Pan-Asian restaurant Vermilion is not somewhere you’d stumble across by accident, but between its eye-poppingly large prawns, dramatic decor and quirky robot waiters it’s definitely worth a visit.
Sitting on the outskirts of the city centre, this opulent three-story party palace is only a short walk from Manchester City’s grounds – still, it continues to fly under the radar despite being one of the city’s most dazzling dining destinations.
Well worth seeking out, an exclusive hidden gem. If it’s glitz and glamour you’re after when you’re out to dinner then it’s safe to say that Vermilion delivers in spades.
A popular choice for extravagant weddings and big parties, Vermilion is jam-packed with grand event spaces, an exclusive cocktail bar, and – most exciting of all – an opulent Asian fusion restaurant.
Its interiors combine lavish design with sumptuous fusion dishes, whilst its connections with parent company Seamark give it access to the biggest, juiciest prawns in the UK.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
And as for the plates coming out of its kitchen, expect a mixture of Thai, Japanese, Indian, Korean and Chinese dishes, with big flavours from the Asian continent being the order of the day.
Think fresh, plump exquisite scallops in shells dressed in lychee and longan fruit, roasted exclusive black cod, and grilled ‘Choo Chee’ prawns in a spicy red curry and coconut milk sauce, served alongside the likes of smoked Wagyu sushi rolls, unique Thai inspired Sushi Makis and delicately marbled Wagyu rib eye steak.
Elsewhere, you’ll find everything from beef green curry with Thai roti, to slow-cooked lamb shank massaman and super-refreshing bowls of Tom Yam noodle soup rich with aromatic lemongrass, lime and coriander.
Plus a host of delicious homemade desserts from warm chocolate fondant with peanut butter cream and traditional Khanom Pandam pudding, to homemade exotic ice-cream with flavours such as Thai Milk Tea to Pandan ice cream.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Fans of fine seafood are well-catered to Vermillion, which boasts exclusive access to wild giant ocean tiger prawns.
These beauties are served as part of its pad Thai dish, accompanied by tangy tamarind Sen Jan wok-fried noodles, with Thai herbs and spices, beansprouts, eggs, carrot and tofu, and are hands down the largest we’ve ever seen.
As well as a place for seafood lovers, there’s still plenty more on the menu at Vermillion to pique your interest.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
From Korean fried chicken buttermilk bao buns topped with Kewpie mayo and a fermented chilli sauce, to colourful rainbow dim sums, chicken satay dumplings, spiced prawn koftas and Khao Sai, a northern Thai / Loas curry noodle dish that is taking the noodle soup craze by storm.
ADVERTISEMENT
For fans of East, South and South East Asian cuisine and culture, there’s so much to choose from at Vermillion.
To find out more and view the full menu, visit the website here.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Sponsored
BOX sports bar on Deansgate is putting on the perfect night out for fans of horse racing
Danny Jones
With Cheltenham Festival 2024 coming up, both casual punters and die-hard horse racing fans are getting ready for the massive sporting weekend and Deansgate’s beloved sports bar, BOX, has come up with the perfect event to get in the mood for it.
Put simply, if you like the thrill of horse racing or the idea of race day vibes but aren’t so keen on the real thing, this might be perfect for you.
Simply dubbed ‘Race Night’, the new monthly series combines the virtual world and interactive games with one of the biggest sporting disciplines on the planet, as well as plenty of booze and food to go along with it. Oh yeah, and plenty of friendly competition, of course.
Revolving around a virtual horse racing simulator which everyone inside the bar can get involved with, BOX’s mini Manc version of Cheltenham has already got underway and you can be a part of it – plus it goes towards a good cause too.
Having now visited ourselves, we can confirm Race Night brings a proper party atmosphere and a healthy dose of wanting to rub your victory in your friends’ faces.
Don’t worry, they get plenty of those too, even if not the bragging rights all for themselves.
As you can see, it’s all quite simple: you place bets on the virtual horse racing events via your phone and watch the heats live on the many big screens located around BOX bar’s massive Manchester venue on the main Deansgate strip.
With a total of five races to try and win during the night, you’ll have plenty of chances to holler your head off and cheer on your winner. Whether you’re a pro, a ‘once-a-year flutter’ kind of person, or just joining your mates for a laugh, we can certainly voucher for the vibes.
Better yet, beyond the user-fuelled action on the telly, there’s plenty more entertainment to be enjoyed on the night, from BOX‘s regular DJs and live music to plenty of other interactive party games to give other guests a chance to win extra prizes.
A very fun and often silly party. (Credit: The Manc Group)
‘What’s the top prize?’, we hear you ask: how does a £200 bar tab sound?
Even from entry, your £5 entry fee scores you a complimentary glass of prosecco upon arrival and, as always, there’s plenty of delicious food and drink to tide you over throughout the night.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how Race Night works:
Guests place their bets with fun money tokens through our virtual bookies on their phones.
You can bet on multiple horses per race but you are only paid out for the winner.
This payout goes directly into each of their betting accounts so will change throughout the event.
Odds are worked out via the software and vary by however many people bet on the same horse.
Races are pre-recorded – it all comes down to the luck of which horse you pick.
The winner is the person at the end who has the most fun money in their betting account.
The overall winner gets a £200 bar tab.
Table downstairs for our live band at 9pm.
Two rounds of the ‘Chair Jockey’ game: first to pop the balloon gets a round of shots for their table.
Put your inhibitions aside, folks – there’s booze to be won. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Set to happen every month, with the next event taking place from 7-9pm on Friday, 14 March – the week of this year’s Cheltenham Festival – you don’t want to miss out on the unique virtual and immersive sporting event.
You’ll also be glad to hear that all profits from the tickets, which are again just a fiver, will be donated to MNDA (Motor Neurone Disease Association), with a guaranteed minimum donation of £2.50.
Before you inevitably get off your seat to cheer on a digital horse and jockey, you can book yours HERE.
With just a few days left of the competition, it also happens to be one of the best places to watch the 2025 Six Nations.
Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
The Manc -
22nd May 2023 
