He's only in town for two days and has brought a lady friend with him and wants to be entertained - if that's what he wants then that's what he'll get. And it will be the finest Manchester has to offer.

He and Ana arrived about 6.00 and were looking a little tired and bedraggled. "What to do?" Thinks I, "Should I take them home for an evening lazing in front of the telly or should we mooch around town a little and get something to eat out." Of course the latter. We dumped their bags in my office and headed into town for a pint of beer at the Lass O'Gowrie and then headed to Manchester's most famous restaurant, the Yang Sing.

For those who are not familiar with the Yang Sing this is one of Britain's truly great gastranomic treats. It doesn't have Caché (nor the expense) of a three Michelin star celebrity chef palace, but what it does have is really quite superb Chinese food that I haven't found bettered anywhere. Five floors of excellent oriental nosh - gaze in wonderment you Londerners and New York City types, you may think you get good Chinese food but you I doubt you have better than this.

Normally people who go to the Yang Sing order a banquet. The banquet selection here is amazing, top quality and completely impossible to finish. The last time I had a banquet here the food kept coming for over three hours. There was ostrich, a whole sea bass, about ten different dim sum, various other meats, soups, rice and noodles. Quite ridiculous really, but I didn't complain. Today we didn't go for a Chinese banquet as Des and Ana weren't quite that hungry. (The smallest banquet menu had 15 dishes and we thought this might be a bit wasteful) instead we opted to pick a few choice items from the normal menu and have a glass or two of wine to wash it down.

I have to say my photos don't do the food justice, especially the braised brisket which is the finest dish I have had in any Chinese restaurant anywhere, and I've eaten my share of Chinese meals. Also worth an honourable mention were the fried fun kuo which unlike many dim sum you get were actually filled with top quality meat, large chunks of crabmeat, not reconstituted left overs. The soup was excellent, the roast meat really delicious and although not to everyone's taste the chicken's feet were also really good.

So a fine Chinese meal all in all and not a bad way to welcome wandering American's who turn up expecting grub. I shall cook tomorrow and see if I can't pull something interesting out of my hat, but for a first day they weren't complaining.


Cake Blog

Christening Cake: I don't know who got christened but my housemates Fran and Matt went to a christening and brought me a piece back for my blog.


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