Here comes the last of my January bargains and, even better, this one continues into February, so if you’ve been holding off for payday, now’s your opportunity.
It’s been a little while since my last visit to James Martin Manchester – and finally, they’ve stopped asking me for ID at the door. I can’t decide if I’m disappointed or pleased about that to be honest. Maybe I’m finally starting to look like my forty odd years.
Either way, entry was gained without fuss and I headed in to meet Keeley for dinner. Despite feeling the pinch of January, we’d decided to treat ourselves – and given it was her birthday earlier in the month, it gave me the opportunity to hand over her presents, which aptly contained a James Martin Martini glass. The alliteration is no coincidence. James Martin’s fans are known as Martinis, and whilst Keeley might not be a confirmed Martini, she’s definitely a fan of the man himself.
And a fan of his food, as the evening confirmed. The current tasting menu (we had the omnivorous version but there is a veggie options too) is £30 for five courses, including paired wines. Yes, food and drink for £30 each. I mean, sure restrictions apply (you won’t be able to enjoy this deal on the weekend), but a mid week date night, a catch up with friends, hell a quiet date with yourself.
Lets begin at the beginning and look at what you get for your money.
There is, of course before you begin the classic bread and butter. Thick slices of sourdough bread, English butter, Maldon Salt and a little pot featuring a blend of beef fat and olive oil. You know the flavour of that crispy bit of beef on a Sunday roast? It’s that in a little ramekin for you to dunk your bread in. Normally, a la James himself, I’d be slathering the bread in a thick layer of butter, sprinkling on a bit of salt and settling back to enjoy. The Danish have a word for doing this, smør, which loosely translated means ‘tooth butter’. When you layer the butter so thick you leave teethmarks.
BUT this time, the oil won out. How they managed to make crispness an actual taste, I’m not sure, but they did, and so the majority of my bread ended up soaked in that delicious oil.
Our first course (oh yes, we hadn’t even started yet) featured a glass of Prosecco, accompanying ‘Cheese & Onion’. Cheese may not be your automatic pairing for Prosecco, but in this case the dry, crisp notes cut through the riches of the dish. A bowl of caramelised onions, topped with a little in house pickle, topping it all with onion mousse and Westcombe Cheddar curd and crispy shallots. Oh and cheese and onion palmiers on the side for dunking.
If you’re a bit of a cheese fan like me, you’ll go for this alone. But let’s not stop there, there are four other dishes to go.
Faggots are so bloody underrated. Especially when they’re braised and covered in a glaze made with Welsh Mountain Cider, and sitting on the richest potato puree we’ve had in a while. The texture is rich and creamy, and it’s all you can do not to lick the plate. I mean, had I been in a little corner booth, I might have done. But front and centre just behind the desk? I’m not that greedy. This was served with a delicious unoaked Chardonnay from Brampton, based in Stellenbosch. As soon as I heard that my ears pricked. There’s something about South African wines from this region, host to some favourites of mine, and this was no exception. Think peaches, melon and a little creaminess, complimenting the potatoes and working well with the sharpness of the chunks of apple.
Our third course, the fish course, was a miso painted cod loin, served with a little rhubarb puree adding a little acidity to cut through the meatiness of the fish, and fermented kohlrabi, and rhubab verjus and Thai basil to add freshness. In our glasses was a Sauvignon – think mango, and lime, the florals of which intensified when sampled alongside the food.
Finally, sadly, to our last savoury course.
Duck, cooked whole, and finished on the barbecue. A slice of intensely pink breast sits alongside a sweet, buttery parsnip puree, and a leaf of hispi cabbage concealing duck leg ragu, topped with a little dollop of creme fraiche, and crispy leeks. That ragu was so warm, and soft, and tender, and I need to make something like that at home, and eat it on top of buttery polenta, or a pile of pasta. Everything was good, but the ragu was special, especially against the fruity and vanilla flavours of the Mezzacorona Merlot from northern Italy in our glasses.
Finally, to dessert and much to my delight (sorry dark chocolate pudding lovers) this was a caramelised white chocolate marquise, served alongside pistachio sponge, candied pistachios, salted caramel ice cream, and a little blood orange marmalade. I know, I’m odd, I don’t really do chocolate for pudding, but this was delicious. The white chocolate had been cooked gently in a water bath overnight, caramelising the sugars, giving it an almost caramac-esque flavour. Alongside a Sauternes La Fleur from Bordeaux, which spiked with florals when it met the orange marmalade. It was a fabulous end to a delicious evening.
In short, James Martin Manchester is still a fabulous restaurant (even if I often get lost in the casino getting to it). And for this money, who needs more persuasion? Go.
