Sapporo Teppanyaki , 91-93 Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, ;- 0161 831 9888
www.sapporo.co.uk
The Sapporo is not a place for an intimate meal for two. Itâs a large modern space with high windows front and back, very light and airy with ten large teppan dining tables, each seating around 12 people,encircled around a couple of hot plates. Some friends of mine came here for some serious relationship discussions and found them selves sharing with a raucous birthday party. Needless to say they joined in and their relationship was immediately back on track!
We arrived prompt at one clock and were immediately shown to our seats. Mum was offered her very favourite Prosecco and I being rather partial, chose the same. Daughter, aged nearly 5, opted for lemonade with a straw. Whilst taking in the surroundings, we studied the well presented menu which had been fully explained by our charming waitress. We tend to order mainly sea food and vegetables with some carnivore portions to keep me happy. The menu is extensive and caters for all tastes. The wine list is small but perfectly formed. It reads well and is complimentary to the food.
As well as the dining area there is a well stocked and visually pleasing bar and seating area, overlooking the criminally underused Castlefield Arena. This would be a lovely place just for a night on the cocktails.
By this stage the teppans were rapidly filling up with families, of all sizes and cultures, settling down to a fun Mothers Day dining experience. Nearby whoops of delight suggested we were in for a good time. The site of a pepper pot being tossed in the air and caught in a big chefâs hat, said this was going to be a bit of a different dining experience!
Bypassing the sushi and sashimi for starters, we ordered all hot dishes, it being cold and windy outside. We did like the look of the Manchester roll sushi, of swordfish, Lancashire cheese, carrots and crabmeat in a flying fish roe, coming in at 6 pieces for £8.50, it sounded delicious, as did the Nigiri sushi of octopus and grilled eel. The salads also read well, but we decided upon Duck and veg in pancake with raspberry coulis dip, prawn in garlic sauce and tempura squid with crispy noodles. Mum wanted some tofu miso soup, which she described as cleansing and very nice. Plus, of course, a pot each of jasmine tea.
The squid was superb, freshly cooked in a crispy batter that allowed the fish to breath. My daughter wolfed hers down, being a bit of aficionado for squid of different dining cultures. The duck was superb, the pancake reminiscent of Shrove Tuesday in the UK. The meat strips where succulent and tasty, whilst the veg oozed flavour. The sauce was not for me. So far a great result. The one problem would be the prawns. They arrived drowned in a cream sauce. Iâm never fond of cream and here it enveloped the garlic flavour and made the prawns taste like they were bathed in the top of the Guernsey cows milk. It was too rich and a definite pallet buster.
By now our two chefs were warming up their hot plates for the live show. They had prepared a hotplate of sliced potatoes, which were thrown to be caught by willing diners in their mouths! An unusual way to start a meal! I had three goes, finally catching the last by hand. Still it broke the ice with our fellow teppan diners and my daughter laughed a lot!
Once the spud cabaret was over we watched as our mains choices were put on the hotplate. A pile of mixed vegetables and noodles were aromatically frying on the side, these were offered up with the potatoes as a kind of middle course that was a bit too filling given what was coming next.
The mains arrived with some bravado, alongside a bowl of egg fried rice. The egg had theatrically been added to the rice, by swiftly chopping a long roll of it, and literally flipping small egg strips into the rice before serving. Superb theatre, the kids were enthralled, even more so when a massive wall of fire was created on the hot plate as a prelude to the cooking!
My wife had the seafood combination at £25, a delicious mixture of sea bass, scallops, salmon and prawns. Mine was a tender pork fillet tenyaki and daughter had an unadvertised kids portion of chicken without any sauce, and some delicious noodles. The pork fillet was cooked to perfection. When the sauce was added the flavour literally took off in my mouth, superb!
The restaurant was full now and everyone was smiling and being entertained as they dined. This place is a real buzz for those who enjoy something other than just eating, drinking and conversation. A real effort is made to create a fun time for all. It may be a little in your face for some, but I thoroughly enjoyed the circus element to the chefs antics. It was time to debate dessert and after much stomach rubbing we decided to have â¦.one each!!
I was medically full to the brim, but, a beautifully presented portion of delicious ice cream with dainty morsels of banana tempura went down well. Wifeâs chocolate spring roll was unique and daughter was pleased with her ice cream!
Sapporo Teppanyaki is a fantastic place to dine. It will never win any Michelin stars but, the food is honest and tasty and in terms of its amazing atmosphere, incomparable with anywhere else I have ever been (except maybe a long deceased Greek in Soho that specialised in plate smashing!) If youâre wanting to go out with family or friends for a good knees up, this must be the place. Suitable for all ages, we as family, had a great time and left feeling very well fed and satisfied.
Thanks to you all!