"A High End Chinese Experience"

If a high end Chinese experience is what you've in search of when in the city centre then pretty much just one place instantly springs to mind.  That place is of course Wing's, who've been taking care of the city's most discerning customers and celebrities for over 20 years. When you consider the quality, pace, and scale of which Manchester's Chinese F&B offering has grown in the last decade, that still-remaining association is all the more remarkable. 

Shamefully, we've not actually visited Wings since well before Covid, during which time they've undergone a full refurb whilst still remaining proudly family owned and operated.  So based on all that, we were invited down as to remind us exactly why Wing's is absolute Manchester hospitality royalty.

We did as we prefer at invitations; to ask our host if they could 'please just feed us whatever Chef prefers'.  We do that for many reasons, primarily to avoid taking the mickey with the ordering volumes.  And two, you get a snapshot of a venue's best bits since the venue knows what those are better than anyone.  It's a strategy which usually pays dividends and again did so on this occasion.

A hefty basket of prawn crackers with an assortment of dips got our tastebuds in the mood before starting off with a stunning scallop, steamed in its shell to retain those precious juices, dressed with glass vermicelli, soy and crispy alliums.  The scent was wonderful and those delicate scallops were cooked to true perfection.  A masterful proper first course to get things moving.

This was followed with a selection of Dim Sum, all made in house by hand.  Proper Dim Sum is one of my favourite things and in a world of restaurants churning out factory produced frozen offerings, the tradition and art form are often neglected, but not here.  Quite simply this is some of the most accomplished Dim Sum that you'll eat anywhere in the region.

My beloved Siu Mai are expertly filled and hand shaped, stunningly seasoned.  I could have eaten 6 of these.  A stunning spicy prawn dumpling was another table favourite, featuring great quality prawn and a deftly balanced hit of spice.  Seafood in Garlic and Spinach dumplings also pleased, and were again generously filled and both the red and green coloured casings are both achieved using natural, veg based ingredients.  And finally the crowd pleasing Siu Lung Bao; a minced pork and broth filled pocket of joy, steamed to cook the pork and release its natural juices which form a broth inside the dumpling.  It’s understandably one of the most iconic dim sum of all.

It feels warranted to mention that the Wing's wine list is exceptional in both variety and class.  I can't think of too many places in the city selling the iconic Chateau Petrus, but Wing's certainly do.  It's one of the most revered wines on Earth and is hence usually drunk by the super wealthy, anywhere that they see it on the menu.  For me though when eating Chinese cuisine I gravitate towards the more aromatic varietals such as Gerwurtz or Riesling, and that’s not just because I don't fancy dropping six Gs on a random Wednesday evening.  It's purely because they work better together, and our great bottle of Dopff & Irion more than hit the mark.

Next up was a Wing's signature; their Aromatic Crispy Duck.  The meat's seasoning was superb and had permeated throughout rather than just being focused on the skin, as is the norm.  Even the pancakes are made in house which shows the level of detail that goes into the Wing's product.  Your first pancake is served plated, which was a lovely touch.  From then onwards, you're free to self-assemble.

Our particular duck platter was a quarter of the bird and came with 6 pancakes, so ideal for the amount of protein that we managed to cram into each one.  Served traditionally with cucumber, shredded leek and hoisin sauce, the balance of flavours and textures inside each pancake was splendid.  I can't really imagine a complete Cantonese meal without this dish and Wing's version is without question as impressive as you can expect to find.

Sizzling Fillet Steak Cantonese Style landed next, and you could hear it on approach, literally sizzling as per its description.  Generous slivers of tender beef fillet, quickly fried and then glazed in a stickily sweet well balanced sauce, accentuated with a pop of texture and a refreshing bite of acidity from some barely cooked onion slices.  Luxurious work.

Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger & Spring Onion in Soya Sauce, was as delicious as it sounds.  It's a dish which oozes of tradition, usually served on the bone with head still attached.  But as you've probably realised already via this write up, the Wing's product is elevated so the kitchen does the work for you.

Soft Chow Mein and egg fried rice accompanied the mains, and whilst being relatively humble sides, both were really well executed and same served in a more than generous portion.  We didn’t need both in truth but were grateful for Wing's generosity.

A touch that we loved is the option of being given either a plate, or a traditional rice bowl.  We chose one of each are per our 2 person party's personal preferences, as much as we both chose to eat with the provided chopsticks rather than a knife and fork. But again, the option is appreciated.  And since I was the one who chose to eat from a rice bowl, I have no problem humiliating my colleague who somehow managed to eat rice from a plate, using chopsticks rather than a fork. To each their own.

Follwing the above entertainment, we had a quick chat with owner Daniel about all things Manchester, hospitality in general, and the story of how he came to now run the restaurant, along with the legacy that his father has left and its indelible footprint on the Manchester restaurant scene.  It was a real honour to spend half an hour or so with Daniel.

And we can't possibly sign off without mentioning the Wing's wine room; a temperature controlled space containing all manner of treasures, it was just another reminder of Wing's superb wine offering.  Big hitting labels such as Dom Perignon and Tignanello both proudly sit in the room's window.

Not too many places in the city have such a prestigious wine offering, and it's truly in keeping with the broader product which you sometimes get the feeling that Manchester sometimes forgets what a great job these guys do at delivering a product that the city has loved for a generation.

So, after such a generous and high quality meal, we left feeling full, satisfied, very happy with our evening, but at the same time a little bit ashamed that we'd left it so long since our last visit.  Whilst we love the venue, it's discreet location and classy/understated vibe doesn’t really do Wing's any favours in terms of passing random footfall.  So unless you know that Wing's exists and what a high quality product it offers, then you're hardly likely to just come across it.

It's the kind of occasion that warrants planning ahead, so if you didn't know about Wings before reading this, then you now do.  Or if like us you're all too aware of Wing's but have perhaps left it a while since last calling in, then it's time to make that booking..

** Our experience was gratefully comped **