Thai food has become one of my new faves in recent months, so when Busaba recently opened in Manchester's Printworks, it went straight on 'the list'. We've had a bit of a flurry of exciting new restaurants over the past few months, so I only got round to sampling Busaba a few weeks ago.
First thing's first, I shall address the elephant in the room for anyone over the age of 25 who knows Manchester. Yes, it's in the Printworks, but no, it is not chavtastic in any way. You don't even need to enter the building to get into Busaba. It's right on the edge and is accessible from Withy Grove. There, all sorted. I shall continue.
So then, it was chuffing freezing with that fuzzy rain that soaks your face, and the kind of wind which makes you question why you left the house. We were blown through the door of Busaba by one particularly ferocious gust, and it was all okay again. It was warm and the smell of delicate incense sticks perfumed the restaurant. I knew everything was going to be just fine.
The menu is pretty big, and we did find ourselves a little overwhelmed by the many pages we had to leaf through. Our first drinks arrived promptly, which somehow made the decisions a little easier to make. Cocktails were flowing nicely, and Phil was mightily impressed that Busaba have their own saison beer brewed by Hop Kettle. We were so keen to drink them that I forgot to take pictures... ~sends self to corner~
Salt and pepper cod - lightly battered cod fillet, chilli and Sriracha sauce: That's right, I'm kicking off with fish... the life long fish hater has gone rogue! Although I didn't order this, I knew I was snaffling some after a show of recent fish bravery at Ning. You know what? Delicious. Really delicate with a gentle heat from the cracked black pepper. Fish fan.
Thai tacos - spiced minced chicken in soft corn tortillas, cucumber relish: You will instantly notice the omission of cucumber relish. That's because cucumber is vile, and the lovely folk at Busaba were more than happy to remove it from the theatre of conflict. These have to be the standout dish for me. The chicken is sweet with a subtle bite to it. I made a mess, but it was ok.
Thai calamari - ginger and green peppercorn: Sweet Jesus, this is gorgeous! It tastes a bit like sweet popcorn. Don't be put off if you generally don't like the texture of calamari, as this is nothing like rubber!
Songkhla red curry - slow-cooked beef, cherry tomato, banana pepper: The beef in this curry fell apart when pressed, and was delicately fragranced with warming spices.
Char-grilled salmon fillet with baby spinach, cucumber salad and coconut rice: The only complaint about this dish was that it was served skin on, which I know a lot of people struggle with. Reports were that once the offending article had been removed (and hidden), this was a lovely fresh dish.
Aromatic chicken curry - potato, cucumber relish and jasmine rice: This was my choice. I love that sticky jasmine rice so very much... Sauce to rice ratio was bang on, and utterly delicious. I'd have this again without hesitation.
Som Tam - green papaya, dried shrimp, peanut, cherry tomato, lime: Warning... this little mama is a hot one! Not immediately, but a little while later. There she blows! It was touch and go for Tasha for a while.
Banana mousse topped with salted caramel and banana chips: Light as a feather and not too sweet.
Chocolate fondant served warm with coconut ice cream and chilli chocolate sauce: The original order was ice cream, but this appeared instead because the freezer was acting up (note the presence of ice cream... I know). However, this was a happy little accident, as it turns out the chocolate fondant was rather lovely.
Coconut rice pudding topped with palm sugar caramel: Winner! This was my dessert, but like an utter lightweight, I managed about two spoonfuls. It was gorgeous, but I'd already been crowned Pig of the Week. The other two didn't even manage to finish it between them after abandoning their own desserts in favour of this!
What a little belter Busaba was. I was fully expecting it to be a bit like a Thai Nando's, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The food was really very good indeed, and our waiter was chatty without being intrusive. We had a little trouble paying via their fancy-shmancy App at the end, but it didn't spoil our experience. Go here with pals, get lots of little dishes, and gorge yourselves on their lovely food.
A couple of years ago, all my friends were recommending Sapporo Teppanyaki. This fell on totally deaf ears, as I was going through my awkward decade of insisting that I hated all fish. Granted, salmon still gives me the creeps, but it turns out that some cat scraps are actually very nice indeed. Furthermore, Sapporo Teppanyaki does all sorts, not just fish as I had originally dreamt up.
We went on a random weeknight before a gig, so expected it to be really quiet. Nope, half term was in full swing, and we were sat at one of the large communal style tables with lots of children and a work's do. Turns out the children were the best behaved of the lot!
We were a little flummoxed by the huge menu, so opted for banquet style stuff, meaning we got to try a little bit of lots of goodies. First thing's first though, drinks were promptly offered and ordered.
Cocktails (clockwise) Please note, these were not all consumed in one go, yet I'm confident that had that been required, we would have fared well.
Saké’tini - Saké, infused with
Chambord black
raspberry liqueur,
strengthened with vodka,
then topped with fresh
pineapple juice: Seemed rude not to sample something Saké based to begin with. Word of warning, you may think it just tastes like fruit juice, but it gets stronger as you drink. Very pleasant little number though.
Sapporo Japanese Beer: There aren't a huge amount of beers on the menu, but at least they had something Japanese which complemented the food.
Senji Caiprina - Saké with strawberry
puree, strawberry, sugar,
fresh lime and strawberry
liqueur: I could drink these all night.
Tokyo
Ice Tea
-
A blend of
vodka, Bacardi rum,
Gordon’s gin, tequila,
Midori and Cointreau,
finished with lemonade: I liked the sound of this because it appeared to have all the spirits in it. Even the melon balls were infused with the booze!
Grateful Dead
Iced Tea
-
Premium vodka, white
rum, gin and Cointreau
shaken with lemon and
lime: My cocktail drinking homie polished this off pretty quickly, so I can only presume it was a success!
Nihon Hiji
(Japanese Elbow)
- A twist of saké, tequila
and Midori with apple
juice, a dash of lemon
and touch of salt: I imagine too many of these could kill you off! Pretty strong but with a decent tang.
Suntory Old
Fashioned - Hakushu whiskey aged
for 12 years blended with
Cointreau, aloe vera,
agave and orange: This was recommended by our waiter, who insisted we try a cocktail with Japanese whiskey in it. They are noticeably stronger than the fruity ones. Gee whizz.
Miso wakame soup: I can't help but get the Mighty Boosh 'Soup' song in my head whenever I read 'miso'. Check it out. This was a refreshing spring onion broth served with one of those slightly awkward spoons, which somehow adds to the overall experience.
Namasu salad: I cannot say enough nice things about this. I want all coleslaw style dishes to taste exactly like this, from this day forth. Crunchy, sweet, tangy and wonderful.
Nigiri sushi, barbecue spare ribs and smoked chicken roll: These next dishes were the first proper part of the banquet, served as our chef 'Ninja' was firing up his grill in the centre of our table. These were lovely little tasting platters served with wasabi, pickled ginger and sweet dips. We both agreed we could probably eat a full rack of those delicious ribs. I avoided the raw salmon...
Vegetable spring rolls, prawn tempura and maki sushi: That prawn tempura made me angry that I was such a fish-o-phobe for so long (yes, totally made up word). It was heaven when dipped in soy sauce.
Grilled vegetables and sapporo sauteed potatoes: These had been sizzling away on the grill whilst we ate. Oh my word, this may look like a pile of veggies, but they were amazing! Again, that sweet crunchiness that I was previously unfamiliar with, which got sky rocketed to my 'what could you just have?' list.
I have to note here that the chef's game of throwing potatoes into diners' mouths is not for me. I was the cacked handed frigger who 'gracefully' caught one on my top, and batted the other at the children sat to my left. My dining buddy caught his first time with no warning. I think he'd been practicing.
Egg fried rice: Preceded by a show of egg-throwing-about skill by Ninja, this was made on the grill in front of us. Hotter than the surface of the sun, but so much better than the stuff in a sweaty tub from your local takeaway.
Ninja doing his thing
Beef sirloin and beef fillet: No exaggeration, the steak was out of this world. I was getting really full by this point, but managed quite a bit. We were asked how we wanted it cooking too, so it was utterly perfect. I've starred longingly at this picture several times since.
Sea bass and king prawns: Both from the sea, both gorgeous. I'm a total convert now.
Half lobster: Looks like hell, tastes like heaven. I always insisted I could not eat anything with a face, so I just didn't look him in the eye. Really buttery and sweet, with a lovely soft texture.
Jumbo prawns: I didn't try the prawns, only because I was verging on not being able to move. I was assured that this was also delicious and beautifully cooked.
Chicken fillet with asparagus: I know I'd sort of declared myself out of more food, but this was too good! Smoked chicken wrapped around asparagus and cooked over that lovely grill.
Strawberry cheesecake and P&D deli ice cream: The cheesecake was the only dish that we weren't overly keen on. The base was a little soggy and the cheesecake lacked flavour. However, brownie points were regained for the old skool ice cream basket. It would be nice to see some traditional Japanese desserts as menu choices.
In summary, we were impressed with Sapporo Teppanyaki. We weren't really sure what to expect to be honest, and first impressions were a little marred by a room full of children and a screaming work's do beside us. However, as soon as they started feeding us, all was forgiven, and the sound of the grill drowned out mouth-almighty beside us...
The cocktail menu isn't huge, but the ones they offer are well considered Japanese versions of classics, with a few signature brews thrown in for good measure. We were big fans of the live cooking, and the grill which seemingly turned meat into little pieces of heaven. One tip though, leave the drinks menu with the diners; we kept having to ask for ours back.
I would highly recommend the banquet style if you're unsure what to order. I tried some wonderful things that I would never have dreamed of ordering if picking from a menu. I think Sapporo is best visited in a big group, where the theatre and communal seating arrangements can be fully taken advantage of.
Disclaimer: I was invited to Sapporo Tappanyaki to sample the food and drinks, however I was under no obligation to say nice things. Likewise, they did not force me to eat fish, however they didn't give me any warning of low-flying potatoes.
Oh hardshakes, how I love thee so... I adore a good milkshake, so imagine the joy I expressed when those clever little cocktail chemists at All Star Lanes started putting booze in theirs? They do this amazing concoction called a Honey Whiskey Hardshake; a wonderful mix of thick ice cream, Jack Daniels Honey, and their home made ginger syrup. I can drink one in around five minutes, the only thing hindering my speed being brain-freeze.
I wanted to make my friend Tasha a bundt for being an all round superstar, and this was the first thing that came to mind. Ginger and bourbon go so bloody well together. I'm just pleased that I gave this cake away, otherwise I'd have scoffed the lot with perhaps three cups of tea. It's doable, believe me. Cake:
Tasha with her bundt!
225g butter
450g golden caster sugar
4 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
350g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tsp ginger
250ml vanilla yoghurt
50ml Jack Daniels
2 tbsp runny honey
Topping:
500g icing sugar
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp Jack Daniels
Milk Bottle sweets to decorate
Method:
Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with melted butter and dust with flour.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ginger.
Pour the yoghurt into a jug, and add the Jack Daniels.
Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt. Repeat this until everything is combined.
Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
Pour the mix into your prepared tin.
Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
When completely cool, mix the icing sugar with the remaining Jack Daniels and honey. Add a little water to make your icing of pouring consistency.
Tip it over your cake.
I sprinkled mine with a little gold glitter and filled it with Milk Bottle sweets sprayed gold. Bling-a-ding-ding...
First thing's first, I shall address the elephant in the room for anyone over the age of 25 who knows Manchester. Yes, it's in the Printworks, but no, it is not chavtastic in any way. You don't even need to enter the building to get into Busaba. It's right on the edge and is accessible from Withy Grove. There, all sorted. I shall continue. 
