RESTAURANT | Pan-Asian food adventures @ Tampopo, Manchester

I appreciate good food, especially if it is of South East Asian origin, then I cannot get enough of it.

That being said, my favourite dish is a good sizzling pot of beef rendang. I remember I happened upon my first rendang by accident a few years ago. I took my Mum to Chinatown in London for the first time and we were searching for a halal restaurant, I remembered a restaurant that my Malaysian friends took me to around the area so we went there. I ordered a beef rendang and I never looked back.

Now wherever I go, I search for a restaurant that serves a beef rendang or my other fave, Carbonara. And I can safely say that, after all this time, I can tell a good one from a great one.

So when I visited Manchester, the first thing I did was look for restaurants to check out. And that’s how I came across Tampopo. During the summer, they had a lunchtime deal which was good. The first time I stopped by, I ordered beef rendang to go. I really loved the vibe of the space and made a mental note to come back with the fam.

Walking into the restaurant, you are greeted with an Artsy canteen like vibe, with memorabilia’s of South-east Asia and a photo-gallery of what seems to be some of their customers. The entire vibe of the place makes the experience more interesting and nothing felt like it was there by accident. But even though it was clearly curated, it carried a laid-back vibe and has all the trimmings to be a regular eatery for the locals!

So, a few days later, I came back with my Mum and Siblings for a late lunch and here’s some of what what we got!

For drinks, I mostly like something refreshing, especially if the food is greasy, and what better option than a Virgin Mojito with lots of ice and Mint or a Passion fruit drink.

One of my brothers tried Nasi Goreng a few years ago and he loved it so much he ordered another plate, so it is now an inside joke in our family and everywhere we go that serves Nasi Goreng, then we always order it. I liked how this one had the sides and the sauce. We also ordered Chicken wings and Spring rolls and I was pleasantly surprised when the spring rolls came out wrapped in rice paper, with the most colourful vegetables. It looked to pretty to eat! Unfortunately I lost some of my photos and videos from the trip so I do not have a picture of that.

For mains, we got the Chilli Chicken lemongrass and the Thai green curry which were both delicious. My Mum got the beef rendang this time around, and I ended up ditching the green curry for her rendang sauce-It was really good, not the best i’ve had but good!!

The best part of the meal was the food all tasted good and the ingredients tasted fresh and crunchy. They also offer vegan and vegetarian option if you are curious.

So if you are in the area, and looking for a taste of Asia, then I highly recommend Tampopo Manchester. I hear from the grapevine that they also have branches in other cities.