Red Chilli

70-72 Portland Street, Tel. 0161 236 2888, www.redchillirestaurant.co.uk

You could be forgiven for walking straight past Red Chilli. It's an unassuming looking place, below street level and former home to Beaujolais, a forgettable French restaurant. The restaurant is decorated in a somewhat garish geometric, almost Japanese style, in black and paprika orange with kitsch touches such as stained glass mirrors featuring lovebirds and flowers.

On being seated, we noticed we were one of only two tables featuring non-Chinese people. Surely a good sign. The complimentary appetizers of piquant roasted groundnuts and sliced mooli with slivers of chilli hinted that this was no ordinary Chinese restaurant, and this was confirmed when the waitress arrived with two separate menus – one “normal” (of standard China Town fayre) and one “spicy” menu. Intriguing. We decided we wanted a banquet and there were several choices including a vegetarian option. Whoopsi J is non-carnivorous, but not wanting to miss out on the impressive sounding fish and seafood dishes, advice was sought from the waiting staff. Could we have a fish/veggie banquet? The waitress looked unsure, but said she would ask the Head Waiter. Within a minute, he came over and asked us what kind of thing we wanted. Spicy or mild? Fish or seafood? After listening to us attentively, he disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a suggestion of two courses of two dishes per course plus a soup. We trusted to his judgement.

First up was the soup - Hot and sour seafood soup with prawns, beancurd, squid and scallops. Unlike some establishments, where you're lucky to find more than one king prawn (and more likely than not several “crab”sticks) in the seafood soup, this was teaming with fresh (it really tasted fresh) seafood. The first thing that hit us, though, was that the bite from this hot and sour soup came not from chilli or even black pepper, but from WHITE pepper - astonishing! (The last time Whoopsi J ate white pepper was when she used to nick a boiled potato off her grandfather's plate at Sunday lunch.) Another surprise was the inclusion of a liberal amount of vinegar and subtle use of coriander. The thing about white pepper is that the hotness is restricted entirely to the mouth. Black pepper gets you in the throat, and chilli, of course, gets you all the way down to the next morning (ahem). The resulting soup was addictively good (“well moreish!” was the phrase scribbled in the notebook by Test-Card Girl, having come over all gushingly Manc). We were so appreciative of the soup that we hardly noticed the Head Waiter hovering expectantly, keen to find out if we liked the dish. This he did for every course, in a non-obtrusive, genuinely interested way. He explained to us that the soup was authentic Beijing style, unlike the more Westernized recipes found on the menu of most Chinese restaurants (in fact, this much sweeter version was on the other “normal” menu, had we so wished to order it).

Then for the next course. Sesame prawn toast and braised cucumber with garlic. The sesame toast was crisp and flavoursome - “as good as prawn toast gets” quipped Whoopsi J, and that's pretty good. The cucumber was something of a revelation. Braised cucumber with garlic would not be an obvious menu choice for many people, but this dish was beautifully balanced with the crispy fried prawn toast. It came in a dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar and lots of garlic.

On to the main course. We were looking forward to this one. Poached Seabass in spicy broth. Crispy fish in a rich, punchy broth, flavoured with soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, coriander and lots of little dried red chillies (which the waitress warned us not to eat as they would “make you cry”). The seabass itself was filleted and deep fried before being introduced to the broth. The Head Waiter informed us this is done because most of the seabass readily available here is smaller than in China and tends to flake when cooked in a broth. The initial deep frying of small chunks helps it retain its shape and texture. It was presented beautifully with the head and tail sticking out either side of the bowl, and chunks of crispy seabass delicately arranged in the middle. How to compete with the explosion of flavours in this dish? Answer – don't even try.

The other dish was simplicity itself. Mixed seafood with broccoli - broccoli, shitake mushrooms, carrot, king prawns and scallops, artfully arranged in a Hampton Court Maze fashion, little privet hedges of broccoli encasing the mixed seafood at the centre. As with the soup, the seafood was fresh tasting. It was light and it tasted precisely of itself. Again, a perfect balance with the rich and spicy seabass dish.

Each course consisted of dishes that were generously portioned and nicely presented. The wine list was varied and reasonably priced. We chose a Muscadet at £13.50, which was a crisp and delicate accompaniment to our banquet.

A menu containing such delights as Husband & Wife Lung Slices (it’s beef, in case you’re wondering), Red Hot Chilli Pork Stomach Shreds, Crispy Yellow Croaker with Tomato Sauce, and Mrs Spotty’s Spicy Tofu tells you everything you need to know about how innovative and varied the menu is.

Red Chilli is a real treat. It left us dying to return to try more of the authentic “spicy” menu. If you’re tired of the same old bland China Town menus, Red Chilli will revive your love of Chinese cuisine.

Marks out of 10

	Food	9
	Menu: variation	9
	Menu: innovation	8
	Service: speed	9
	Service: friendliness	9
	Service: helpfulness	9
	Ambience	7
	Décor	6
	Sneer Factor (ponciness)	0
	Value for money	9

Visit date: 18th July 2006

It started with a sneer

"We could do better than this" sneered Whoopsi J, less than impressed with a bland, to-remain-nameless Manchester restaurant guide.

Over the course of an evening, two jugs of Devon Lemonade, several bottles of wine and heated debates about burning issues of the day, such as 'Is Noel Fielding a metrosexual', and 'Guardian reading', a plan was formed. Whoopsi J and the Test-Card Girl determined to embark on a gastronomic tour of Manchester, detailing their exploits and restaurant reviews here on Gastromanc.