Mediterranean meets Middle Eastern in this summer, sharing roast
DESIGNED as a sharing dinner for two, Suri's Sunday menu includes three starters, a choice of three roasts, and a Sunday Sundae to finish, all for just £40. That's £40 in total, not per person, making it a bit of a hidden bargain. If you're curious about Suri, the new Mediterranean restaurant on King Street, this is a very accessible way to experience it.
With an intimate bar and restaurant on the ground floor and a bright and airy dining area upstairs, it's definitely winning points on style as well as price. The summer sun pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows really set the mood for a Mediterranean-style Sunday roast.
The sharing starters consisted of crunchy cauliflower with tahini simply baked in spices to create a wondrous nibble that had even the most hardened cauliflower hater sneaking a second helping. It was served alongside a perfectly crisp chickpea kibbeh with spiced yoghurt, and a soft and aromatic Persian spiced bread.
As there were three of us we decided to add two extras off the main menu and a special: namely the Josper honey salmon with avocado ‘ma taheena’, plus the manchego filo with truffled honey, and the chorizo special.
The salmon was a work of Josper-smoked art with zingy crushed avocado and edible flowers. The manchego filos were parcels of ripe, flavoursome Spanish cheese wrapped in filo and baked with a truffle honey sauce that added a sweetness that made the dish sing.
The chorizo special was stunning. Pan-fried till soft in the centre, the chorizo was bursting with the warm, spicy flavours of Spain. Partnered with its dip, this dish was an explosion of smoky-sweet that evoked the Mediterranean. It will be added to the main menu soon.
Then the roast arrived. We’d chosen the turmeric chicken spatchcock. Served on a large sharing board with kale, carrots and mini potatoes, the sight itself got a few audible gasps. It was an entire spatchcock chicken, baked in the same finger-licking spices as the cauliflower, and drizzled with a warming sauce. Juicy, succulent meat fell off the bone and the crispy skin locked in the juices.
The potatoes could have been a dish on their own: they were lovely and soft with a pesto-like dressing. Their freshness complemented the warmth of the chicken while the kale and carrots brought an earthy sweetness to round off the dish.
The menu ended with a Sunday sundae. Packed with forest berries, chocolate brownies, ice cream and whipped cream, it was too good to contemplate sharing. It encompassed everything good about a Mediterranean summer at the beach.
We also tried the cardamom and vanilla infused panna cotta, served with a rose-scented rhubarb compote and ground gingernuts. This was incredibly smooth and velvety with a burst of warm sweetness from the cardamom complementing the acidic sharpness of the rhubarb. Everything worked in harmony to make a very powerful little dessert.
The preserved lemon curd and red berry rocks was not for the faint-hearted. A thick layer of tangy forest fruit compote rested on a zingy preserved lemon curd, while filo pastry peppered with poppy seeds added contrast.
As an extra indulgence, we sampled their daily arabica (aka espresso martini). Thick and creamy this was the martini to end all martinis. A perfect balance of sweet and strong with a lifting note of vanilla in the rich cream.
So, Sunday Lunch at Suri: an incredible experience that took us from Manchester to the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. And for just £40 for the starters, whole roast and sundae (plus a little extra if you indulge yourself like we did), the whole thing is a complete steal.
We’re already planning our next trip, especially after hearing about their plans for a special Easter Sunday spiced lamb. We have no doubt Suri will pull it off perfectly.
Suri Restaurant & Bar, 22 King Street, Manchester, M2 6AG
Easter Sunday has the additional option of spiced lamb, plus you will receive a bottle of Prosecco and live music throughout the afternoon from Malaika, for £45 between 2.
A la carte also available.
Photo Credit: Emily Redding
