The Soup Kitchen: the monthly special

Last Saturday, The Soup Kitchen dimmed the lights, closed off the canteen and served up an outstanding menu in what promises to be a delightful monthly event.

The only elements from the daytime Soup Kitchen that remained unchanged were the affordable prices, casual atmosphere and the communal seating. These combined with an excellent menu by new chef Gareth Phillips made for a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience. Candles were lit, and the kitchen was closed off by stencilled blinds and red velvet, adding an incongruous but pleasing style to the canteen.

The last Saturday of every month, The Soup Kitchen will offer a set three-course menu, with one vegetarian option and two carnivorous ones in each course and a choice between three desserts. Each dish, including the desserts, comes with a matched wine for £22.50.

The starters were a choice between pan-fried cod cheeks with crispy pork, spiced cauliflower puree, cream tarragon and dill sauce; carpaccio of venison with fennel puree, horseradish and potato salad and the vegetarian option: a spring herb broth and root vegetables, saved from austerity by truffle oil.

The fish starter, which saw cod cheeks set on the delicately spiced puree and topped with a piece of crackling,was exceptional. The texture and taste of the crunchy pork skin and tender cod elevated beyond the sum of its parts by the faintly sweet sauce made this dish surprising and memorable. It was served with a glass of an aromatic De Bortoli Windy Peak Viognier.

The venison carpaccio could not help but be upstaged by the cheeky star of the starter set, but it did have the only potato salad I could have ever called bold; the first I could say I really enjoyed. The taste of the venison itself was somewhat overpowered by the fennel paste garnish, and the finesse of this pairing became feeble in the shadow of the solid potato salad. The latter even had the last dance with the peppery L.A. Cetto Petite Syrah.

My gentleman friend, Bartolome, chose the spring lamb cutlets, with spicy harissa dressing, served with spinach, lentils and quinoa. The lamb upheld the standard by being marvellously well-cooked and moist. The harissa dressing and the cumin-heavy lentils together got a bit wearying towards the end, however; the cumin and harissa, seemed to be the only flavour we could taste after so many bites. Intermittent swigs of a full-bodied Coto Vintage Crianza Rioja kept the palate on its toes.

For dessert, my man had a dark chocolate fondant, liquid in the middle, rich cake on the outside, accompanied with some crème anglaise. I chose an absolutely lovely custard-filled berry pudding, with shortbreads in it over the third option, a baked lemon cheesecake with raspberry sauce and Chantilly cream. The desserts were lush, and all come with a chilled glass of honeyed Chateau Septy Monbazillac.

If the success of last Saturday is any indication, you should reserve your seats early for The Soup Kitchen’s next fine-dining event. And check this week’s food and drink round-up for some exciting news.

The Soup Kitchen's Wine and Dine menu is available on the last Saturday of every month.

Rating:	18.5/20
Breakdown:	8/10 food 5/5 serivce 5/5 ambience
Address:	The Soup Kitchen 31-33 Spear Street 0161 236 5100

Venues are rated against the best examples of their kind: fine dining against the best fine dining, cafes against the best cafes. Following on from this the scores represent: 1-5 saw your leg off and eat it, 6-9 get a DVD, 10-11 if you must, 12-13 if you’re passing,14-15 worth a trip,16-17 very good, 17-18 exceptional, 19 pure quality, 20 perfect. More than 20: Gordo gets carried away