I was recently asked to audition to be a judge on a cooking show on TV. Anyone who knows me, will know that this is well outside of my comfort zone although I really do believe we should try anything once. So there I was, on Skype with the tv producer and I was half expecting the question I always struggle to answer, ‘what is your favourite restaurant in Manchester?’ Surely you can’t have just one? Anyway, the question of my favourite cuisine came up and this one, I knew I could answer straight away. Thai. Thai food is my absolute favourite. I love the way Thai dishes use herbs and spices to change the dynamic of a dish and give it that hit of flavour that I have never experienced in another type of cuisine. They manage to combine sweet, sour, savoury and spicy into one mouthful and it will never fail to overwhelm my palate, in a good way.
Tampopo takes that one step closer and features dishes from all over Southeast Asia. Are you ready to take a trip?
Tampopo at the Corn Exchange is at the basement level so the only natural light is that from above. That said, this is what most Thai restaurants are like and the seating areas are also authentic with brightly coloured steel chairs and dark booths adorned with lanterns and vintage looking prints. The phrase on the blackboard ‘same same but different’, is something they say a lot about things in Thailand and it is so true of Tampopo, this is not a Thai restaurant, their flavours cover a much broader area of the globe.
We dined as a group so we were able to try a lot of the dishes at the same time. Edamame Beans are a must for me whenever they are on a menu so I munched my way through a lot of these. Slightly salted but fairly mild, which is perfect before all the spicy food we ate afterwards. The Sharing Platters are a great way to try things that you might not normally pick and the Meaty Platter is my absolute favourite. The satay chicken is soft and tender with a creamy peanut sauce, the pork dumplings have been lightly pan fried so the coating loses that soft and sticky texture that I am not a fan of. The Balinese pork belly remains tender with a crunchy coating to the fatty areas that is just lovely. It added to my wanderlust over visiting Bali, I’m not going to lie! The Asian Sharing Platter is also a good choice despite the mushroom elements (you know I hate mushrooms). The corn fritters have the perfect balance of sweet and savoury, that I love so much about Asian food.
Tampopo serve three different salads on their menu; Japanese, Vietnamese or Spicy Thai. They are traditionally served without a protein but you can order any of them with tofu, chicken or steak. It would be easy to assume they are all the same as they are all influenced by the same area of the world but the flavours are so different. The Vietnamese is light and fragrant, whilst the Japanese has some strong flavours that manage not to fight with one another. My favourite, not surprisingly, is the spicy Thai. It has all the elements I love about Thai food, sweetness from the apple, hot heat from the spices and and a sour note from the dressing. I’d love to try it with some tofu as a full meal.
The soups at Tampopo are also good with the Katsu Udon being a particular bestseller, adding a unique twist to the popular katsu curry. I preferred the Laksa Soup with a delicately spiced coconut broth, oodles of Singapore noodles and juicy plump prawns. The addition of cucumber to a hot dish seems confused but really works and adds a lightness to what could easily be a heavy meal.
Onto mains and this is the Duck cooked sous vide making it seriously delicate and tender, served on a fragrant and lightly spiced creamy sauce with jasmine rice. My absolute favourite is the King Pad Thai, which is traditional pad Thai served in an omelette. A lot of Thai food is served with egg so to see my favourite Thai dish served inside an omelette was such a nice spin on it. Inside is slightly al dente sour sweet noodles with soft chicken, bok choi and peanuts for added crunch.
Asian desserts aren’t really my thing but I am partial to a sorbet to cleanse the palate and the Mango Sorbet at Tampopo really is like biting into a fresh and juicy mango. Not overly sweet, the fruit flavours pop in the mouth leaving the tastebuds salivating. I had a sneaky taste of the Roti Pancake which is delightfully simple. Flaky roti are topped with a drizzle of condensed milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon and then served with a cinnamon ice cream. A lovely light dessert to consider if you have any room left after your own Asian feast.
A Vietnamese Coffee for the road and I wandered back up the stairs to the real world, passed the neon signs I miss so much in Bangkok and with lots of memories back at the forefront of my mind, ready to book my next trip. Perhaps Vietnam this time?
I was invited to dine at Tampopo by the Golden Chopsticks Awards, who celebrate the best in Asian cuisine and have invited bloggers to review their favourite restaurants to be in with a chance of winning the Rising Star award. I hope you have enjoyed my entry, at least as much as I enjoyed writing it.
No Comments