It’s not just the famous honey toast you’ll find, with a Taiwanese-Italian menu spanning familiar to adventurous
When the first Dazzling Cafe opened in Taipei, it wasn’t uncommon to see people queuing round the block for the legendary honey toast (more on that later). But there’s more to Dazzling than its signature sweet: many ‘cafes’ in Taiwan actually have a full restaurant-style food menu, and that’s exactly the case here.
There are now over ten Dazzling Cafes worldwide, and lucky Manchester has the first in Europe. Opened earlier this year, it offers the group’s popular Taiwanese-Italian fusion menu and a sprinkling of dishes exclusive to Manc.
Spanning familiar classics like pasta and pizza to more exotic Asian dishes, the menu is the perfect blend of East and West. Like trying something different? Or prefer to stick to what you know? Dazzling caters to both.
While the ambience is decidedly casual, that doesn’t mean the attention to detail is. From the sauces made in-house to chicken prepared especially, the kitchen team are sticklers for perfection. Most produce is local to Manchester, but you’ll also find the occasional imported ingredient you wouldn’t find elsewhere - Dazzling, quite literally, goes the extra mile.
For just £10, you can now enjoy a two-course lunch on weekdays 12-3pm, including starter and main. We popped in outside these times, but fortunately the a la carte menu is available during all opening hours (midday until 7.30pm Mon-Sat, until 7pm on Sunday).
These were some of our favourite dishes…
STARTERS
Chicken karaage with cheese
Taiwanese cuisine has a lot of Japanese influence, reflected in dishes such as this. ‘Karaage’ is a method of Japanese cooking, which retains the tenderness of the meat while giving it a deliciously crisp coating; something that’s enhanced by the skin-on, boneless chicken thighs Dazzling order especially from the local butcher. Accompanying chips and creamy cheese sauce make this dish decidedly naughty, but it’s perfect for a treat. And YOLO right?
Mixed salad and deep-fried cod with Japanese sesame dressing
A nod to fish and chips (but healthier), this salad is exclusive to Dazzling Manchester. The cod tastes like you’d get the chippy, and works a treat with the Japanese sesame dressing. Add in fresh mixed leaves for those all-important greens and you have yourself a simple but well-rounded dish.
MAINS
Creamy pesto spaghetti with chicken thigh
Again using skin-on boneless chicken thigh for that slight crispiness, marinated in special house rub, this is a satisfying spaghetti indeed. Dazzling also make their own pesto, using fresh basil - lovely.
Smoked duck breast pizza with pesto sauce
Disclaimer: Dazzling pizzas are verycheesy. Cheese sauce, mozzarella and cheddar are just some of the varieties you’ll find on their tortilla bases (crispy and thin, just how we like 'em). Other toppings are also generous, in this case homemade pesto and succulent smoked duck.
Seafood spaghetti
Talking of generous, there are no less than five types of seafood in this spaghetti - scallops, clams, squid rings, mussels and a royally big king prawn - all complemented by a rich tomato sauce.
Mentaiko rice casserole
‘Rice casseroles’ sound unusual, but are actually very similar to risottos. Our favourite is mentaiko, which is a cod roe often used in sushi, and has a smoky taste - enhanced by the slightly charred mozzarella that dresses the dish. Add in creamy sauce made in-house and this gives fish kedgeree a run for its money.
DESSERTS
Honey toast
The legendary Dazzling dessert, this edible Jenga stack - available in traditional honey toast and French toast - is made using bespoke bread, and hides mini cubes of goodness inside. Heaped with a choice of ingredients, in our case hazelnut and chocolate, the creation is even dissembled ceremonially in front of you (once you’ve got your photo in, naturally). Add a scoop of ice cream for extra phwoar factor.
Red bean matcha mochi waffle
Dazzling waffles are also available in chocolate and strawberry, but we decided to go for something more adventurous - and were well rewarded with this red bean mochi flavour, a sweet paste that’s popular in Asian desserts. Imported from Taiwan, it’s on each ‘petal’ of the flower-shaped waffle, along with fluffy whipped cream that’s light as feather. Ice cream sits in the middle, and the whole is sprinkled with the finest grade matcha.
