Promotion
BORED of the usual sandwich or salad for lunch? We certainly are. Yet restaurant dining midday isn’t so easy, when squeezing it into such a short space of time. So when Quill announced their new express lunch menu - we couldn’t wait to try it.
Gone are the days of grabbing a mediocre sandwich and wolfing it down in between emails
Express lunch is available Tuesday to Friday 12-2.30pm: booking completed, my colleague and I paid a midweek visit and we weren’t disappointed. Not only was the food sublime, it was a thoroughly pleasant experience: express lunch is always served in the Garden Room, overlooking King Street - great for people watching as you enjoy your meal - and the service was second to none.
Cooked slowly at 47 degrees, my confit salmon starter was tender and light, served with dill for extra freshness. My companion chose the cheese dish, a stunning Harrogate blue which was frozen with liquid nitrogren at our table in an impressive flourish. This was perhaps expected for somewhere whose chef has managed to make Marmite butter incredibly popular, despite its divisive component. Served with freshly-baked Cotswold bread as part of Quill’s normal lunch menu, I tried this inventive creation on a previous visit and truly enjoyed it, despite my misgivings.
Confit Salmon
Back to the express menu, where diners can choose from chicken served three different ways: chicken breast, maple glazed chicken wing and chicken Kiev - the chef’s take on one of his favourite childhood dishes - all served with smoked swede and pomme purée. We were both very tempted by the vegetarian main, parmesan risotto served with a confit bantam egg yolk and topped with balsamic caviar, but chicken won out and was tucked into with relish.
Parmesan Risotto
Savoury palates duly filled, it was time for dessert: chocolate with blood orange, cardamom and grue. Now I knew from Jaffa cakes and Terry’s that orange and chocolate make a good combination but this was something else altogether, a harmony of flavours that quite literally melted in the mouth. My only snag? I didn’t want to end.
Arriving back at the office I felt refreshed and ready to go. More to the point, I didn’t snack once all afternoon. Gone are the days of grabbing a mediocre sandwich and wolfing it down between emails, I think I’ll do this more often...
Quill Mcr, 20/22 King Street, Manchester M2 6AG
Chicken breast
