No 4

After a long break from the WREC our journey through manchester's finest restaurants began again at N0.4. What a delight this restaurant is, a perfect choice to get our interest in restaurants going again after so many 'bland' experiences before it. From what essentially looks like a small two up two down, comes some well made, well presented, very tasty food at very reasonable prices. I really enjoyed this dining experience and would highly recommend this restaurant to others, as the restaurant have mangaged to do what so many others on the Wilmslow road have failed to do; provide good food and reasonable prices in a welcoming and relaxed environment.
This experience has only strengthened my belief that we should now be called the WREC goes Wild. Enough with the bland and overpriced restaurants along the Wilmslow road, lets turn to it's much more cultured neighbour of Burton Road and explore all that that has to offer. It surely can't be as bad as the loch Fyne fiasco or as cold as the Jade Garden and if it is then there are plenty more streets in Manchester to explore!! Are my fellow diners coming with me on this journey????

So far behind!

OK - by now I can't remember Fat Loaf, Sangam 2 or Felicini's. So I'll give up trying to remember.

Jade Garden I really did not like the food here and was forced to have chips!

Gusto like the others the service was inattentive. The loos were good (high score there). The food OK. The seafood risotto was small but efficient.

The future? It took me years to give myself the permission to give up reading books that I was not enjoying - consequently I wasted huge amounts of valuable time and energy. My first reaction to the suggestion was very much "Nooooo we can't! We've made an undertaking and must see it through even if we hate every moment! It's a slippery slope, what next - the end of civilisation as we know it (Jim)" Very much a protestant restaurant-visit ethic!

After a minute ... however .. yes why not, we're grown-ups aren't we? Who's going to tell us off? Be free!

To be known as WREC - Wilmslow Road Evasion Crew? Why Ruin Eating Club?

Still like to do Aladdins and Kosmos though.

Jade Garden, Gusto and other ramblings

Blogging again after a lengthy absence (you're very busy when you don't work). I was going to catch up with Jade Garden but on reading the other contributions it's all been said - especially how COLD it was (my own personal restaurant killer).

So on to Gusto, where I think I'm going to be a bit more negative, as the woman who 'welcomed' us into the restaurant (we arrived first, as usual) did a poor job - offhand, vague about what was happening, and left us hanging about after inviting us to 'have a drink at the bar'(at our own expense of course - this is one of the standard restaurant ploys to get you to spend more - and was no easy feat as the barman was about as attentive as our greeter). And it's not as if we'd arrived early - we ourselves were 5 mins late. Bafflingly, the table we were eventually shown to (20-25 mins after our booked time) was one which had been empty all along, so if they'd got their act together they could have prepared it and sat us down about 15 mins earlier. They then compounded their sins by leaving us looking at menus for what seemed like about half an hour, until verbally jabbed in the arse by Diner 6. After that, amazingly, it was all plain sailing, and the food was really good - it's just that by then you're feeling a little underwhelmed.

Surveying the immediate future on Wilmslow Road, I find myself agreeing with our revered leader: Tapas bar, Third Eye....I've never been but find I'm not slavering at the prospect. I was looking fwd to the Japanese place (well, at least it wd have been different) but find it has lived up to its name and closed down. Conversation at Gusto suggested we were only really looking fwd to Aladdin's and Kosmos (unless the Thai Banana place turned out to be an unexpected gourmet delight....). Meanwhile there are interesting-sounding places (Green Tea Restaurant)and old favourites ( Gurkha Grill) on Burton Rd; on Lapwing Lane ( always enjoy Piccolino's, and Lime Tree is an institution - if a rather pricey one); and even in Didsbury but not on Wilmslow Rd. eg. Cafe Jem & I (good but again pricey) or No.4 Wine & Dine (complete unknown quantity). Also, read a rave review of a new place in Heaton Moor called Damson the other day, and I think there are other places in that neck of woods. And of course there's Chorlton - though not Marmalade any more, as the Reporter has gleefully informed us that Marmalade is toast. Plus the city centre has loads of new places all the time, though maybe it's easier to stay relatively local.

Could this be the end of WREC as we have known it, to be replaced by WREC goes wild, WREC around town, WREC Libre or whatever ? Further contributions awaited.....

Gusto

Wow!I thought I was going to be first to comment instead of last .....but no someone else beat me to it. Well after rushing around to get to Gusto at the appointed time I was disappointed to find that our table was no where near ready (there were a few uncleared tables). The service was not as swift as it might have been-drinks were forgotten and we had to gain attention to be able to order. It was quite busy but not packed. However the atmosphere was good and I did enjoy my wild mushroom rissotto. I did think the prices were a bit steep considering what we got for our money compared to other resaurants on our WREC journey.
I think that 'the crew' should continue down Wilmslow Rd (there are a couple of restaurants I'd like to try)until we get to Barlow Moor Rd then swiftly head on down to Burton Rd to do the WREC go WILD. As always it is the company and chance to go out that are as important as the choice of venue.

Gusto

The month of May brought Gusto, which to be honest I wasn't expecting a great deal from and as predicted I got what I'd thought I'd get. On the plus side, the restaurant was full which created a good atmosphere and all diners gave a high score for the restaurant decor. Unfortunately once again I felt that everything was 'OK' but predictable; nothing that special or interesting on the menu, very poor service and slightly over inflated prices for run of the mill food.

I'm now getting very bored of writing about 'ok' restaurants with 'ok' food and think that we should seriously think about rebranding as 'the WREC go wild'! By doing this we can change the constitution and cherry pick the restaurants we'd like to eat in along the Wilmslow road and then divert our attentions to what looks like the far more appealing Burton Road........thoughts on the blog please fellow diners.

Jade Garden

I was really looking forward to the Jade Garden having had some lovely meals there before (especially the crispy aromatic duck). However I did feel a little disappointed by our evening. It was a miserable rainy night and we rushed to arrive on time but the atmosphere when we got there was equally miserable. There were two other 'largish' parties in the restaurant already but it was by no means 'packed out'. The waiters were attentive but not particularly helpful or unhelpful. The overwhelming feeling was that I was cold!-every time the door opened it stuck and I felt a cold wind whistle around the table. I discovered there was actually a small heater at the other end of the table but this had been 'hogged' by a fellow diner! The food was enjoyable (as I expected) but nothing out of the ordinary or worth commenting on. The company was the most enjoyable part of the evening as always. I look forward to the next meet up when certain group members have returned from their fabulous holiday over Easter.

Jade Garden

In (very) short, I agree with Kirsty - I believe Gusto is up next for us WRECers...

Jade Garden

What can I say, once again a disappointment along the Wilmslow road. This time it was the turn of the Jade Garden, which several people had told me was really good and I couldn't believe that it had taken me so many years of living in Manchester before visiting it. As usual the build up led to more disappointment when the restaurant turned out to be a run of the mill Chinese with nothing special to blog about. We were sat near the door which meant that we were frequently blasted with cold air as people went in and out and the food was nothing better than our local take away. I chose the Thai Green curry which consisted of chicken, green peppers and bamboo shoots in a very watery, almost soup, sauce; give me Lloyd Grossman's sauce any day!
As always the company was much appreciated and I do feel heartened that we are now going the right direction along the Wilmslow road with, what appears from other diners, a resolve not to go backwards ever again.....watch this space!!!

Fat Loaf

Well, I have to take most of the responsibility for our latest detour back down Wilmslow Road, and although I had very high hopes this would knock The Laughing Bhudda off its 'top spot', it was, quite rightly, not the case.

My colleague, and I will call her "Miss G" to avoid any embarrassment, I'm afraid it just wasn't to be...but many thanks on behalf of my fellow WRECers for the 25% off voucher, it was much appreciated!

I found myself awarding 3 out of 4 for everything (including the steak, of course) but nothing to push any categories up to the maximum 4 out of 4 mark - all nice but just not fantastic. I am sure had we not been stuck out on our own on a Monday night in February the overall 'marks' would have been a little higher but still not enough to displace The LB...looking down Wilmslow Road over the next few months I am not sure if we will find "the place" to go.

Anyway bring on the Jade Garden - I am always more than happy to leave my medium rare steak behind for a Chinese meal incl. crispy aromatic duck!!!

Fat Loaf

Well once again I have been proved right......WE SHOULD NOT GO BACKWARDS!!!.
We went backwards down the Wilmslow Road to Fat Loaf enticed by a 25% off voucher which I in particular couldn't resist. I agree with Diner 2 that the decor and the menu choice were disappointing. I tried very hard to try not to be influenced by the fact that we had gone on a Monday night in February and that the restaurant therefore didn't have as much atmosphere as it might have done but despite this I still think that it 'lacked' something. This restaurant had come recommended and, like it's next door neighbour the Loch Fyne, had good reviews in the local papers, but for me what was on the menu looked nice but not that extensive and I also seemed to get a raw deal as the portions weren't consistant. This meant that whilst one of my fellow diners had a plate full of Guinea Fowl, potatoes and veg, I had a 'Cordon Bleu' portion of Seabass and mashed potatoes. Well at least I'll have room for pudding I thought....yeah right! Unlike Diner 2 I chose the Apple pie and custard which was very small with a crust of pastry and a very meagre helping of stewed apple which was sour....so still hungry!
The moral of the story for me is this:
1) Don't have the Seabass - this is the second time I've had it as part of the WREC and been disappointed.
2) DON'T BE PERSUADED TO GO BACKWARDS......FORWARDS FROM NOW ON!

Fat Loaf

Well i thought I'd get in first for once and set the ball rolling on our (yet again) backwards venture down to newly opened Fat Loaf.
First to arrive we were shown to our table in the front window, well away from other diners in the back of the restaurant, which straight away left us feeling a bit stuck out on a limb. I have to say the decor inside seems to have carried on from Loch Fyne, which is next door to Fat Loaf although it didn't seem to me they had got it right to be honest as it just looked like a run of the mill Beefeater but i suppose some would argue, which I'm sure they will later, it suited them.
When it came to the food i was disappointed by the, i thought, small menu choice. What was on it sounded fine but there just wasn't a lot to choose from. In the end i went for the steak, hung for 28 days or something like that apparently, although nice as it was I'll admit i couldn't really tell the difference from one hung for one day although the home cooked chips that went with it were great.
Pudding was banana bread and toffee sauce and a pot of warm chocolate and rum sauce which sounds completely over the top but boy did it work!!!!
Now it may not sound like it but i did enjoy Fat Loaf but I'm afraid it took another dent in my estimation when the bill arrived. £50 for two sounds a bit over the top but when you consider that included one of our fellow diners 25% off vouchers as well i felt it certainly didn't represent value for money for what we sampled.
All in all nice but it wasn't somewhere I'd rush back too.

Felicinis and Sangham 2

Well I am last again to contribute but what I do remember about Felicini's is that I had a really lovely time. I've always enjoyed this resaurant and can remember when it used to be a very small authentic Italian with strange icing sugar swirls of plaster on the walls and wicker backed chairs back in 1984!! The new expanded and modern feel was refreshing and gave a feeling of success-they obviously know what works well. Even though the restaurant was quite busy we still felt we had a 'private' party as we were in one of the booths at the rear of the room. Food was delicious and I was comfortably warm (I have been cold on other WREC visits). I'll be back for seconds soon I hope.

Sangham 2 was very different for me. What I immediately noticed was that nobody really commented on the food until we left the restaurant,(other than saying "nice crispy popadoms"). We all chatted incessantly during the meal and it was actually very nice. (I went for my usual mild curry)
I didn't notice anything outstanding about the experience and I'm not sure if this is because it was a curry house. I went out to enjoy the company of fellow diners rather than sample a gourmet meal, so it might have been by expectations of the evening. I did have a lovely time and would return again.

Fat loaf is next I believe. I can't wait after all the build up and discussions!

Sangam2 & Felicini........

I'll admit i've been very lazy and not contributed my thoughts on our previous visit to Felicini before now so i'm killing two birds with one stone with this post.........

Sangam2
Difficult to judge this as i was torn between viewing it as a "proper" restaurant or as a curry house, thus comparing it to similar establishments in Rusholme. In the end it was a case of it being middle of the road which, going on comments i'd heard about some peoples experience, was better than expected. The was very nice, i used my usual curry order of chicken dopiaza(?) to judge it by and it was up to standard on most other meals i'd experienced. All in all it was a pleasant evening with good company which, to be honest, is what you normally go to a curry house for, with even enough time to sample a drink in the pub next door!

Felicini
this is going to be a short one i'm afraid but i can still remember the crab linguini i had as a main being very nice which must say something for it. I have to disagree with previous comments about the decor as i liked the brown colour scheme and thought it was bang up to date. However i know Felicini is considered a Didsbury institution by some but although it was nice i cant say it was a cut above other places we've been.

Sangam 2

This meal at Sangam 2 was fairly uneventful for me. I'd been here before, knew what to expect and got what I'd expected. For me It's got a better menu than the Moon in Withington but wasn't has notable as the very nice curry house that we've been to recently in Birmingham. On the plus side we did as a group think that it was good value for money. So overall for me I had a very pleasant evening with friends and ate some nice food but I wouldn't be rushing to take me friends there as a 'special treat'.
I never thought I'd hear myself say it but ' bring on Fat loaf!'

Sangam too

Really enjoyed this one - it's at least on a par with the more touted Great Kathmandu on Burton Road. The opening poppadoms were excellent - not even a trace of grease. And my fish tikka starter was also very good. Main of chicken jalfrezi was as good as most, with excellent boiled rice to accompany it. We even managed to keep a chutney tray on the table throughout the meal ! Eagerly awaiting the scores, though I think they may not be too good as everyone else's seemed to be lower than mine.....

From Felicini to Sangam

Why do I only remember to contribute when we're about to go to the next restaurant ? Never mind, here goes. Looking back on Felicini's it was OK but nothing exceptional in my view. It's a Didsbury institution (and has recently branched out on Oxford St in town) but I'm slightly baffled that it has survived for so many years. Maybe people just want the familiar ? I think the menu could do with pepping up a bit (the starters were the best area), and the dismal brown decor certainly needs a makeover. Food quality and service were fine but I wouldn't be rushing to go back.

Going forward - and I note this phrase came top of the Guardian's recent 'phrases you'd like to ban' list recently, good job I'm not still writing reports, it was one of my favourites - I'm looking forward to Sangam 2 tomorrow, not least because I will be terminating my 'no alcohol in January' regime. Diner 1 has carpingly remarked that it will only be January 29th, but I am regarding a 4 week break as point proven (whatever the point was) and I think tomorrow will be a nice opportunity to celebrate my abstinence among friends. I'm certainly looking forward even to a bottle of Cobra (as I imagine that's what will be on offer), so clearly my fundamental relationship with alcohol has survived unscathed.

I've had exceptionally good curries at Sangam 2 in the past, though I must admit not recently, and I am slightly apprehensive after hearing Diner 2's more recent intelligence. But all will be revealed tomorrow.....

Tomorrow night!

Looking forward to our next outing tomorrow night. Don't forget your new scoring book Kirsty!

Dilemma, dilemma, dilemma

Remind me diner 3 not to play poker against you! You've thrown down the gauntlet playing directly into my compulsion for a bargain........and it might just be the thing that sways me......25% off during a credit crunch.......how could a girl resist!!!!!!

Where next in 2009???

Although not wanting to upset Kirsty 'Meaden', it would, however, be a little remiss of me not to mention to my fellow WRECERs the 25% off voucher (on the a la carte menu) I have acquired from Didsbury's biggest 'Fat Loaf' fan, to be used in January for up to 10 guests, Monday to Thursday....

A new year and I've forgotten what happened in 2008!

I thought I had better post before we make our next foray out onto Wilmslow Road. Are we going forwards or backwards ... time will tell! I guess I don't mind as long as we have fun discussing all the issues.

I do remember that Loch Fyne#2 beat Loch Fyne#1 but that Felicini beat them both (but I can't remember why).

A New Year, a new energy to move FORWARDS!

I must have been overcome with Christmas Cheer when I did my last blog and when I suggested that I would consider going back down the Wilmslow road to Fat Loaf. As good as that restaurant might be I have driven down (or rather up) the Wilmslow road a couple of times now and I feel clear that going back is not for me. I want to feel that we've really made a 'dent' in our quest so fellow diners in true Dragon den's style I'd like to say 'I'm out!'