Sushi is now EVERYWHERE in Manchester. From grab-and-go takeaway offerings to cool street food-style spots in shipping containers to high-end restaurants that stand their ground on a global scale.
There’s so much sushi around I’m actually surprised Greggs don’t have a range yet.
So why should you go big, with a 14 course, £150 tasting menu? I’ll tell you why – because it really is the treat of a lifetime for any fresh fish fanatic.
Musu, despite its price tag, sits modestly on Bridge Street, just off Deansgate, its regal interior hidden from street view behind tasteful black drapes and a wooden panelled reception.
Once inside the body of the luxurious Manchester restaurant, the pristine wooden aesthetic continues, but whilst most of the restaurant (and incredibly well stocked bar) is dimly lit, the exposed open kitchen and sushi station shine like spotlights, showcasing the true star of the establishment – its chefs.
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I was lucky enough to take a seat for Musu’s Omakase menu.
Omakase translates to ‘I’ll leave it up to you’, demonstrating how the chef, who you’ll be sat in front of for two-three hours, is entirely in control of your dining experience. They’ve selected and constructed a menu based on which fish are in season, fresh, and their own refined preference. And if this meal is anything to go by, I’ll leave all my food choices to someone else forever.
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The day’s Omakase ingredients are presented to you before you eatThe Omakase experience involves sitting at Musu’s chef’s tableStandouts include Musu’s sashimi selection
First you’re shown all the produce that is going to make your meal, and how they were sourced and prepared. The tray of fish gleam like the jewels they are, in both taste and cost.
The 14 plates began with the only hot dish, Miso Soup. This of course is pimped out, with wagyu beef and shiitake mushroom adding to the rich saltiness. The wagyu is so tender it nearly melts into the soup and creates a rich sweet peppery flavour. It’s a strong start.
Next up begins a selection of sashimi. Sashimi is raw fish/shellfish, served only with fresh wasabi and a beautiful five-year-aged soy sauce containing rich sake.
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There isn’t anywhere to hide with sashimi and chef John doesn’t need to. Every dish looks like art, prepared in front of you – it’s amazing to see how expert cuts create exquisite plates. It’s like watching an artfully shot Netflix documentary, only for the TV to reach over and hand you the food after the credits.
Each of the six sashimi tastes so individual. The scallop from the Isle of Sky melts on the tongue, with a subtle salt taste. The four-day-aged Cornish seabass, paired perfectly with the rich soy, brings a sweetness to the fish. The Scottish salmon nearly swims down my throat, it’s so elegant and rich, whereas the Akami (bluefin tuna loin) packs a powerful and delicious fish flavour that you feel in the nose.
Musu’s head chef searing the Chu-toro in front of dinersThe white chocolate dessert at Musu in Manchester
Next came the 10 nigiri, fish served on a bed of rice. The craftsmanship and precision here is spectacular, with chef John pairing Hamchi with green chillies, allowing spice to burst out with a bite. Red Mullet is seared with a blowtorch and served with Yuzu zest to create tangy treat for the eyes and palette. The spectacle reaches its peak with the charcoal seared Chu-toro, the wooden burnt fish enriched by piney-smoky flavour. Finally the last nigiri is an A5 Wagyu beef, with autumnal truffle, a wild, earthy end to the nigiri.
I actually think ending on the Wagyu would be a perfect circle, meeting back to the start with the Miso Soup, but there’s one more fish dish before a sweet treat. It’s the Temaki, seaweed wrapped Tuna with Chu-toro, spring onion and sesame. It’s a big end to the fish dishes, the strong meaty tuna taste a perfect contrast to the fresh raw veg.
Finally the dessert, simple small and elegant salted white chocolate, served perfectly cold, with soya milk crisp, and almond dust providing a rough change in texture, and helping to stagger the sweetness. It’s a triumphant ending.
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The Omakase menu is not just a treat, it’s an education in how sushi can be masterfully executed, right here in the heart of landlocked Manchester.
The UK’s top 50 gastropubs have been named, and the North West has shone again
Daisy Jackson
Another year, another stunning victory for pubs around the North West, as our region holds its own yet again on the prestigious Top 50 Gastropubs list.
The Estrella Damm pub guide awards, now in their 12th year, celebrate the best food-driven pubs around the country.
The 50 front-runners were announced last year but the pubs’ rankings were only revealed at a ceremony in London this week.
And for another year, Greater Manchester and the surrounding North West region has nabbed plenty of room on the Top 50 Gastropubs list.
The Edinburgh Castle in Ancoats, which stormed onto the list for the first time last year, has climbed even higher into 16th place.
The pub’s kitchen is currently closed for a refurb as it readies to welcome a new head chef, following the departure of award-winning Shaun Moffatt last year.
The Edinburgh Castle said of the accolade: “We are all extremely proud of this, and although the kitchen is closed this month for a refurbishment, we have a new kitchen team all raring to go with some fantastic new menus that we can’t wait to share!
The Edinburgh Castle has been named in the Top 50 Gastropubs again in the North WestFood at the Edinburgh Castle pub in Ancoats
“Thank you to all our wonderful guests, our dedicated team past and present who have helped us get here – and of course Top 50 Gastropubs for including us.
“Congratulations to the other 49 too, we can’t believe what esteemed company we are in and you all completely deserve it. 2025 is going to be a big year!
“Now, who’s popping in for a celebratory pint?”
Also on the Top 50 Gastropubs list elsewhere in the North West was, once again, the Michelin-recommended The Pack Horse in Hayfield.
Just on the very outskirts of the region where Greater Manchester nudges the Peak District, this beautiful country pub quietly serves a fantastic pre-hike breakfast as well as a seasonal evening menu of modern British food.
The Pack Horse in Hayfield. Credit: The Manc GroupDinner at the Pack Horse in Hayfield. Credit: The Manc Group
Chef and owner Luke Payne said: “Four years in the top 50, three years in the top 20.
“It means so much to us to have the love and respect of our peers, fantastic business operators and beautiful people who continue to puts us among such esteemed company, it is an honour and a privilege, and we love you all.
“This consistency is a testament to our incredibly hard working team who continue to weather the storm of the hospitality industry with vigour and laughter every single day; our tireless, incredible suppliers, and of course our guests, who ultimately give us purpose.
“It is a personal aim of mine to visit as many of these incredible gastropubs over the coming year, your support means the world.”
The Parkers Arms up in Newton-in-Bowland in Lancashire, previously a pub that took the top spot on the list, made it in again in fourth place.
It’s particularly well-known for its pies but at this lovely countryside spot you really can’t go far wrong.
Also making it into the top 50 in Lancashire were The White Swan at Fence, and the Three Fishes in Whalley.
Now that’s an achievement worth raising a pint to.
The Manchester cafe serving viral Dubai pistachio chocolate, smores platters, chocolate fondue and more
Daisy Jackson
There’s a cafe in Manchester that is dedicated to ticking off every chocolate food craze under one roof, from indulgent platters to those viral ‘Dubai’ pistachio bars.
We are of course talking about Cocoa Cabana, a pretty little spot in the heart of Ancoats (as well as its original site over in Didsbury), which specialises in all things artisan chocolate.
From beautiful cakes and chocolates made by hand and displayed in their cabinets, to traditional afternoon teas, to brunches and lunches – there’s a LOT to satisfy your sweet and savoury tooth at Cocoa Cabana.
First founded by Sarah Gallacher back in 2012, this is one of those spots that keeps people coming back time and time again thanks to a packed programme of experiences, including cocktail-making classes, tasting events, and chocolate making classes.
Now, if you’re one of those people who orders the sizzling fajitas in a restaurant, you’re going to enjoy the Cocoa Cabana smores platter, which arrives with a similar amount of ‘ooh look at me’ pomp and ceremony.
You’re presented with your own miniature firepit-in-a-tin, flickering blue flames surrounded by a mountain of giant marshmallows, homemade cookies, and little jars of molten chocolate.
A smores platter at Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
Skewer your squishy mallow, stick it over the fire until its outsides are all golden and bubbling, then squash that between two cookies and apply whatever sauce – white chocolate, dark chocolate, or pistachio sauce – you fancy. Sickly, yes, but so good.
There’s also the option to have a more traditional chocolate fondue, again presented on fire.
This time it’s a dark vat of artisan molten chocolate, with a heaped bowl of fresh strawberries, banana, chocolate straws, waffles, brownies, and more for dipping.
Dunking a fudgy, iced brownie into a pot of chocolate is the ultimate indulgence.
Cocoa Cabana’s chocolate fondue. Credit: The Manc GroupCocoa Cabana in Manchester sells the viral Dubai pistachio chocolate. Credit: The Manc Group
And then, as all smart chocolatiers have done this year, Cocoa Cabana has brought those viral pistachio chocolate bars from Dubai straight to Manchester.
These enormous bars are stuffed with pistachio sauce and knafeh, a crunchy, traditional Arabic pastry that is sort of reminiscent of when you use to make Easter nests with a Shredded Wheat in primary school.
Cocoa Cabana finishes theirs in a shimmering coat of edible gold (because why not).
This is just one of those spots that proves you don’t need a golden ticket to find chocolate heaven in Manchester.
The Manc -
16th November 2023 
