New Samsi, Manchester

After visiting Samsi Manchester with my partner for an early evening meal we were both very disappointed. My partner is oriental and we regulary dine in many different styles of restaurants, both western and eastern. This visit however is one we shall not be repeating.

The Sushi was good, but had clearly been aired for some time due to the discolouring of the wasabi paste. The Tempora was also good, but hugely over priced for the portion received. The main courses of which we tried Teriyaki chicken with sticky rice, and pork Katsu with a side order of Udon noodles were both awful. The noodles were nice until the third mouthful which revealed a hair, the katsu was bland and extremely oily, even for a deep fried dish. The chicken Teriyaki was also bland, the sauce holding very little flavour and the sticky rice, which we eat regulary at home, was over cooked and mushy.

Needless to say i mentioned this to our, chinese waiter, who was very helpful but unfortunatly hindered by his manager. She attended at our table, before looking at the plates and immeadiately started to insinuate that if we were unhappy with the meal, we shouldn't have eaten it. I politely pointed out that the waiter had removed our dishes to show the chef, and when he returned with them, and the amount we had actually eaten was made apparent, the manager relented. She had the dishes removed from the bill and we, still being hungry and wanting to give them the benefit of our doubt, tried a desert. The Daifuku mochi, our desert, was three red bean mochi cakes, with squirty cream, the exact same red bean mochi cakes anyone can buy from one of the many chinese supermarkets in Manchester for around about £4 for 16.

After all this the bill arrived, £30 for the sushi, tempora, mochi, half a pint of Japanese larger and one glass of orange. Two starters, one desert and two drinks.

Not to be recommended. A 2 star experiance, at best.

The New Samsi is the only authentic Japanese restaurant I have found in Manchester, and it offers good value for money and delicious food. 4 members of my party were brand new to Japanese cuisine, and they all left feeling very satisfied. The basement supermarket is also worth a visit at the end of your meal, as it is stocked to the brim with everything from Japanese cookware, to chocolate, to ingredients and sauces.

We tried New Samsi last night having read rave reviews in a couple of the local papers. It was a fantastic experience all around. Located on Whitworth Street, near Piccadilly, the restaurant itself is very modern, with Samsi Express - a deli/takeaway/slightly cheaper version of the upstairs - in the basement and an upstairs giving the option for traditional Japanese seating on the floor.

The menu is not extensive but it does cover a range of dishes from miso soups, to teryaki skewers to udon noodle dishes to sushi and sashimi and more. While we were hoping for a proper sushi menu where we would get to pick out different bits, the chef's selection that we ordered was lovely. In fact, everything was lovely. Alongside the raw food, we had some skewers of vegetables grilled in chilli and garlic and teriyaki sauce that were cooked to perfection, deep fried chicken pieces in spring onion with a garlic/ginger dip and a noodle dish cooked in lovely broth and accompanied by the tenderest of steak and loads of vegetables.

The wine list was extensive and the dessert menu was as pleasing as the main meal. There were a range of unusual ice creams, dishes centred on sweet red bean cakes and sweet rice, the usual tempura fruits, but we opted for a marshmallow and fruit chocolate fondue. Yummy!

The best thing about Japanese food is it's full of flavour but it's also very fresh and very healthy, not cooked with loads of additives, salt, sugar or very heavy sauces so you get a filling meal that is full of flavour but you don't go home feeling like you need to carry your stomach in a wheelbarrow. New Samsi did all this perfectly, and the presentation was lovely as well.

Highly recommended! And if you haven't, try the sashimi, there's so much more flavour and texture in the fish when it's raw.