Australasia Menu Preview

Many people forget the impact that Living Ventures has had on Manchester's hospitality scene.  The leap in standards which they instilled into the city has been immeasurable and Australasia is the company's flagship brand which first launched into the portfolio back in 2011, giving the city its first serious taste of Pan Asia/Modern Australian cuisine.  It was well ahead of its time, and the city has since seen a wave of similar offerings appear, notably in the last 2 or 3 years. 

The team were invited down to experience a preview of their new menu, and we couldn't wait to see how things have evolved since our last visit. 

It's always been a very special space and that's still the case.  We descended those iconic and anticipation-heightening stairs into a bright and airy greeting area, leading into the bar area for a pre-dinner cocktail, before heading to our comfy booth for the evening.

The menu on the night was;

Crispy Rice; a lovely snack to get things going and to wake up the taste buds.  These were followed by Smoked Baby Back Ribs which were cooked well, with the meat coming clean came served into a smoked cloche.  The meat came away from its bone with little resistance, carrying just the right about of chew.  The sauce was also superb, being sticky and rich to counter all the fattiness from the ribs.

Lamb and Beef Croquettes were an early contender for dish of the evening. Substantial in size, generously filled with shredded lamb and beef, breadcrumbed, fried, and then ready for you to enjoy.  This one was a real crowd pleaser and truly delicious.

Black Cod Tacos, were next up and are a clear play on a Nobu classic.  Lovely chunks of cod filling a crispy taco.  Perhaps the taco shell could have been crispier, but this was still an enjoyable plate nonetheless.

Our final starter was a super fresh Beef Tataki, with pickled shimeji mushrooms as garnish, and some sea salt flakes for that final flourish. The quality of the produce did the talking here, and it was undoubtedly as photogenic as it was delicious.

Chicken Two Ways; Roast chicken breast/Korean fried chicken, was one of the evening's main events.  Lovely roasted chicken breast, paired with some crunchy Korean style fried chicken and a lovely gravy

Roast Loin of Cod also featured, and was another tasty plate.  Soft, flaky cod, garnished with a razor clam for some theatre and an added hit of oceanic goodness.

To finish the preview, guests were served a trio of Australasia's desserts, and the Strawberry Parfait was a strong start.  A cube of frozen parfait, topped with yuzu sorbet and a mini meringue for some texture.  A lovely, cute-as-can-be mini Vanilla Brulee was the second pud, and it was again pulled off to a tee.  Buttery, light, creamy and delicious.

But our team's unanimous favourite was the The Chocolate Pyramid, which was a tasting-sized take on Australasia's Chocolate Dome.  A rich and decadent chocolate centre, covered in yet more chocolate, carrying flavours of peanut and salted caramel.  Australasia's pastry section has always done a great job over the years, and that's clearly not changed.

Service was also a highlight of the evening and the whole team were exemplary, and everybody absolutely went above and beyond to make it a great event for all the guests

So if like us, it's been a while since you experienced Australisia, then I urge you to pay a visit and experience a restaurant which is still very much one of the highlights of our city's flourishing Pan Asian dining scene