Spring Summer 2019 Menu at Australasia Restaurant and Bar in Spinningfields, Manchester

Australasia Restaurant and Bar in Spinningfields, Manchester, is without a doubt one of the most luxurious restaurants in Manchester. Accessible via a striking glass triangle doorway which takes you underground, it welcomes you into a plethora of chic creams and whites, and is a show stopping experience from starters to dessert! With food inspired by the flavours of Japan and with a mix of big plates and small plates to share, Australasia’s new Spring Summer 2019 menu was the perfect excuse to go back to one of my favourite locations for a long Saturday lunch break…

As a special occasion, I decided to treat my two best friends, Michele and Russ, to a lovely lunch out – and for me, this is the best way to enjoy Australasia, by being able to pick and mix the small plates and try a full range of what is on offer.

Plus, it was the perfect excuse to try out the dishes from the new SS’19 menu! Like it’s connected sister restaurant, Sunset by Australasia, Australasia Restaurant is famed for it’s incredible cocktails so that is exactly what we started with. With the help of an iPad featuring pictures of the cocktails (which is super helpful for choosing the perfect Insta-worthy drink!) we each selected a different one. Shoutout to the Australasia Spritz (£9.50) which contained fruity rose liqueur, plum sake, plum bitters and sparkling rosé, and a classic, the Australasian Pornstar Martini (£11). Vodka, lychee liqueur, mango juice, fresh passion fruit and a shot of sparkling sauvignon in this take on a timeless cocktail.

Although we ordered all small plates at the same time (3 each instead of the traditional starter/main/dessert) our waiter was kind enough to purposefully time the dishes with the kitchen to ensure that instead of coming out as and when ready, we would each have one of our dishes at a time to eat. This consideration is just another thing I love about Australasia in Manchester – the attention to detail! Our waiter was also super helpful on guiding us around the menu and recommending new items to try.

The first items brought out for us to try were the Squid tempura with sriracha mayonnaise (£9), Vegetable tempura with tentsuyu dipping sauce (£7.50) and Tuna tartare with tempura nori (£8). The batter on both the Squid and Vegetable tempura was light and crispy, with large portions more than enough to share! The Tuna tartare was presentedly beautifully, served cold and a lovely refreshing contrast to the tempura.

Secondly, our meat ‘course’ came out for us to try. We went for a dish each from the Robata Grill – Australasia also specialise in steak – to mix and match. We chose the Seared teriyaki beef rump with sweet soy and spring onion (£9), the Yakitori chicken skewers (£6) and the Korean BBQ beef fillet skewers with Thai basil (£7.50). All of these were also excellent portion sizes and each beautifully tender. My favourite was the teriyaki beef rump which was cooked to perfection! Just the right amount of pink in the middle and melt in the mouth texture.

For a second round of cocktails, a special shoutout goes to the Smokey Old Fashioned. A modern take on this whisky cocktail saw a dry ice spectacle take place in a cup – which we all ‘ooohed’ and ‘aaaahed’ at! Similarly, the Bush Fire I chose was set on fire at our table. What a sight! If you’re looking for a special drink, this is it!

Finally, we were brought out our third and final choices to share, which were the Pork wontons, sweetcorn purée, sriracha and sesame soy (£7), Yum Yum squares with avocado and bulgogi sauce (£7) and Soy & sesame silken tofu, vegetable salad and rice cracker (£8.50). All of these were presented beautifully – the attention to detail as Australasia is just unreal – but we have to praise the tofu salad which came complete with a whole garden of edible flowers. What a work of art!

By this point, we were pretty darn full after having our fill of the new SS’19 Australasia Restaurant menu, so instead of opting for an old fashioned pudding, we chose a dessert cocktail each. As we visited over Easter weekend, we luckily timed it so that we could try their limited edition special – a cream egg expresso martini! Your usual coffee flavoured favourite alcoholic drink with a chocolate Easter egg twist. We also tried a Banana Pancake cocktail (£9), which I would liken to an alcoholic milkshake and contained Absolut Vanilla, banana liqueur and coconut cream blended with milk, cream and banana.

Over all, we had a fantastic long lunch at Australasia Restaurant and Bar in Spinningfields, Manchester. If you’re looking for somewhere special to visit this Spring Summer 2019, I would definitely recommend checking out their new menu.