap. Show me the carbs.
Himalayan Cheese Toast - Coriander, red onion and green chilli dressing, sharp cheddar and served with Indian pickle: Just as heavenly as last time. A thick wedge of bread with a thick topping of cheese and chilli.
Calcutta Kati Wrap - Fragrant masala frittata with coriander herbed cheese in a soft wholemeal roti wrap: We all loved this. That soft cheese was surprisingly sweet, but worked perfectly. This is the kind of thing I'd happy nibble on whilst watching telly in the evening. Perfect snacking item.
Rooti - Grilled wholemeal flat breads: Soft and lovely, and perfect for scooping the other goodies.
Mowgli Basmati Rice - Steamed with black cardamom and cumin: Nothing terribly exciting, but cooked wonderfully and fragranced with spice.
Mowgli Paneer - Tender cubes of soft paneer cheese simmered with velvet, sweet, spiced tomatoes, garden peas and fresh spinach: We may have ordered two of these, because I'd raved about it so much! It didn't disappoint second time round. Still just as heavenly.
Tea Steeped Chickpeas - Chickpeas simmered in a rich Darjeeling and spiced tomato and spinach sauce: Perfect when piled on a rooti with some keema. Top tip for you there...
Picnic Potato Curry - Tossed in fenugreek, tomato and the haunting Bengali Five Spice: Simple again, yet did the job. The perfect partner to something like the butter chicken.
Mowgli House Keema - Succulent ground lamb, roasted cumin, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, tomatoes and pulses: One of my faves. My carnivorous pals had to agree, and one isn't a massive meat eater.
Mother Butter Chicken - Tandoori chicken pieces simmered in a rich, sweet, spiced tomato and yoghurt sauce finished with a gloss of butter: I'm so glad we tried this. Forget everything you know of butter chicken. This, picnic potato and a bit of paneer in a rooti... you heard.

Aunty Geeta’s Prawn Curry - Tanged with nigella seed, green chilli, tomato, garden peas and mustard: I didn't try this one as I'm not a prawn lover (despite my recent brush with them at Ning). However, Carlton managed to polish the lot, so I'm presuming it was a winner.

I feel that at some point I must meet owner Nisha, and kiss her face. Maybe I'll settle for a nice chat, but either way, I feel compelled to tell her how happy her food makes me. My blogging partner in crime Lee is also going to be doing a review of her book, Pimp My Rice in the next couple of weeks so keep your eyes peeled.

Go to either of the Mowgli restaurants if you enjoy 'bits' or grazing like I do. It's a lovely way to try lots of new things, without dicing with gout or actual death. I may have been twice in a week, but I'm already trying to think of an excuse to go again.

Wahaca, Manchester

My homie Lee is one of my blogging partners in crime; a total warrior with stripes earned in her specialist fields of kitchen wizardry, cocktails, afternoon tea, tapas, and pretty much anything I have asked her to turn her hand to. Recently she's been writing guest posts for me, which I just love. Wahaca is one of our joint favourites, so it made sense for this giddy little kipper to do the review. Enjoy... 

The Corn Exchange in Manchester has long needed a revival, and the new restaurants and bars are perfect for bringing life back to this beautiful and very central point. The Wahaca site in Manchester is just as cool and relaxed as those I have visited in London; we sat downstairs but there is also a large upstairs dining area too. May I also point out that a visit to the ladies is a must (not if you're a gent obvs, although I suspect they are nice too). I don't think I have ever exclaimed at facilities before!

Last year Rachel, my sister and I spent a fun few days in London, eating and Harry Pottering. We visited various restaurants but the one that really stayed with me was Wahaca. We visited the Soho branch which I loved so much I took another friend to the South Bank branch the following month. So imagine my excitement when we heard that there was to be a Manchester venue, and that we were invited for dinner on the day that I returned from a heavenly week in Egypt when I would surely need cheering up!

We arrived to be greeted by a very cheerful waitress (name not noted, apologies, but she was fantastic) and her equally friendly trainee. We started to look through the menu, assisted by a very yummy Margarita cocktail. We were undecided and overexcited so we deferred our choices to said waitress, she did not let us down. After expressing our general dislike of fish and my love of veggie options she served us up a treat.

Tortilla chips with guacamole - freshly made every day with Hass avocados and freshly squeezed lime juice: We started with the freshly made guacamole with tortilla chips, light and tasty this was perfect to get us in the mood.

Sweet potato and feta taquitos wrapped in blue corn - Roasted sweet potato, feta and caramelised red onion with crema, salsa fresca and chipotle mayo: These were my favourite and I genuinely could eat them everyday (good job I don't work near the Corn Exchange really).

Pork pibil tacos - Slow cooked pork in special Yucatecan marinade with fiery pickled onions: The slow cooked pork was gorgeous and I am not a fan of pork at all. 

Quesadillas; super tasty with just enough of a spicy kick.

Chorizo and squash quesadillas - British chorizo, with diced butternut squash

Chilli quesadillas - Sautéed onions with jalapeno and habanero chillies, tempered by creamy feta

To ensure we got our five a day we also had brocolli cooked to perfection and sprinkled with yummy pumpkin seeds; and grilled corn with lime, feta and chipotle mayo.

Broccoli with green goddess dressing -Charred tenderstem broccoli with a green goddess dressing & toasted pumpkin seeds:  

Grilled corn on the cob - Grilled British corn with mojo de ajo, chipotle mayo, lime and feta

We made a good effort but have to admit that we took a box of leftovers home to my very hungry and happy other half. We finished the meal with delicious hot and crispy churros served with both chocolate and caramel sauce. 

Churros y chocolate - Mexican doughnuts with rich chocolate and caramel sauces

Of course we washed these down with a couple of tequilas, we love a good tequila but are still very much in the learning stage of our relationship with it so apologies if this isn't the correct way to identify them but we had an Calle Anejo, and a Herradura Resposado; delicious and eye watering, just how we like our tequila.

A gorgeous evening of amazing food, perfect service and a surprise stop and chat from Thomasina herself... we'll see you again very soon Wahaca. 

Disclaimer: We were invited to sample the menu at Wahaca Manchester, however we would have been there like a shot anyway. The lovely things Lee said are a true reflection of a girl so giddy she couldn't resist a visit despite only landing at 3am...