I’ve visited Grand Pacific a few times, from their Sunday lunch to their summer menu last year. This time I was delighted to be picked as the winner for a competition they ran and they invited me over for a meal with a friend.
I won’t show you the interior again as I have shared it in my previous post, I will say that the sumptuous surroundings are spot on for a special occasion and the bar area is screaming for you to perch with a cocktail in hand with friends. It is important to note that you can visit just for drinks too, and you really should. The cocktail menu is exquisite.
I chose the most colourful starter I have ever seen with the Salt Baked Beetroot Tian. It is not like me to choose something vegetarian but the flavours are so bold, it did not miss a meat or fish element in the slightest. Arriving like a cupcake on the plate, the soft beetroot is topped with a whipped goats cheese and is surrounded by candied walnuts. It is sweet and salty, smooth and crunchy all at the same time and I would not hesitate in ordering it again.
My date chose the Bakwan Sayur; Indonesian vegetable fritters served with a roast sesame sauce. The fritters are light with a crisp coating and the dressing rich and creamy. It is also a generous sized portion and a lovely option if you are not so hungry and fancy sharing a starter.
I also chose a main that I wouldn’t normally have gone for, the Vietnamese Pork Fillet. I have been lusting over Vietnam for quite some time so any chance I get at the moment to try the food, I am all over it. The pork fillet is soft and flavourful and served on top of a pile of aromatic noodles, bok choi and a pineapple sambal. The latter gives the dish that fruity fire that Vietnamese food is famous for and it did not quench my thirst for a trip in the near future.
My date chose a version of the main that I enjoyed the last time I had visited Grand Pacific; the Buri Bop Korean Hot Plate with prawns. It is a simple yet effective dish that is served to you with a hot plate that you cook on yourself at the table. I love the combination of egg fried rice and prawns but do think this dish would be better served with a separate plate as the rice does tend to overcook and stick to the bottom of the hot plate, making it burn and go crunchy.
Onto dessert and I am not ashamed to admit that I totally influenced both of our orders, predominantly because whenever I have visited Grand Pacific in the past, they have always sold out of the pecan pie. Not on this night! So my date ordered it and oh my, it was worth the wait! Warm pecan pie with that delightful crunch is served with vanilla and cinnamon cream cheese to add a little sourness to, what is usually an incredibly sweet dish. The base is crisp, the filling soft and those pecans slightly bitter yet sweet. It is delicious and you need to try it.
I chose the Pineapple Tarte Tatin as anyone who knows me well will know, I am a sucker for anything pineapple. Not just edible pineapples either. They adorn my house and most of the pens at the bottom of my handbag have pineapples on too. What can I say, it is a bit of an obsession. This dessert is also now an obsession… a thick and juicy pineapple ring is encased in sweet and crispy pastry and is topped with vanilla ice cream and star anise syrup with a gentle kick of fragrant spice. I wonder if they will let me sit down to this and a cocktail rather than a full meal because that would be an absolute dream when I am passing but not hungry.
We had another excellent visit to Grand Pacific and it continues to be somewhere that I recommend to people when they ask for a beautiful venue for a special meal out. I’ll be tagging along for that pineapple tarte tatin in the future, you have been warned.
Grand Pacific, 50 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 1EN.
I was invited to dine following winning a competition online, however there was no expectation or request to review.
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