VIVA reviews Gordon Ramsay ‘s Lucky Cat restaurant in Manchester
| 1st April 2024
Gordon Ramsay and his new Manchester restaurant: Eighteen dishes in and not a dud amongst them, no wonder the VIVA team were purring as we got to taste the stunning Omakase Menu at Lucky Cat, his new eatery at the top of King Street.
And what’s more it is an actual bargain at £75 per person. Yes even with the ‘cozzie livs’ crisis, this is just top notch value for money and you’ll see why.
There are two sittings, lunch or early afternoon as it’s all about having your own chef prepping and talking you through each of the dishes as you sit at the sumptuous bar and you can be up to eight people.
It is of course a stunning setting, all velvety booths, nooks and crannies with cheerful efficient staff zipping around and a wonderful house soundtrack as if there isn’t a care in the world, just what we all need.
VIVA reviews Gordon Ramsay 's Lucky Cat restaurant in Manchester
Our chef certainly knew his onions and everything else about the Omakase menu. He was the perfect maestro, sharing knowledge but allowing us to chat amongst ourselves whilst we enjoyed the theatre of the meal and of course the delicate and frankly enchanting tastes.
Firstly he showed us his box of tricks, a veritable treasure trove of ingredients including the fresh glistening cuts of fishes from blue-fin tuna to hand-dived scallops and the rest. The pandora’s box of goodies held fresh wasabi, a huge truffle, caviar and a host of mouth-watering treats.
He then got to work, chopping doesn’t really do it justice more like an elegant knife dance, watching him create gorgeous morsels as each dish is preened and built with the perfect ingredients to delight the tongue and all the senses, including a veritable feast for the eyes.
You start with miso to warm you up but this is no ordinary miso it’s one with truffle and wagyu, the most decadent miso ever- this didn’t even count as a dish by the way, but boy was it good.
VIVA reviews Gordon Ramsay 's Lucky Cat restaurant in Manchester
Then it’s onto the Sashimi section and this and the other courses change depending on what is seasonal. We tucked into six spectacular dishes, served with the wonderful wasabi and soya sauce, eaten with chopsticks.
Highlights were the yellowtail tuna with jalapenos and a stunning tuna tartare on a tree-shaped cracker. But all were fantastically delicious, with beautiful delicate flavours.
Then it was onto the Nigiri courses. These are the dishes with rice and come with fresh ginger to refresh your palate in between plates. You should use your hands to eat these with a two finger scoop and fish side down in your mouth. They are meant to be eaten in one bite.
We had eleven of these and we’re washing them down with a gorgeous sake that added another layer to this flavour explosion (Sake from £8.50 a glass). We had also tried their signature cocktails (cocktails from £15) which paired beautifully with the Sashimi section. Their Kakigori was a shaved ice joy of citrus flavours whilst a Nori Martini hit the spot perfectly.
VIVA reviews Gordon Ramsay 's Lucky Cat restaurant in Manchester
There was so much to enjoy and savor with the Nigiri courses – the chef’s favourite of scallops with lemon zest was also a favourite of ours and it’s hard to explain how the subtle citrus engulfs you in warmth with none of the sharpness you might expect. An emperor bream, chargrilled by blow-torch was also a stand-out moment.
Then the rice was changed to one that had been cooked to create a smokey taste that works better with the fattier fish. Here a quick marinade technique called Zuke created a perfect tuna nigiri that packed a punch of flavours.
A torched prawn was a roasted delicacy better than lobster whilst blow-torched wagyu with truffle was the best wagyu ever and a swansong of tuna wrapped in seaweed, one with caviar and one with truffle earned its encore.
Finally, and surprisingly as everything is so fresh, gorgeous and delicious, we still had space for dessert. This was just scrumptious, layers of chocolate tofu, mousse and other sweet things a perfect ending to a perfect meal.
To find out more and for bookings, visit https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/lucky-cat-manchester/menus/omakase-menu/