By Neil Sowerby
YOU’VE got hand it to the girls who run Sweet Mandarin. They have a flair for promoting their Northern Quarter Chinese eaterie that has it consistently punching above its weight.
I’ve used their bespoke range of sauces – investment sourced through Dragon’s Den – and I was pleased they won Best Local Chinese on Gordon Ramsey’s F Word. No resting on the ancient mandarin laurels. Now, though, Helen and Lisa Tse MBE have gone too far – presenting me with their new guide to preparing dim sum.
Angela Hartnett and Antonio Carluccio garland it with praise on the cover, which is encouraging; I love shopping for ingredients at the Han Won Hong in George Street; but I’m just a bit tremulous about attempting Cuttlefish Dumplings in Spicy Broth or Chrysanthemum Pastries using sweet potato and petals. The big fear – will my wontons be wobbly or soggy?
Look more closely and it is not so alien – porcini, black truffle and quinoa all feature in a very contemporary take on Chinese ‘tapas’ – yes, that ancient culture did small bites before anyone else – all recipes presented with fine clarity.
Time to go gathering those Chrysanthemum petals.
Sweet Mandarin, 19 Copperas St, Manchester, M4 1HS. 0161 832 8848, http://www.sweetmandarin.com. Dim Sum – Small Bites Made Easy is published in hardback by Kyle Books and costs £16.99.
