THE Blue Eyed Panda is a stealthy beast. This new Chinese restaurant spawned by the Ancoats Panda takeaway folk has opened a few blocks away from the bright lights of Cutting Room Square. Inside it has some of the canteen-like spareness of Sugo but doesn’t come with the same authentic street cred as those pasta masters – or nearby Viet Shack for that matter.
We popped in to this unheralded newcomer and liked the vibe even early on a midweek evening. From a suspiciously all-encompassing menu we picked just a couples of dishes plus a glass of Sangiovese. Beer is just is just standard Asian stuff. A Tsingtao made it onto bill without our noticing (or even ordering) it; there was a general feeling of early days yet about the eager service.
A generous helping of mixed seafood in green pepper and black pepper sauce (£11.80) had a sparky freshness to it; char siu pork bao (£4.20) delicate if slightly dry. It was a flying visit, so no time for the Cantonese roast belly pork, a social media recommendation.
In Ancoats, capital of cool, you’d expect a Chinese eaterie to be pushing back the boundaries. No obvious sign at Blue Eyed Panda, but yet another relaxed neighbourhood diner to add to the rich mix.
Blue Eyed Panda, Jersey Street, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6JA. Open Tue-Thu 5pm-10.30pm; Fri-Sat 12pm-10.30pm; Sun 1pm-10.30pm.