Benedict Brader
Is this the best idea ever? Chorlton bar Electrik has established a series of events they are calling âguestrantsâ, in which a visiting chef cooks a meal for one evening only in the bar. No menu, you eat what youâre given, and no notification of that until it arrives on your table. I canât see any downside â the chef gets to try something new and maybe gain customers for their own restaurant, the venue packs out on a Monday, and the diners get a phenomenal meal for the price of £25, as well as experiencing the work of a very talented individual that they may not have come across before.
The bar itself could be called âeclecticâ, given the mismatched variety of its décor. Schoolroom chairs and stools accompany chesterfield settees. The artwork lining the walls is made up of knitted woollen panels hung on varnished wooden boarding, lit by bare filament lightbulbs. There is a 3D plywood-constructed penguin, mounted like a stags head behind the bar, and a collection of lamps that you could imagine spending months trying to get shot of at car boot sales. This mix may sound odd, but it undeniably works, and the vibe created is somehow both edgy and comfortable at the same time.
Itâs a big room, and during the day you can often find people huddled over laptops using the wi-fi and drinking coffee. Drinks are diverse, with real ales on tap and an intriguing array of bottles cluttered carefully behind the bar. The normal menu consists of soups (£3.50) and stews (£4.50) on the counter, which change regularly. My tip is the fish finger sandwich (why doesnât everyone do these?), which at £3.50 is a great afternoon snack or light lunch. I am intrigued by âAngel Delight with a Twistâ (£1.50), though not enough to try it yet. Children are catered for as well, and youâll often see families in the day, with toys to occupy them.
This evening was something different. The tables pulled together to create clusters of diners and we were greeted with an excellent lemony Earl Grey cocktail and a list of wines put together specially for the evening. The starter was a coddled egg with Morecambe Bay shrimp - a rich and creamy combination served in a shot glass, in a nod to the surroundings perhaps. Naturally, toasted soldiers accompanied for dipping.
The centrepiece of the evening soon emerged from the kitchen as three suckling pigs were carried out and paraded through the bar. These were stuffed with a rich, herby mix of black pudding and bacon, and were carved onto wooden platters placed on each table to help yourself, along with jugs of gravy, with plenty to go round. The meat was full of flavour and tender, and the whole experience made me feel as if I had stepped into a medieval banquet. The only things missing were some aging wolfhounds to throw meat to and minstrels warbling in the corner - and gout of course.
Dessert was Eccles cake, a light pastry bundle bursting with sweet fruit. These if anything demonstrated the style of the chef, taking traditional or even clichéd elements and delivering them with high quality ingredients and consummate expertise. The meal as a whole was exceptional, only heightened by the unusual setting and style of delivery. There was a feeling of conspiracy created - of being part of something special and exclusive.
That Rob Owen Brown was the chef for the evening only added to the experience. This is a man with nothing left to prove on the Manchester food scene, associated with a number of exceptional venues and now executive chef at the Mark Addy. His take on the evening was that it gave him the chance to try something different, and his reputation as a bit of a maverick with a love of good local produce suggests that this sort of event suited him perfectly. I canât imagine that there were many people there who did not resolve to visit the Mark Addy as soon as possible, and with good reason.
The only problem with this event that I could see is that vegetarians were not accommodated, and anyone suffering from severe allergies might not have appreciated culinary Russian roulette. However, not all the âguestrantâ events will be carnivore-only, and Iâm sure allergy and phobia sufferers can get due warning on request. My wife has a phobia of peas (donât get me started), so this night would have been ok, but others could be tricky. The best punter will be a true omnivore, always eager to try new things.
So, if you missed this one, the next event is on May 24, with a meal created by Beth Creedon. She is famous for dishes such as Nettle & Jack Oâthe Hedges Ice Cream, Hawthorn & Sanguinello Chili Salad and Razor Clam Chowder. All created with local produce, sometimes even grown or foraged for by the chef herself! Should be a fascinating evening.
Electrik: 559 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 OAE
Tel: 0161 8813315