A striking new addition to Manchester’s dining scene has opened its doors this week amidst the glass towers of Deansgate Square.
With towering eight-foot-high bamboo walls, a gleaming tan marble bar, a giant (fake) bonsai and a trio of squat stone moai stationed squarely at its door, it might be called Kitten but it’s anything but cute.
Majestic, yes, and ever so slightly imposing, the restaurant’s grand interiors set the stage for a promisingly fresh and modern take on Japanese fine dining in Manchester.
All that’s left now is to try the food – and despite initial concerns it could be all fur coat and no knickers, we’re pleased to say that is not the case, not at all.
With a focus on fireside cooking, high-end sushi and sashimi, Kitten’s striking sushi bar takes centre stage in the restaurant – offering a front-row seat to all the sushi-making action to a privilieged few.
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The restaurant offers a one-of-a-kind chef’s table sushi experience with artfully constructed raw dishes overseen by Head Sushi Chef Daniel Zhou, formerly of Peter Street Kitchen.
We, however, manage to miss said sushi action – sitting away from the bar at a table overlooking a sun-lit Deansgate Square. Still, in fairness, the quality of the plates speak for themselves.
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Beautiful ceramic dishes lined with snow pea and avocado maki topped with scallops and tabiko hit the table, joined by a house nigiri selection with salmon, tuna, sea bass and Japanese hamachi and squid.
Dusty pink sashimi follows, joined by lightly breaded shell-on prawns and an artfully-constructed dish of seared tuna, Kewpie, chillies and pickles – their freshness and crunch perfectly complementing the rich softness of the fish and Japanese mayo.
As well as specialist sushi, Kitten also boasts a giant Robatayak grill from which we enjoy a whole seabass rubbed in a red miso and sesame seed marinade.
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Its skin is blackened from the charcoal, giving it a smoky edge and aroma, but beneath that the flesh is soft, tenderly flaking away from the vertebra.
Image: The Manc Eats
Served solo, initially we find ourselves looking for accompanying side plates – but as we delve in, we soon realise it more than stands up on its own.
The cocktail menu is just as impressive. Midori, the luminous green melon liqueur star of many an adolescent mixer, is given a new lease of life in layered Japanese iced teas and Japanese slippers – the latter a mixture of orange Cointreau, lemon juice and melon.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a rich and satisfyingly garnishless take on an espresso martini, yuzu-laced margaritas and French 75’s, and house-infused gin made sharp and prickly with horseradish, then mellowed with cucumber.
Overall the kitchen here is led by Head Chef Josh Gabrielides, formerly of Ivy Asia, supported by a wider kitchen team that boasts experience from Copenhagen-based restaurant chain Sticks and Sushi s well as other top-ranked Pan-Asian restaurants.
Semi-open, it’s set into a fortress-like double-height wall with a second hatch overlooking the restaurant another floor above.
Further dishes from the robata menu include premium steak cuts, with veggie and vegan-friendly options available for those who prefer a plant-based diet.
Elegant and glamorous with a quality menu to boot, on first impressions Kitten looks set to be a triumph – adding another much-needed string to the bow of the city’s East Asian dining scene.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
News
The Premier League is keeping its crucial cap on away game ticket prices – for now
Danny Jones
The Premier League has announced it is extending its crucial price cap for away games, as the general cost of match tickets continues to creep up all over the country.
Most season card holders, be they here in Greater Manchester or elsewhere, are likely looking at their annual spending going up simply, so steps like these are key in keeping first division football as affordable as possible.
And that’s just the ongoing cost of living, let alone the clubs that are continuing the trend of charging more each year and, unfortunately, even pricing some supporters out entirely.
With that in mind, the news of England’s top-flight sides voting unanimously to keep the £30 cap intact for at least another two years comes as relief to those who spend most of the year putting their hard-earned cash towards following their team home and away.
BREAKING: The Premier League extend £30 cap on away tickets for another two seasons 🚨 pic.twitter.com/L336aZwmn3
Now confirmed to remain in place until the end of the 2027/28 campaign, travelling fans obviously still spend plenty of money on transport and so on every year, but at least they don’t have to worry about rising general admissions.
At least not for the time being…
Writing in a statement, the Premier League said: “Away fans help create the incredible atmosphere Premier League matches are renowned for. Since the cap’s implementation in 2016, it has contributed to attendance at away games increasing from 82% to 91%.”
They also acknowledged the significant and regular funds that supporters still spend on these trips, with plenty of people online also praising the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), which helped spearhead the campaign over a decade ago.
With so many other obstacles still getting in the way of fans making it to games either at their usual stadium or on an away day – not least of all the constant and increasingly frustrating rescheduling of fixtures – it’s good to see this isn’t an area the Prem are trying to target.
As always, the multi-billion-pound business can always seek out other, newer money spinners, and we’re absolutley certain they will. For instance, there’s at least one happening over in Spain that we’d happily see carried over here.
Following the news, this now means that fans will ultimately have enjoyed 12 back-to-back seasons of the benefit, and long may it continue.
Nevertheless, the biggest barrier for people to watch the beautiful game at its highest level in the UK remains the cost of standard tickets.
The likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds and more have already let matchgoers know that their season ticket prices will be going up, and the likes of Man City have already seen backlash for increasing rates amid the expansion of the Etihad Campus.
Greater Manchester’s fire service officially rated ‘outstanding’ following inspection
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s fire service has officially been rated ‘outstanding’.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has awarded published its latest inspection report, and has awarded Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) two ‘Outstanding’ ratings for the first time in the service’s history.
One ‘outstanding’ rating was given for the preventing of fire and emergencies, and one for values and culture.
Some of the areas of strength noted in the report include outstanding prevention work, acknowledging the service’s innovative partnership activity and targeted risk reduction programmes, and a ‘strong, positive, and inclusive’ culture, with strong communication and a clear focus on values, staff voice, and transparent decision making.
The service was also commended for having high levels of operational preparedness, and ‘effective’ governance and scrutiny, with ‘clear’ performance reporting and strategic direction.
In addition to the two ‘Outstanding’ ratings, inspectors also rated GMFRS as ‘Good’ in seven of the eight other inspection categories – including responding to fires and other emergencies, training and developing the right people with the right skills, and ensuring fairness and diversity across the workplace.
Inspectors also acknowledged the ‘significant capacity pressures’ on fire safety regulation across the UK, and the unique challenges posed by Greater Manchester’s complex and fast-changing urban environment.
“Greater Manchester has a fire and rescue service we can be proud of,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham, as the inspection report was published this week.
Greater Manchester’s fire service has officially been rated ‘outstanding’ following its latest inspection / Credit: GMFRS
“I’ve often said that GMFRS is one of the best services not just in this country, but anywhere. The inspectors’ findings reinforce this belief. I’m pleased that this strong inspection report recognises its outstanding prevention work as part of Greater Manchester’s Live Well approach, its outstanding culture and values, and consistently good performance across almost every other area.”
Chief Fire Officer, Dave Russell, added: “I am really pleased that the inspectors have recognised our progress towards this goal, by awarding us ‘Outstanding’ ratings for the first time in our service’s history.
“I am particularly pleased to have been awarded these for our nation-leading work on prevention, helping us to use our resources in the most effective way, and in our service’s culture, which I made my number one priority when joining the service.”
Georgina Pellant -
14th June 2022 
