TO APPRECIATE any cultural shift, it’s important to know what went on beforehand.
The food is safe. They’re not hugely active on Twitter, still put sprigs of flat leaf parsley and mint on dishes and proudly display awards the chef got back in 1999.
Let me whisk you back in time to Manchester’s restaurant scene at the turn of the century before we got Roganised. Aiden Byrne was working the stoves down in London and Oliver Peyton’s Mash and Air proved to be about a decade before its time.
All eyes were on a brand new restaurant in a previously underutilised space in Lincoln Square. The Lincoln was the trendy new place to be seen with its huge glass windows and Modern British menu. Heading up the kitchen was a bright young local, Jem O’Sullivan who was causing a stir as the one to watch.
Outside
Eventually, Jem and his missus opened their own restaurant ‘Jem & I’ in Didsbury village. Exciting things were expected, rave reviews were issued (including ones from Gordo) and they were consistently recognised by the Michelin Guide.
Jem & I was the only restaurant in Manchester to be awarded a Bib Gourmand between 2003-2006, which lists venues offering value for money and a high level of culinary skill. Then, nothing much happened.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s one hell of an achievement for any restaurant to celebrate its 10 year anniversary and they were busy enough to extend in 2006 but no-one seems to be talking about Jem & I much. Apart from their own website, nothing new comes up in a Google search and no restaurant collecting bloggers have gone near it.
Inside
The first signs were not great when I phoned on Friday afternoon for a table during Sunday lunchtime. Being asked what time I would like to dine, rather than being told, illustrated it wasn’t busy. I’ll have to give them the benefit of the doubt as the waitress told me it was ‘unusually quiet’ and assured me when I asked that it had been rammed the week before.
The menu lists box ticking bistro favourites such as chicken liver parfait (£4.95) and seared scallops (£7.95) with dishes that most people wouldn’t really struggle to knock up at home such as king prawns in garlic butter (£6.95). The soup of the day was asparagus (£4.95), perhaps the day in question was a sun kissed one in May rather than present day February.
That led me to choose the one starter that would illustrate some kind of discernible skill, beetroot falafels with tzatziki, rocket and feta (£4.95). These were light and the most gorgeous pink colour, but the magic was the hidden feta inside keeping them moist and tangy. My husband stifled a guffaw as I enthusiastically invited him to “smell my dill” but I was just digging the dressing.
Beetroot falafel
The other starter we chose was frito misto – brie, mozzarella and courgette fritters with dipping sauces (£4.95), main picture above. This was as golden and crisp as you’d want deep fried cheese to be, but the accompanying dips were misjudged. Mayonnaise is just mayonnaise and the red onion jam was so sweet it could have gone unnoticed by a veteran WI judging a Victoria sponge.
Mains were a bit more exciting and suitably designed to offer all you’d expect at lunchtime on a Sunday. We ordered roast sirloin of beef with Yorkshire pudding and fresh horseradish (a reasonable £13.95). The beef was perfectly cooked but lacking in taste. We’d have been happy to pay a quid extra for a better hung beast. The saucer sized Yorkshire pudding was impressive but a little dry so was helped along by decent gravy.
Roast Beef
I ordered pheasant breast and leg with coq au vin sauce which was a generous portion for £9.95. The legs were tender and the right side of gamey but the breast was tough enough to put up some resistance. The sauce was a good amalgamation of gamey juices, smoky bacon, mushrooms and caramelised shallots.
Both main courses were piping hot and accompanied by a sharing dish of vegetables including a chunky and smooth carrot puree, shredded Savoy, green beans and deliciously cheesy cauliflower cheese.
Pleasant pheasant
The wine list is a real pleasure to read and great value for money per bottle. I decided upon a Lancashire blush cider (it’s pale so the blush comes from them charging £4.90 per bottle) which washed the pheasant down perfectly and our waitress recommended a glass of easy going Malbec (£4.95) with the beef.
Blush cider
There wasn’t much lime in my unseasonal raspberry and lime crème brulee (£3.95) but it came with a raspberry sorbet so sparkly, fresh and sherbetty it could moonlight as a children’s entertainer on happy pills. Apple and pear crumble with custard was not pretty and I couldn’t get any less run of the mill description out of my husband than “nice” - a word that stabs the heart of any chef with culinary ambition.
Crumble Bumble
This brings me back to my initial concern.
Jem O’Sullivan is clearly a skilled chef; he understands flavour and technique, has collated a steady following of regulars and his restaurant is listed in various eminent publications. But his food is safe. They’re not hugely active on Twitter, still put sprigs of flat leaf parsley and mint on dishes and proudly display awards he got back in 1999.
Now Manchester has upped its game on the dining front, I hope that Jem realises it’s 2014, takes a risk and delivers on his undoubted potential.
Now is the time.
You can follow Deanna Thomas on Twitter @deannathomas
ALL SCORED CONFIDENTIAL REVIEWS ARE IMPARTIAL AND PAID FOR BY THE MAGAZINE.
Jem & I, 1C School Lane, Didsbury M20 6RD. 0161 445 3996
Food: 7/10 (frito misto 7.5, falafel 8, pheasant 8, beef 7, brulee 6, crumble 6)
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
Vegetables (Like your minimalist dish descriptions this time, Deanna. Ed)
Brulee and super sorbet
