U n I, RENSHAW ST, LIVERPOOL

2010

Upon stepping into the UnI (pronounced you and I), you are overwhelmed with a proper old-school Indian experience. Twangy sitar music (bizarrely interspersed with Rihanna and Enrique Iglesias), chintz carpet and heady smells. Now Asha, formerly Liverpool's oldest Indian has gone bust, UnI now holds the title of the city's oldest and most authentic Indian eaterie. This piece of local history isn't it's USP however. The reason that most diners flock to this gem isn't its location- it's surrounded by condemned buildings and empty shops in an area which was the Scousers' answer to the Curry Mile in the 1990s, but has now suffered under the double threat of the recession and the city's 2008 redevelopment. It's not its website or advertising either (trawl the net and you'll only find review sites such as this one and TripAdvisor coming up with info of this place). Its USP is, bizarrely, its famous booths. Wow. THE BOOTHS. What a unique experience. These aren't the usual booths from an old school curry house. These are curtained and complete with dimmer switch to add an intimate feel to the place. There is even a bell to press to order your meal. Both foodies and drunk clubbers alike are united in their love of The Booth, providing many a picture opportunity on nights out. The Booths are the place where gossip is shared and secrets are divulged, the diners being lulled into a false sense of security that the booths are soundproofed...

UnI has become wise to the fact that The Booths are a hit and have namedropped them on their napkins and new signage. 'The Cubicle Restaurant' is now its unofficial name according to the napkins. Still prefer calling them The Booths though.

I have been here numerous times, so I will try and sum up all of my meals in one review.

My perfect starter is Raita and a Vegetable Pakora. The pakoras here are plentiful and the veg fresh. One starter is good enough for two people. After much deliberation, I always choose a vegetarian vindaloo and am never disappointed. For the meat eaters, I spied a Malayan Chicken which looked like a nice, exotic alternative. If Biryani is your thing, I am pleased to confirm it DOES come with a fab fluffy omelette, a vital component that lots of curry houses are cutting corners on these days. If you squint, you may be able to see the Biryani in the above pic. As I am so engrossed in the atmosphere of this place whenever I go, I always forget to snap the food. I found this trimmed-down pic in my Facebook archives though- better than nothing!

I remember Christmas 2008 fondly as the period I ate two UnIs in a week. As it was the season to stuff your face and not feel guilty, I ordered copious amounts of pistachio kulfi for dessert and a mango lassi.Refreshing and sweet, it took me away from the stuffy festivities of Xmas and brought me to an exotic paradise!

UPDATE SEP 2012

After a year's absence from the UnI, I was overwhelmed with a craving that not even the Curry Mile could satisfy. I was staying the night in Liverpool and needed to visit my old favourite. I can happily confirm it's still on top form, the vindaloo still potent, the booths chintzy and the naan breads as big as your head. In addition to my usuals, I made room for dessert- a decadent Kulfi of Mango and Coconut, enough to feed two hungry curryholics.

Royal Siam, Chorley Rd, Swinton, Salford

Salfordian foodies seem to have a rough deal. People from outside of the area don't tend to flock to this enclave of Manchester as it's not exactly known for its haute cuisine. If you're not a seasoned Salford foodie, you probably think the most exotic dish on offer is the frozen curry in Morrison's cafe. However, scratch beneath the surface of chain restaurants at the Quays, delve deeper than the chippies of Eccles and eschew the sandwich bars of Monton and pay a visit to Swinton, Salford's haven of cheap eats and exotic treats. After much Googling, I decided to try the Royal Siam who offers a Thai business lunch for £7.50 for 2 courses. How will it match up to city centre offerings like Try Thai?

Royal Siam is cosy, clean and jampacked with exciting Thai artwork on the wall, providing diners with some great talking points while chowing down. I was pleased to note they had actually bothered to play Thai music rather than atmosphere-sapping Rihanna in pan pipes. The owner greeted us warmly and explained that any starter and main could be chosen from the main menu for the business lunch. Drinks were a snip too, with all soft drinks £1 and a pot of Jasmine Tea also £1. It seemed better than Try Thai already!

To start, the Carnivore ordered Chicken Satay and I ordered veggie spring rolls. Check out the amazing presentation:

They were delicious as they looked- not too greasy and the salad beautiful and fresh.
Here is the tofu and vegetable red curry that I ordered for my main. The portion was huge, although it was a cheap business lunch. More generous than Try Thai, the rice even came in a heart-shaped serving!

The two course bountiful Thai extravaganza left me too full for dessert, so I digested the meal with a pot of Jasmine Tea. I'd also like to give the toilets a special mention at this point- they were the most immaculate I've ever seen in a Thai restaurant. They even left real cloths for the diners to wipe their hands on, a fabulous touch.
The staff were extremely welcoming and despite being the only diners in there, we never felt rushed, they simply allowed us to relax and enjoy the meal. We easily whiled away two hours here and were rather surprised to open the door and find ourselves back in Salford, the Thai experience was simply that convincing.

Shahenshah, Wilmslow Rd, Manchester

Bank Holiday Monday. Manchester city centre was packed to the gills with Pride-goers and weekend tourists. Sick of visiting yet another overpriced sandwich bar with rude service or a brat-infested 'family' pub, the Carnivore and I decided to make a pilgrimage to an old favourite, the Mecca of all Vindaloo Queens- the Curry Mile!
Still fed up of falafel and tabbouleh after my Dubai adventures, I eschewed the new Mediterranean eateries in favour of an old traditional curry house, the Shahenshah.

I can hear you gasping already. Yes, I know what you're thinking, what is Vindaloo Queen going to this infamous hellhole that was fined by environmental health for? To be honest, I don't know. Maybe out of curiosity, in the name of research? Maybe because I just wanted to be objective? Maybe because I was yearning for a traditional curry house experience that was a bit rough round the edges from the time before the Health and Safety jobsworths took over our country? Who cares what I was thinking, I was just hungry and wanted a big fat curry.

We were greeted warmly by a gentleman outside, desperate for business, reminiscent of a Turkish holiday resort. At one point, I thought he was going to call me 'lovely lady' and invite me on his brother's boat. He promised us 10% off and free popadoms (this didn't materialise, but I was tired and hungry, my old fighting spirit was having a snooze and didn't bother challenging it.)

The restaurant seemed clean enough to me and the furnishings new, despite contrary reports and the atmosphere was cosy, bubbly and brimming with life, exactly what an Indian should be like. The staff were courteous, asking what our preferences were spice wise and prompt with our order. A basket heaving with popadoms was plonked down and a bountiful array of chutneys including a chili hot green one I've never seen before, which seemed to be in place of the lime pickle, Bizarrely enough, one of the dips was coleslaw. In all my years of eating at curry houses, this is the first time I've ever seen coleslaw and would love it if someone could enlighten me to its Indian origins.

For the main, I ordered a vegetable Sambar and the Carnivore a Chicken Dhansak, along with a peshwari naan and pilau rice. The Sambar contained fresh veg, not a tinned or a frozen carrot in sight and was vindaloo hot. The only thing that let this curry down was its oiliness. I nearly had to sponge the cauliflower down with a napkin as it had soaked up all the oil, it was like eating a sponge dripping in fat. The curry began to take on the appearance of a lava lamp. The Dhansak fared slightly better, but it was no match for Liverpool's UNI or Salford's The Naz. The Peshwari was extremely tasty and sweet and even contained glace cherries. It was definitely freshly made and not bought in but nevertheless, this also contained a layer of greasy butter. The rice was the only non-greasy item. I was dreading to think how much cholesterol I had just consumed.

The bill came to £30 for 3 popadoms, 2 curries, one rice, one peshwari, two pints and a coke, which seemed rather steep for the so-called free lunch. Considering the popadoms were meant to be free and they were supposed to be giving us a discount, this cheap lunch suddenly got rather pricey. Shahenshah is okay for non-discerning curry fans, it'll do for a stag night or if you're getting it paid for by someone else, but I definitely wouldn't make it my first choice on the Mile.

Sculpture Hall Cafe, Manchester Town Hall

This review is going to be a rather unusual one as no food or drink was actually consumed. A mere case of quaint British jobsworthiness if you like which causes so many businesses to fail, as witnessed on TV shows like The Restaurant/ Hotel Inspector.

For those who haven't visited Manchester, the town hall is an amazing Gothic structure, its imposing grandeur one of the focal points of the city. Inside the town hall, its well-preserved original features are a sight to behold. The cafe is awe-inspiring, its decor a cross between traditional tea room and gentleman's club, with a selection of artwork, sculptures and busts of Lord Mayors of Manchester from way back when. As a connoisseur of art and potent coffee, I was looking forward to exploring this interesting cafe. Only one other table was taken so I had the pick of seats. I waited to order my Americano. And waited. And waited a little more. 15 minutes later, a member of staff arrived, a brusque, foreign gentleman. Finally, coffee time. As I ordered my coffee, he snapped 'no, not just coffee'. Pardon me? 'Today is Saturday. Saturday is afternoon tea day. You can have a coffee, but you need to order an afternoon tea. Oh, or a scone'. I don't know about you, but that sounded like the biggest bunch of excuses since Little Britain's 'computer says no'. Why on earth wouldn't he be allowed to serve me a coffee without a cake? I'd understand if it was booze, but ordering a coffee in a cafe isn't that complex, is it? Would you go in a chippy and be refused a portion of chips? Obviously, the town hall cafe's boss is that greedy, he or she just wants to upsell. But isn't this greed going to turn customers away? Obviously it is, as only one table was taken at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon.

What a surprise turn from Manchester city council, who are normally so greedy with parking fines and council tax, but they turn away paying customers in their cafe. I'm still perplexed now.

Topkapi Palace, Deansgate, Manchester

Regular readers will have read my previous frustrations of not being able to get good quality Turkish food at a reasonable price in the North West. They're either overpriced, spartan eateries targeted at the WAG/ ladies who lunch brigade or the sloppy, buffet-style joint for stags, hens and chavs which feature the famous Turkish dishes of onion rings and profiteroles. Neither of these restaurant types emulate the Bosporus, more like the River Mersey. It's not to say I haven't found pockets of the Eastern Mediterranean in Manchester though, the Armenian Taverna and Kosmos being amongst my favourites, and while they offer Turkish dishes, they are not Turkish eateries. However, walking along Deansgate today, I spotted Topkapi Palace which appeared to tick all the boxes. Cosy decor? Check. Authentic menu? Check. Value for money? Check. The Carnivore and I decided to take advantage of the lunch deal for £6.99 for 2 courses. That's my kind of price.

The staff were welcoming unlike the rudeness I experienced at Efes. Good start. Now the difficult bit; the menu had so much choice for veggies and meat eaters alike, it took us 15 minutes to decide. A seasoned Turkey traveller, memories of Istanbul and the sumptuous mezes I experienced in the old quarter of Sirkeci were conjured up whilst I read the menu with the vigour of a menopausal housewife reading 50 Shades of Grey. Please note, if your only experience of Turkey is the dire tourist trap that is Marmaris, chances are you don't know much about authenticity.

After much umming and aahing, I settled on a Tabule salad to start, which was presented beautifully. It was even better than the Tabboulehs I'd chowed down on in the Middle East- well done Topkapi! Seasoned with mint, parsley and those delectable peppers which are ubiquitous in the Eastern Med, this was a promising start to the meal.

Meanwhile, The Carnivore went veggie this time and had Humus to start, a generous, well garnished portion served with a basket of pitta fresh out of the oven. Glad to see they didn't commit the cardinal sin of a restaurant giving a few misshapen scraps of cold stale bread and charging for it! For the main event, The Carnivore reverted back to his Dubai days and had a Tavuk Kebab, beautiful grilled chicken served with Turkish pilaf rice and a bountiful salad. I went for the spicy Patlican peynirli which if you know Turkish, you'll recognise as an aubergine and cheese dish. This was also served with a salad garnish and generous dollop of pilaf rice. Pilaf is amazing, it has more substance than its brothers Pilau and Basmati and has a beautiful milky taste to it. As soon as I ate it, it was 1994 again and I was eating overlooking the sea in Alanya on the south Turkish coast. It's brilliant how foods can conjure up memories and a simple taste can transport you back on holiday. The Patlican dish was done in a madras-hot spicy pepper sauce, the aubergines fleshy and succulent, soaking up the spice, the flavour heightened with garlic. Amazing.

Sadly, the desserts and coffee specialities were a bit pricy so the meal was rounded off at Caffe Nero. They do serve ultimate Turkish staples like Baklava and Turkish Coffee, but at £4.50 and £2.50 respectively, this seemed steep although I don't doubt that they'll be tasty. Drop the prices by £1 and they'll be snapped up like hot cakes (excuse the pun). If you need a little ray of sunshine in drizzly Manchester or want to extend your holiday, Topkapi Palace is full of Eastern promise.

4 Corners, Wesley St, Southport

The last couple of years have seen a rising trend in a new kind of restaurant hitting Britain's high street. Taking inspiration from all-inclusive resorts in Spain and tapping in to the dilemma of finding a restaurant that pleases everyone, world buffets are the latest hot trend. Flash in the pan food fad or a revolutionary way of eating? I'll leave it to you to decide.

After being ripped off in overpriced sandwich bars and facing Chinese buffet fatigue, 4 Corners world buffet seemed like a viable lunchtime option. Tucked away in Wesley St, away from the pushy crowds of Lord St's cafes, this sparkly new eaterie is the first of its kind in Southport. At £8.99, it seems expensive for lunch but when I done a quick calculation of the cost of a butty (which wouldn't fill me) and a dessert, it came to about £7, not too bad considering you can have as much cake until you burst! In all honesty, both me and The Carnivore fancied an Indian for lunch, but the curry houses were either shut or bereft of lunch deals and therefore stone empty. Thankfully, 4 Corners offered curry- yippee!

Upon entering, we were greeted warmly by the staff who explained that diners pay upfront for both drinks and food, and the soft drinks and hot drinks were a set price with unlimited refills, perfect for the thirst that ensues during an all you can eat extravaganza. The ambience was chilled at first, the seating consisting of large tables and cosy booths, however this tranquility was soon to be shattered by the invasion of the dreaded Chav Brigade. Hordes of kids out of control, screaming and playing with the food, along with obese parents who didn't give a damn ruined what could have been a pleasant lunch. The kids were left to run riot and play by the cake and salad display, which is probably why I took a week off work with the flu after visiting here. Sorry for digressing, I just thought I'd set the scene so you can imagine the cacophony I endured.

THe food was in abundance but I saw little evidence of the 4 Corners of the world, unless Costco is a country. Great Britain was represented in this food olympics, along with India, and I suppose the pasta salad and the fajita wraps were a token to Italy and Mexico. The staff were helpful in explaining what some of the more unidentifiable dishes contained, i.e. were they veggie friendly, but this must have been pretty tiresome for them. They could have followed the Chinese buffet example of putting signs on their dishes, saving them a job and cutting down on food wastage.

The presentation of the carvery and the Indian selection was excellent,with dedicated chefs on hand happy to assist, the food served piping hot and not left to go cold like some buffets. My veggie curry (above) was as good as any curry house I'd been to, which I enjoyed with popadoms, a chutney selection and basmati rice. There were 4 curries on offer, but the other 3 were meat so I can't comment on those, but The Carnivore's chicken curry was devoured in no time. On the carvery, the vegetables were plentiful and the salad bar had lots of tasty greens, delicious. The Italian selection was a bit bog-standard, comprising of what looked like frozen pizza and two pasta dishes, one meat, one veg, which weren't very inspirational. The 'Mexican' assortment consisted of wraps and a couple of dips, the filling of which reminded me of one of those kits you get from Aldi with the sauce that no matter how hard you try to get it to infuse well with the meat and veg, it never tastes quite right.

Time for dessert- the cake selection was immense. Lemon meringue, chocolate fudge cake, more fruit than a tropical island, this is where 4 Corners really shone. No matter how mediocre a meal is, as long as there's decadent desserts, you'll walk away satisfied.

My culinary voyage of 4 Corners drew to a close and I was sad that I hadn't actually tasted the four corners of the world and had to finish my meal with a Nurofen for my head thanks to the raucous clientele. As it's a relative newcomer, I'll give it a few months to improve before I return as I'm sure the discrepancies I mentioned are just teething problems that'll get ironed out. The staff are fabulous, so I'm sure they're up to the challenge to make some additions to their culinary journey!

Britannia Hotel Carvery, Portland St, Manchester

In 2006, I had a disastrous day- it was just before Christmas, I had arrived at Manchester airport and was waiting for my case loaded with pressies and new clothes. I waited at the carousel, and waited a bit more until half an hour later, I was stood there like a desperate and dateless slapper in a low budget nightclub. Yes, my case was in Stansted. Christmas was officially ruined. After traipsing round the Arndale Centre buying a new wardrobe, I was much in need of nourishment and my nose led me in the direction of the Britannia Hotel. I had previously been to the Britannia Adelphi in Liverpool, a complete rubbish tip sponsored by the DSS and was disappointed, but word of mouth convinced me this place was going to come up with the goods, food-wise. It was absolutely fabulous and that's why, 6 years later, I'm back to give this place a glowing review!

Jenny's Carvery is situated in the hotel's basement and is reminiscent of old school Berni Inns and those steakhouses that seem to have disappeared to pave the way for pretentious tapas bars. It offers spacious surroundings and hearty smells! The starter was a choice between melon and soup, I opted for the smooth leek and potato soup served with a crusty brown roll. Once that was digested, it was time for the main event.

The veggie option of the day was a spicy pasta bake, beautifully prepared without that heartburny bechamel sauce. To accompany, I helped myself to the array of treats on the all you can eat buffet- rosemary potatoes, carrots, swede and a random Yorkshire Pudding (which was homemade- no Aunt Bessie's evidence there!) In addition, there is an array of salads with feta, mozzarella and green salad. The quality of the food was excellent and all were served piping hot (bar the salads obviously) unlike some other buffets who shall remain nameless....

After this big feast, I was fit to burst but then the realisation hit me- it's a three course meal which means dessert! I dragged my bursting belly off the seat and advanced towards the cake display. There to greet me were strawberry gateau, black forest, fruit cocktail and a tangerine-flavoured cake. I settled for the decadent choc cake- scrumptious. Needless to say, this feast set me up for the day, letting me loose on the streets to offer free promotion for this wondrous carvery.

Jenny's Carvery ticked all the boxes- veggie friendly, cheery staff, value for money, the feeling of a proper meal afterwards and an allround great atmosphere. Such traditional places are scarce nowadays and it makes me yearn for the bygone era of a good old Berni Inn! See, veggies can do steakhouses too.

UPDATE AUGUST 2012

On a recent visit to the Carvery, I am sad to report that although the food is still great, there seems to be a new tip-hungry group of staff working there. They are a group of foreign girls who drop hints like 'It's the end of my shift now'. In addition, the wine has doubled in price and the air con seems to be switched off, despite the heat we've been experiencing lately. Get your act together, Britannia, and bring back the humble staff you once had.

BBQ Handmade Noodles King, Faulkner St, Manchester

I know what you're thinking. What a bizarre, nonsensical name for a restaurant. I'm sure it has another name in Mandarin or even Korean, the signage outside is written in another language I cannot decipher, but the English name is really BBQ Handmade Noodles King. (For the rest of this blog, I shall refer to it simply as BBQ as it's too much of a tongue twister). Inside the restaurant, it is sparsely decorated, the obligatory fish tank the only indicator that we were in a Chinese eaterie. Bizarrely, there was a Christmas decoration in the window, one of those stars made of fairy lights what you get from Poundstretcher. I glanced up and a few Christmas tree baubles hung forlornly from the ceiling. Curiouser and curiouser.

Now, don't let the name of this restaurant deceive you. You're not going to get burgers on this barbecue, nor are you going to be offered copious amounts of noodles. This eaterie is an interesting mix of Korean, 'real' Chinese and anglicised Chinese, offering dishes from the safe (chicken and sweetcorn soup) to the authentic, I'm a Celebrity Bushtucker Trial kind of dishes (lamb's ovaries and barbecued quail anyone?). The barbecue in question refers to Korean specialities that are flame and charcoal grilled, the handmade noodles are on the menu but not mandatory (EFR and boiled rice are still order of the day); there is also the usual options of set banquets, a dim sum list as long as a piece of string, and the increasingly popular Chinese Hot Pot. However, as the name of the blog is Bargain Cuisine, I plumped for the £6.90 three course business lunch.

The business lunch isn't the usual layout of starter, main and dessert but two starters and a main. The list of starters is immense; a far cry from the business lunch staple of soup of the day, a cold spring roll or a glass of orange juice. BBQ means serious foodie business- sure, spring rolls are on the menu, but so are charcoal bananas, grilled quail and flame grilled aubergine. I opted for a Vegetarian Sweetcorn Soup and my goodness was it a huge portion. Roasting hot, dense and evidently freshly made, the quality was excellent.

In addition, I ordered a barbecued eggplant (aubergine) whilst my dining partner ordered vegetarian wontons. These came with a seaweed garnish, which in the absence of soy sauce, I sprinkled liberally on my soup±

The wontons weren't the usual type, but rather like small pasties with a curried samosa-type filling. Nonetheless, they were delicious. My eggplant was out of this world. Flame grilled slices of skewered aubergine in a piquant chili marinade, this was an imaginative alternative to bog standard spring rolls. Definitely a demonstration of BBQ's USP. These two starters left us feeling full, unsure as to whether we would finish the main course!

The veg in black bean sauce was plentiful, the sauce of a superior quality compared to other business lunches I have experienced. Mange tout, water chestnuts and a variety of Chinese mushrooms made it a colourful, eclectic experience and the EFR was of the same high quality. The icing on the cake was the spring onion garnish on the rice:

As you can see, this generous portion easily fed two and there was plenty left over! Sadly, there was no room for dessert, but this bountiful businessman's kept me full until way past teatime. BBQ definitely knocks spots off the bog standard 3 course offers in Chinatown and those bland all you can eat buffets that litter Manchester. (I don't know about you, but I can never see more than two dishes I want to eat at these so-called all you can eats). Potent spices, eclectic menu options and the luxury of two starters, BBQ offers a lunchtime bargain without compromising size and quality.

Efes, Princess St, Manchester

I've always had a soft spot for Turkish cuisine. When I was 11, I visited Turkey, back when tourists still preferred the Costa Brava and it hadn't succumbed to egg, chips and Man United theme bars. Turkey was still pure, rustic Turkishness- all homemade flatbreads, dips reflecting every spectrum of the Scoville scale and freshly slaughtered lamb (I hadn't discovered vegetarianism at this stage!). In my early 20s, I lived in a Turkish neighbourhood of Berlin where every morning, I would be gently roused from my slumbers with the potent smells of Turkish Tea and sesame infused Simitci bread. As you have probably guessed, I became quite the Turkish food connoisseur. What really gets my goat is the fact that here in the UK, Turkish food is generally overpriced and what counts for street food in Turkey and Germany is billed as an expensive delicacy here. Put it this way, would you pay £10 for a chippy tea? Probably not.

Manchester's Efes cuisine offers a 'Mediterranean Buffet' of an afternoon for £8.95 so I thought this would be a bargain alternative to sample some of the treats I've been hankering after. My tastebuds were watering at the thought- I was imagining Imam Bayildi, Borek, Lahmacun and maybe a sweet treat of Kunefe to finish. Sadly, this was not to be the case.

Efes is tastefully decorated- modern without being stark, still managing to attain that cosiness synonymous with 1980s tavernas. It even had a dance floor and a stage for the night. I glanced at the 'normal' menu and it seemed delicious- all the traditional meze dishes were present and correct, albeit dearer than Turkey and Turkish expat communities. The staff didn't strike me as overtly friendly, a bit brusque, telling diners where they can and can't sit, a bit rich considering the restaurant was a sea of empty tables. The below pic illustrates why it was empty:



Does this cuisine look Turkish or remotely Mediterranean to you? Fair enough, chips are universal, but the only place this reminds me of is the leftovers of a council estate street party in Salford. The theme of it could be 'that's why Mum's gone to Iceland and stopped off at Farmfoods on the way back'. Let me talk you through the delicacies.

Starters- First of all was lentil soup, obviously a packet one, its only concession to Turkishness was that it bore the legend 'Mercimek Corbasi' (That's Turkish for lentil soup). At least there is someone Turkish speaking working here, or maybe they just googled it. Next was a bread selection which was really good- a mix of Turkish sesame seed bread and some lovely Continental seeded rolls. Salad was also delicious with some lovely dressings on.

Mains- a selection of pizzas which reminded me of Aldi's 3 for £3 big box of frozen pizzas that I was so fond of as a penniless student. Ok at a house party, but not at a buffet for £8.95. Also on offer were some onion rings, chips and other UFOs (unidentifiable fried oddities) that looked like Findus Crispy Pancakes but were something else from Iceland. A few hot dishes were on offer like Cannelloni and a few stews that looked a bit too stewed, including a veggie option of chickpeas in an unpleasant tomato sauce. I sought respite in the cold selection where I finally spotted some Med dishes- stuffed vine leaves, tzatziki and hummus. Phew, at last. This wasn't enough for the price though, If I'd have wanted some cold appetisers, I would have went to Katsouris and paid £5. Maybe the desserts would blow my socks off- I have previously been impressed in cheap Chinese buffets with their ice cream and gateaux, plus the Britannia 3 course deal for £6.50 always has amazing cakes that would cost £3 a slice in normal cafes.

What a letdown. The desserts included fruit- I love fruit but eat it all the time at home, not exactly a treat when you go out for a meal, profiteroles coated in a sickly chocolate sauce, bananas coated in same sickly sauce and Brioche. Now, I don't mind Brioche when I'm breakfasting in a cheap hotel on the Costa Brava, but it's not exactly a moreish dessert to round off a meal! Moreover, everyone knows they're a quid in Aldi.

Efes, you could do so much better. You have a great central location, a niche market and sound like an absolutely fabulous place to party the night away. Remember, you are first and foremost a restaurant and your 'cheap' lunch deal should either be that- cheap to compete with all the £6 buffets in the area, or a good quality product to entice people to come back of a night and spend even more money with you. People want to step into a Mediterranean paradise, not be reminded of school dinners and cheapo holiday all inclusive buffets. Sorry Efes, that don't impress me much.

Katsouris Deli, Deansgate, Manchester

Regular blog readers will know that for me, eating out isn't just about the food, but it's a state of mind. The food and the ambience of an eaterie needs to take you on a little journey in your head and for one moment, it's nice to think you're someplace else. In my uni days, most of my friends were from more exotic shores and I was captivated by the way they lived life, their sunny, carefree Mediterranean personalities brought a ray of sunshine to my otherwise dismal life in drizzly Liverpool. Their beautiful sunny attitudes rubbed off on me and from that moment on, I decided to make every day a holiday- I listened to foreign chart music, immersed myself in languages and even found a Greek nightclub in the centre of Liverpool! (A hidden gem, sadly long defunct, but that's another blog post!)But most of all, foreign food made a big impact on my life. I sought out cheap lunch deals on my student budget and found where the local Continental delis were so I could recreate some holiday food at home. Fast forward 10 years later to 2011 and I am still sticking to these principles to make life that little bit sunnier.

Last Sunday, I had that horrid sinking feeling. You know the one I mean, the dread of Monday morning; but this was also combined with post-holiday depression. Always on a foodie mission, I dragged myself out of bed and headed for the foodie riot that is Manchester city centre. I was bound to find something here to put that smile on my face again and headed in hope to my beloved Armenian Taverna. Alas, it was closed until 5, a bit too late for lunch methinks. Then, like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I spotted Katsouris Deli. Ooh, a Greek name, I thought. They're bound to have something involving halloumi and olives for me.

Katsouris is cosy yet airy, a combination of deli and cafe. A good cross section of clientele- students, families, tourists and people on their own who just want to read the papers, this obviously translated as 'something for everyone'. And it certainly was. The prices were amazing, considering that over the road are the chainy rip-off merchants of Deansgate (Don't make me swear...)and best of all, the menu was eclectic with a firm Greek foundation of olives, feta and vine leaves. I ordered the veggie meze platter (pictured) which came in at an impressive £4.95- as you can see, it included huge chunks of lovely halloumi, dolmades, couscous, tzatziki and more. This was served with a generous basket of fresh bread. I washed this down with a vat of potent coffee which really hit the spot.

The deli offers a help-yourself meze bar too at varying prices, featuring faves like dolmades, dips, colourful salads and for the carnivores, a piping hot carvery of mixed meats awaits you. The sandwich selection is overwhelming and for those of you who aren't bothered about Greek food, there is a fab selection of German/Polish sausage and the ubiquitous British flavours. Canny Katsouris also tempts you further by displaying the products they serve on their deli counter to take away, so as you're draining your coffee cup, your eyes are drawn to the shelf display, almost as if they are screaming 'take me home'!

The only minus points are a lack of toilets and the early closing hours- I'd love to pop in for a coffee after work but they shut at 16:30! Be truly continental, Mr Katsouris, please, and extend your opening hours, European style!

All in all, a winning combination to spice up your lunch, and a further excuse not to go to chain cafes! Efcharisto Katsouri!