Best Japanese Restaurants In Manchester
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1 year ago
Where to get your sushi fix in the northern city
Manchester is a haven for Asian food lovers. The eclectic city is home to a stream of Japanese restaurants serving sashimi, nigiri and noodles galore – from glamorous sushi hotspots to relaxed ramen joints. Read on to discover the C&TH pick, dotted all over the city in places like Deansgate and the trendy Northern Quarter.
Best Japanese Restaurants In Manchester
Yours
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Fancy some 24 carat gold-plated sushi? Head to Deansgate restaurant Yours for one of Manchester’s glitziest Japanese feasts. The Pan Asian restaurant is renowned for its Instagrammable interiors and equally opulent menu. Alongside the gilded sushi rolls (which are topped with truffle caviar, naturally), there are small plates of marinated black cod and popcorn prawns, plus larger grills of salt ‘n’ pepper beef skewers and lamb cutlets. Enjoy with a cocktail or two: Japanese-inspired twists on traditional tipples include the Asian Pear Martini, made with plum sake and Grey Goose vodka, and You Had Me At Yellow, a take on the Pornstar Martini. The restaurant is also known for its lively bottomless brunch, where you can enjoy Asian brunch fare alongside 90 minutes of free-flowing prosecco.
82 Deansgate Manchester M3 2ER, yours-restaurantandbar.co.uk
Shoryu Ramen
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Shoryu Ramen opened its first branch outside of London back in 2016, just round the corner from Manchester Piccadilly station. Offering a sophisticated take on ramen dining, the restaurant specialises in food from Hakata, a district of Fukuoka city in Western Japan. Its ramen recipe was devised by Executive Chef Kanji Furukawa, made with a thick, white pork soup and thin noodles. Special touches are made to ensure top-notch ramen, including the traditional nitimago (soft boiled egg) being soaked overnight in a soy, mirin, sake and ginger marinade. Choose between a range of varieties, such as kimchi seafood, chicken katsu and a vegan noodle soup, and pop some bao buns on the side for good measure.
1 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 1RG, shoryuramen.com
MUSU
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One of the big culinary launches in Manchester last year was MUSU, opened on Bridge Street in November. Spearheaded by Le Manoir alumni Michael Shaw and boasting a sleek design – think bespoke Italian furniture and Geisha wall designs – the restaurant was an instant hit. It follows a tasting menu concept, with a choice of the Kaiseki menu, a seven or 11-course feast curated by the chefs, or the Sentaku option, where you can pick your own dishes, to be served in a tasting-style format. Whichever you go for, expect a gastronomic journey featuring sushi, sashimi, tempura and grills. Alternatively, head to the chef’s table for a special omakase experience with a front row seat of the kitchen (note this is limited to six guests per service, so booking in advance is essential).
64 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BN, musumcr.com
Australasia
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Easily one of Manchester’s glossiest Japanese restaurants, Australasia is a magnet for influencer types who flock there to snap California rolls with beach-chic backdrops. But don’t let that put you off: the food is also top-quality. As the name suggests, the Spinningfields restaurant takes inspiration from both Australia and Asia, and the menu is heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine. Begin with a selection of sashimi and nigiri, plus small plates of duck and watermelon salad, and tuna tataki with truffled ponzu, before getting stuck into the mains: highlights here include mandarin marinated salmon, and Inari tofu served with coconut rice and Asian greens. Drinks-wise, signature cocktails include the Saka Kolada, a twist on the Pina Colada made with Honjozo sake, lime and coconut cream, alongside a wide selection of wine and champagne.
1 The Avenue, Deansgate, Manchester M3 3AP, australasia.uk.com
Peter Street Kitchen
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Can’t decide between sushi and tacos? At Peter Street Kitchen you won’t have to. Set within the historic Free Trade Hall on Peter Street, the restaurant offers a unique fusion menu that draws on both Japanese and Mexican cuisine. There are gyoza tacos to start, for instance, including grilled lobster spiced up with chilli and cilantro. If you’d prefer to stick with just Japanese fare, fear not: the menu also includes classics like yellowfin tuna sashimi, black cod, beef tataki and roasted aubergine with goma glaze. Alternatively, leave it to the chefs by opting for the six-course izakaya tasting menu. The dining room is an impressive space too, with high ceilings, natural wooden features and marble tables.
Free Trade Hall, Peter St, Manchester M2 5GP, thekitchenrestaurants.co.uk
Cottonopolis
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Housed in a Grade II listed building in the city’s buzzy Northern Quarter, Cottonopolis is inspired by Manchester’s 19th-century nickname. With its towering beams and exposed brick walls, it’s worth a visit for the interiors alone – but luckily the food is impressive too. A large open kitchen serves Asian-inspired plates designed for sharing: sashimi, nigiri, maki rolls and sushi platters, plus larger dishes of bone marrow prawn toast and fried chicken katsu curry. Good news for vegans: there’s also an entirely plant-based menu featuring the likes of purple sprouting broccoli sushi, robata asparagus and mushroom tempura.
16 Newton St, Manchester M1 2AE, cottonopolis-nq.com
UNAGI
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Good sushi doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, as shown by street food favourite UNAGI. Since beginning its life as a tiny food truck in Trafford, it now has outposts all over the city in places like Altrincham and Didsbury, plus the most recent opening in a shipping container in the Green Quarter. Head here for on-the-go Japanese snacks such as sushi, karaage chicken, gyoza and noodle dishes, plus omakase platters – with all fish delivered fresh each morning.
Multiple locations, unagiuk.com
