I’m just going to say it, I think I had the biggest – and best – prawns I’ve ever eaten, at Aberdeen’s Manchurian Restaurant.
A happy accident that my husband’s birthday always coincides with Chinese New year, there was only one kind of food on our celebratory wish list.
And so off we skipped for a festive feast just a stone’s throw from the city centre.
Heading there straight from work, our table was booked for 5.30pm.
Any worries we had about being alone in a large restaurant were shortly allayed. By 6pm the place was heaving with families, students and early diners like ourselves.
We got more than we bargained for with set menu choice
We opted for one of the set menus.
Thinking we had to choose a dish from each column – starter, main, side, plus tea and coffee – at £29.50 each it felt slightly pricey.
That was only until it arrived.
Turns out you get ALL the dishes, in every column AND a choice of dessert with your hot drink.
The restaurant itself – named after a region of China – is a large space.
It’s not fancy but it’s not basic either. There are incredible wall hangings and nods to the continent inspiring the food.
But the real star of the show is the food – and the incredible team offering exceptional service, even on the busiest of nights.
Every bite was delicious… but the wontons stole the show
Here’s what we ordered.
First off, our menu promised a combination starter and aromatic duck.
Unsure what to expect, some aromatic plum sauce was placed on the table, with chilli oil and dipping sauce.
Next to arrive was a selection of starter treats including huge, crispy prawn wontons, prawn toast, chicken skewers, mini vegetable spring rolls, and mini spare ribs.
Alongside this a generous plate of crispy duck, a pile of pancakes and some shredded spring onion and cucumber.
Everything was piping hot, crispy – not at all greasy – and delicious.
Of particular note was the prawn wontons. So big and juicy I struck a deal with my other half that he could eat all the chicken skewers if I could have all the prawns.
The duck and plum sauce was equally mouth-watering.
My only complaint was to myself: why have you no self-control Lindsay… there are another two courses!?
Three mains, two sides and four takeaway boxes later…
Next up, the mains.
When our fantastic servers arrived with tealights and warming plates we knew we were entering banquet territory. And we weren’t wrong.
Thankfully we both ordered soft drinks… the ample wine and alcoholic drinks list, and their associated calories, remained untouched.
Instead, we had the cheek to drink Diet Coke with the food mountain that was about to arrive.
To accompany this next round of food, you could choose yeung chow fried rice OR noodles, or a mix of both, which is what we asked for.
With those came three main dishes: Chicken satay, shredded crispy chilli beef and sweet and sour king prawn.
More satay, more prawns, more regrets at unnecessarily eating our body weight in Chinese food.
But my gosh was it good.
That aromatic, almost Christmassy mix of five spice with chilli sauce on the crispy beef was mouth-watering.
Paired with delicious fried rice – laced with seafood, meat and veg, the sweet and sour sauce had just the right amount of tang, and the battered coating maintained some of its crispiness.
It was probably a thicker sauce than I would like, but that didn’t detract from the tastiness.
I only managed a mouthful of noodles before I declared “not another mouthful”. A shortlived statement on discovering we had a choice of Rizza’s desserts with our tea and coffee.
Thankfully, our waiter came back bearing many a plastic tub so we were able to take (a substantial amount of) food home. FOUR BOXES of food to be precise.
Sweet treats finished off an incredible meal
And finally… pudding!
Eight options were presented to us. My half-Indian husband took a walk down memory lane, opting for mango kulfi (a frozen cross between sorbet and ice cream), and I picked the palate-cleansing road of a lemon sorbet served in the eponymous fruit.
Both were delicious but I got to smugly eat mine to a chorus of “I should have chosen that too.”
Verdict: Manchurian was the perfect ‘after work’ stop-off
So would we go back? Absolutely. We’ve booked already.
Offering exceptional value for money, in a relaxed and friendly environment, the Manchurian is an ideal place to take the family for a special – copious – night out.
Ample free parking is also available, and the restaurant is just a five-minute walk down Gallowgate and across the road. Ideal for that ‘after work’ catch-up.
I’d highly recommend it. In fact, it’s all I’ve been talking about.
Scores:
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Surroundings: 4/5
Information
Address: Address:Â 136 Causewayend, Aberdeen AB25 3TN
T: 01224 645222
W:Â https://www.facebook.com/p/Manchurian-Aberdeen-100084140045598/?locale=en_GB
Price: £66.80 for two set meals (£29.50 per head) – which was two starters, three mains, two sides, two desserts, two soft drinks, a tea and a coffee.
Disabled access: Yes: Entrance is flat, no stairs or ramps. Toilets on the same floor. Plenty of space between tables for access.
Dog-friendly: Only for guide dogs.
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