A DESSERT for dish of the week could be this beauty (see picture above) from Harvey Nichols Brasserie. The blackberry parfait with biscuit crumb and cress thyme, plus slobbers of jam, has a measured sweetness to make you swoon. The work of Kerrie Hacquoil and Eric Yan, the pastry chefs, it looks just as good as it tastes. The juicy blackberry flavours perfect for the season are lifted by the lovely cress thyme - tiny cress but tasting just like thyme. The price is £5.75. There'll be a fuller expose on the Harvey Nichols' Brasserie food next week, because dishes such as the carrot cake below were spectacular too.
Harvey Nichols' lovely carrot cake
A MAIN for dish of the week could be this beauty (below) from Red Chilli on Oxford Road at the corner with Grafton Street. This is the £12 stir fried eel with coriander in gravy. Bunch the chewy but delicious flesh of the eel on a fork with the coriander and the whole thing explodes in the mouth with sturdy soy etched flavours. Given our Great Wall row the other week - click here - Red Chilli doesn't discriminate between Chinese and non-Chinese people with its menu selections. There's a full review of Red Chilli next week.
Eel heaven
ATLAS BAR has announced a new menu. The bar at the southern end of Deansgate, close to Deansgate Station, already specialises in gin. Now the bar with one of the best southern facing terraces in the region has launched a menu that's a world away from the sophistication of the dishes above. Here there are fish butties for £5.95, a ploughman's for £8.95 and Atlas apple pie for £4.50. Sometimes, simplicity is all that's needed.
ALBERT SQUARE CHOP HOUSE's new chef has been announced. He's Paul Faulkner previously of Piccolino and The Modern who's been given his chance heading up the soon to open - three weeks or so - new pub, restaurant, function rooms and hotel in Albert Square's second most lovely building after the Town Hall - The Memorial Hall. The main restaurant in the building will cook top end British food that tickles the fine dining tastebuds.
This will be the restaurant in the most remarkable high quality refurb in history. A complete reconstruction of a Grade II listed property starting June this year and finishing with a November 5 opening
LINEN, the much overlooked restaurant inside Manchester235, has launched its new winter menu. Its the second under ambitious chef Jaromir Hlavsa, affectionately known as Jarda, who arrived there in April after eight years at Malmaison. He has been given free reign by general manager Austin Graham and the result is as far from standard Casino food as you could imagine. The dishes served up at a tasting menu were properly good. Strong flavours, good combinations and beautifully presented with some unusual twists like the purple potatoes, sourced from a small grower on the Scottish borders. Your eyes say beetroot and your mouth says potato. Strange. No such strangeness with the steaks. Good meat, well hung and cooked perfectly. Let's hope the new second entrance opening into the main concourse close to the AMC cinema will bring in more punters.
Chef Jarda
House smoked salmon from Linen
NOT FAR from 235 a new Mega-Trof is to open in time for Mancheter International Festival in 2013. As we reported in the Sleuth column last week, the not unwelcome Trofisation of Manchester is set to continue when Trof moves into Albert Hall on Peter Street in 2013. The management of the adventurous and ambitious Manchester company hope that the new venue will be open in time for the Manchester International Festival in 2013. That takes place between 4-21 July. Trof will be taking over the main Albert Hall auditorium on the upper floor in the 1910 building. This used to seat 2000 people, so expect a major new event space.
Pictures of Albert Hall are by Andrew Brooks. Website click here. . Twitter:@AndrewPBrooks. Facebook click here.
EVUNA meanwhile, as also reported in Sleuth, is opening a second outlet in the Northern Quarter. The well-known Deansgate tapas bar and restaurant with the stunning selection of Spanish wines, is closing in on planning permission to convert the empty bank unit on the corner of Tib Street and Thomas Street into a restaurant. Because there's much more space than in the original Evuna there'll be a big bar area with tapas style food. There'll also be a charcuterie/deli counter for jamon/queso platters.
THE OLD SESSIONS HOUSE is opening in Knutsford. The Dave Mooney and Paul Newman concept pub/restaurant will feature dishes such as six hour slow roasted shoulder of Lune Valley lamb and grilled hake fillet. There's also a 30% off introductory offer if you feel like snaffling a bargain with your grub - click here.
THE NEW HEADOFFICE at 1 Angel Square of the Cooperative in central Manchester is simply jaw-dropping with an atrium straight from a sci-fi movie and state of the art tasting facilities for the food arms of the ethically driven Manchester-based business. Here's a picture of the largest spitter and swiller for wine-tasting we've ever seen at Confidential.
Efficient wine tasting equipment
Amazing spaces in the Sci-fi movie that is 1 Angel Square
