Damson Restaurant
Orange Building,
MediaCityUK,
Salford M50 2HF
We were shown to our table - part of a range along a window maybe 25 yards long overlooking the gardens and Manchester Ship Canal quayside at MediaCity in the city of Salford (not to be subsumed into it's metropolitan neighbour Manchester. The Quays developed as the northern home of the BBC and the Imperial War Museum as opened in 2011 and has soon become a favourite playground for the locals. This independent restaurant was pleasingly full. Our seats overlooked the view but there is also a large tabled private dining room and "a bar area" which is cosy and I imagine the place for quiet conversation - no tables were set there but it can be booked.
We were encourage dot go straight to our table but there was no attempt to sell us cocktails or an aperitif. I had to go and ask for a cocktail menu as I spent too long trying to attract the attention of the staff. That said when it came the Peach Bellini was a nice enough way to kick things off - rather plain both in presentation and taste though.
Our visit coincided with a change in the menu - we felt the main courses had come a bit less adventurous but the starters had the three of us musing on choice.
After nice bread and salty, whipped butter, I started with Kataifi foie gras, szechuan poached peaches & toasted almonds. This was divine combination - the katafi pastry - so often the Greek dessert of choice, was a rich and crunchy back drop to the rich baked foie gras. The pate supported in a basket of the pastry accompanied with gently spice peaches and toasted almonds - there was a drizzle of honey involved too. The richness and the sweetness were great in the same mouthful. The greasiness of the foie gras remains on the plate and I think that's a bit of an oversight.
Our wine was a Rosé to cope with our wide ranging menu choices. The wine list is varied and very well stocked at the lower and medium price range though a little light at the top end. We had the Cinsault/Tribouren/Mourvedre/Grenache, Domaine Rimauresq Cru Classe, Cotes de Provence, France 2011/12 (though I think we had something a little younger)
Whilst my fellow diners had plaice and duck respectively, I struggled to choose: I took this as a good sign! Eventually I opted for a seaside/hillside combination of Lamb rump cooked sous vide, seashore vegetables, clams, lamb broth, confit garlic foam. It came in a big dish with a deep centre - four uniform cubes of lamb covered in vibrant green young samphire and surrounded by broth which was cooking the meat a little more. Around one quarter of the dish a swirl of garlic foam added more to the presentation and taste. The lamb was uniformly cooked and though I would have ordered it somewhat rarer in other circumstances, it was magnificent and wonderfully counterpointed once more by the calms and samphire. The celeriac didn't really do much truth be told, perhaps something punchier would have added more.
Desserts followed with recommendations for matched wines. I eschewed the prescribed Gewurtztraminer and substituted a Monbazillac to accompany Vanilla & mango cheesecake, lychee sorbet, pina colada sphere. The none too subtle but so enticing aroma and taste of the wine may have dented the punch of the cheese cake a bit but I loved this sweet - lychee sorbet was also perfumed and the mysterious globule on the spoon when the dish arrived whilst not spherical was certainly pina colada. This little coup de theatre was very good and vividly set the palate up for the dessert.
Not to be left curious I also had a glass of Pedro Ximenez with a coffee.
All told this meal presented really good value: in London it would have cost half as much again. Exciting foods and a lovely range of drinks. The service was understated and after a while friendly at the table. When I went on an explore and said hi and thank you to the kitchen staff: there was a hesitant acknowledgement but no more. I think kitchen staff at whatever level should be talking to their customers. It's a shame when they are hidden away from those of us who enjoy the fruits of out labours. There is something a bit mechanical about the staffing at this restaurant - missing a chance to engage with the dinner. They might have sold me another dessert, they certainly wouldn't have sold me any cocktails had I not asked. Engaging your customers is more then a perfect looking but empty smile - there could have been more of that.
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