Feature on Portugal, Off Licence News

It's HERE actually (Portugal archive page, towards the bottom of the page)...

Bordeaux feature Off Licence News

Bordeaux feature - this piece appeared in the 20th September 2002 edition of Off Licence News: CLICK HERE (towards bottom of the page)...

HOT harpers on-trade: sushi & licensing in Manchester

HOT: harpers on-trade September 2002 (issue 25)

A brief investigation into, and review of sushi restaurants in Manchester... Plus a few thoughts on licensing policy and growth of late bars in the city centre...

Miyako (50 Faulkner Street M1, 0161 228 1215) snuggles up, almost unnoticed, shoulder-to-shoulder with the myriad, densely packed and diverse restaurants, bakers and grocers that form Manchester’s China Town. It’s one of a small but growing handful of Japanese & sushi restaurants in the city centre, which includes Teppanyaki around the corner and newcomer Samsi Yakitori on Whitworth Street; plus Pan Asia, Wagamama and Tampopo who serve some Japanese dishes. Out of town is Sakura in West Didsbury and a few others in the metropolitan area.

Miyako has been open for five years and is small modest but relaxed and authentic-feeling. The head chef Eduardo Con-Ui, or Eddie as he introduces himself, has worked at the Hyatt in Dubai and as chef for Japanese Steel. He commented: “Teppanyaki cooking, which is new-ish in the UK and only developed over the last 10-15 years, has become the main focus but is less traditional.” However their sushi selection is impressive proposing a main list of 15-20 dishes, and the full range extends to over 30 including more exotic seafood, some of which is graded as ‘challenging’. “It’s seasonal too and depends on the market, as much of it is from tropical countries; salmon and mackerel we can get locally.” The market Eddie refers to is the celebrated Smithfield in Manchester, where he goes in the morning twice or so a week.

The core sushi menu features freshwater eel, prawns, giant clam, salmon, salmon roe, tuna and scallops, for example. These are priced from £5.50 for squid or crabsticks, £6 for four pieces of tuna or snapper, shrimp £7.50, to queen fish, eel or octopus at £10; and £11 for akagai (ark shell), which looks like an extra from Alien. Other ‘challenging’ species are ika (cuttlefish), kohada (gizzard-shad) and shako (squilla). “People who are familiar with sushi try these, and I have to order them in sometimes.” The dishes are all made on the premises: “it depends on the fish, tuna is prepared in a different way to shellfish for example.”

Being located close to numerous offices, and increasingly new apartments and hotels, also means a burgeoning take-away trade for Miyako. Their main menu is available at lower prices than the sit-down including the stunning looking Japanese platter, which is ordered in advance. The potential for sushi restaurants in general seems sound, as the market in Greater Manchester is by no means saturated.

*****

If you happen to be near Peter Street, Deansgate Locks or the Village (‘gay district’ around Canal Street) after 2am on Friday or Saturday night, the sheer quantity of partied people roaming the streets must surely confirm that there are more bars open late in Manchester. A few years ago this was the prerogative of clubs; is there a trend towards late-licensed bars – whether exclusive, cavernous or plain raucous – taking over as the preferred venue for ‘after hours’ drinking and dancing?

Manchester City Council appears liberal with its newfound freedom in granting licences, as many new premises open their doors to 2am Thursday to Saturday from day one. Local brewer cum bar owner J.W Lees holds a dozen late licences including Rain Bar, Rembrandt, Velvet Underground, South and John Willie Lees. Managing director William Lees-Jones condoned MCC’s policy in glowing terms: “…Council has been tremendous in supporting the development of Manchester as a city embracing licensed premises and residential use. This is making people come back into the city centre after years of no one really living there.”

Mark Cain – proprietor of stylish Velvet bar & restaurant, which opened six years ago on Canal Street – made some interesting points about other possible consequences. “We were advised to run to 11 then go later; we waited a year to bed ourselves in. All recent ones are automatically to 2 as par for the course. It’s a way of making a quick buck…(many places) are busy Friday and Saturday but not the rest of the week. It’s fickle: we’ve seen more bars going to the wall trading solely on late weekend trade…it’s changed the nature of bar going with a loss of diversity.”

City centre residents are rightfully demanding more input into licensing activities, so noise and trouble issues are properly considered, and the council claims to be listening. Lees-Jones added: “People must remember why they moved back into the centre in the first place and that the city needs bars to keep their rates down and services in place.” In addition the concentration of late bars in areas like those mentioned above has arguably alleviated the problem of crowds spilling out at the same time, and by spreading them around the city. There’s also little doubt this has effected clubbing life in the city, and we’re witnessing the development of perhaps a new genre of establishment such as One Central Street, which aspires to bar/restaurant/club status.

More HOT here.

Château Falfas: "biodynamic in Bordeaux"

"This fetching, subtly grand yet unpretentious and workmanlike property is owned by John and Véronique Cochran and is located near Bayon in the Côtes de Bourg appellation to the northeast of Bordeaux on the Right Bank. This area isn’t known for great quality and hence its wines don’t command high prices, but that doesn’t do justice to certain individual estates which are reaching to applaud-worthy heights. Château Falfas is one of them and also unique in Bordeaux, as it's been run on biodynamic principles since 1988, thus joining such illustrious names as Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace, Huet in Vouvray and Chapoutier in the Rhône..."

Read it HERE.

“I’d like a nice Chardonnay please...”

Restaurant magazine 31 October 2001 issue

“I’d like a nice Chardonnay please.”

“We have Red Ridge in a frosted blue bottle or Windswept Gorge with a slick minimalist label.”

“Which is the best?”

“Well, they taste the same, but the Windswept Gorge looks sharper.”

Hopefully this isn’t a conversation you’ll hear in a restaurant, but there’s no denying trendy packaging is one way to make your bottle stand out from the rest. This is particularly true, of course, of producers trying to grab the drinker’s bewildered eye, when confronted with shelves full of enticing names, bottles, grapes and regions. But does the look of a wine play an increasing role in selecting in a restaurant – for the proprietor or the punter – where usually we go on a name, a recognisable style, a vintage or the sommelier’s recommendation?

The invasion of clever branded wordplay and gimmicky bottles has already taken hold in the retail sector, with varying success and quality of the liquid inside. What ever happened to Bend in the River, a ‘new wave’ German in a tall, curvy bottle? The wine wasn’t bad, just dull and overpriced. There’s the Pendulum duo, Australian Chardonnay and Italian Zinfandel dressed to kill in sexy silver outfit, which admittedly both taste good. Or Miranda White Pointer, a passable dry white adorned with shark hologram appearing when sufficiently chilled; pretty and practical. Deep Purple Shiraz, all 70s glitz and confected flavours. Fat Bastard Chardonnay, Old Git red; actually decent French wines but how well would they sell otherwise?

This kind of visual or sense of humour seduction may become more important in the on-trade e.g. All Bar One where the wines are racked on shelves behind the bar. The heavyweight, flat-top bottle has been with us for a while and high profile brands packaged thus, such as California’s Robert Mondavi or Chile’s Cono Sur, suit the restaurant table well, where the name probably counts. The attraction of such brands is obvious: familiar, perhaps uncomplicated, consistent and they sell easily without explanation.

The buff or snob appeal of traditional names of fine wines, quality aside, will always be a big pull for some customers, whatever they look like. Listing top Burgundies or Barolos can be commendable and impressive but doesn’t necessarily match the establishment or offer value. For example, Manchester’s rated Pacific restaurant offers innovative Thai and Chinese dishes and a fantastic wine list brimming with famous Bordeaux reds; but do they go the food?