Mana
Manchester, Greater Manchester
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A power move across multiple courses, Mana is the home of the heavy culinary flex. It's not just about the money (although at around £185 for 13 courses, it is inevitably somewhat about the money). The double-height space, monolithic open kitchen and white-hung windows, drawing a veil between Mana and the rest of Ancoats, are robustly impressive; so, too, is the commitment to obscure grains and the fondness for conjuring palate cleansers with koji mould – if you like that sort of thing. A serving of turnip and lemon thyme broth provides a 'lovely welcome', ahead of a roll call of 'intricate, interesting, complex food'. Snacks are served at the bar and in the kitchen (including a delicate cep and Jerusalem artichoke tartlet, eaten at the pass), and these are succeeded by some real moments of triumph – from sensational laminated onion bread with ethical foie gras to loveable Scottish lobster, carved with surgical precision and served with preserved truffle and verbena in a kintsugi bowl. Hogget is barbecued 'perfectly pink' and paired to great effect with the richness of a young miso sabayon, although it makes an unwelcome return in a petit four of parsley root and hogget fat. There are also missteps in flavours that are 'occasionally, perhaps, too strong', such as the pool of (unripe) habanero chilli sauce surrounding prime, but sadly overwhelmed, pieces of tuna. Service can feel stiff and one-sided, especially when it comes to an otherwise 'very good' wine pairing – although when enthusiasm for what's being served peeks through, things can soften a notch.
