Sweet Mandarin is a 10minute walk to the MEN Area. Perfect for a Pre-concert meal. Book here
Strictly Come Dancing 2011 winner Harry Judd will lead an all-star celebrity line-up at this year’s live Manchester shows.
Fellow finalists Australian acting and singing superstar Jason Donovan and local actress Chelsee Healey plus ex-Eastenders legend Anita Dobson, former footballer Robbie Savage, feisty property lawyer and entrepreneur Nancy Dell’Olio and ex-Olympic swimmer Mark Foster will join McFly’s Harry in Manchester for the Tuesday 31 January & Wednesday 1 February shows. Kate Thornton will return as the host of the live shows.
Alongside the exciting celebrity line-up will be judges Lee Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood, who is also directing the live tour for a second year running.
Former Blackburn Rovers footballer Robbie Savage said: I’m enjoying each week more and more and I’m really glad to be continuing the experience on tour. I can’t wait to be out on the floor every night, hopefully there won’t be any cameras to crash into this time!”.
Eccles-born Waterloo Road actress Chelsee Healey said: “I’m so thrilled to be part of the Strictly tour, the TV show has been more fun than I ever could have imagined and I can’t wait to carry on dancing every week”.
Jason Donovan added: “I have been overwhelmed with the support I have had so far on the show and I have really enjoyed dancing every week. Learning so many different dances has been an amazing experience and I can’t wait to see the new routines we’ll be performing on the tour”.
The ultimate in feel-good entertainment, Strictly Come Dancing Live features all the must-haves from the hugely popular BBC1 TV series. Stunning costumes, outspoken judges, dazzling dances from your favourite celebrity contestants and some brand new routines courtesy of the ever-popular professional dancers make this a must-see show.
More than 9 million viewers tuned in to watch the series’ launch show on BBC1. The television format, also known as Dancing With The Stars, entered the Guinness Book of World Records three years ago as the world’s most successful reality television show and has been sold by BBC Worldwide to over 35 international broadcasters. 2010′s final saw more than 14 million people tune in to see Kara Tointon raise the Strictly glitterball.
Thank God for Peter Kay. I love the Bolton born comic and man-of-a-thousand-faces who loves Chinese food.
Here’s my favourite joke (thanks Peter) ….. So I went to the Chinese restaurant and this duck came up to me with a red rose and says “Your eyes sparkle like diamonds”. I said, “Waiter, I asked for a-ROMATIC duck”.
Finally, Peter has returned to us in Manchester with his tour which has people in stitches as he turns the most trivial of daily nuisances in the world of the working class family, and turns them into comedy gold. Without this man, life would, quite simply, be a bit boring.
I’ll feed Peter and I’ll feed all you lovely people who are going to see Peter Kay’s show at the MEN. We are next door to the Crowne Plaza Hotel which is a short 5-10 minute walk to the MEN Arena. Approximately 40 furry footsteps and you are door to door. Click HERE for the AA Routeplanner and Map.
OK, and I’ll get you revved up with that uber-annoying (because once heard you can’t get it out of your head) ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’ song that Peter forced upon us, Peter Kay at his exasperated best.
Sweet Mandarin Address: 19 Copperas Street (off High Street), Manchester M4 1HS
I’ve often been asked to provide a lunchbox of foods to help my clients overcome their illness. I believe in the power of food – that certain foods can make you better and certain foods can make you worse. Here is a short excerpt from my handwritten book that I look to when cooking for my clients.
Cystitis is a bladder infection. When one goes to wee, only a few drops pass but the burning sensation could possibly knock you to the ground its that painful. If left untreated, the kidneys may get infected especially if you are passing blood. Gorry stuff, but it should be talked about so people can understand its common – not embarrasing – and more importantly, can be treated with a bout of anti-biotics.
There is the humble cranberry that when drank in 50ml doses can halve the risk of getting cystitis and lessen the onslaught of the attack. If you feel the burning sensation – stop drinking tea, coffee and alcohol. Drink plenty of water to dilute the urine which makes it less painful to pass as well as reducing infecting bacteria. Chemists have packets of potassium citrate that neutralizes the urine so takes the pain out of going to the loo. Ultimately, the message is whilst cranberry juice can help, if you get these symptons, go to the doctor immediately.
Given that Captain America was filming around the Northern Quarter (where Sweet Mandarin is located), I enjoyed taking a stroll on the set of Captain America to deliver delicious Chinese cuisine and even found myself a walk on part (lol -as I’m walking into Meyers Bros I’m going to say ‘I wonder if they do sweet mandarins here’ lol). The whole place has been turned into New York City 1940s. I’m loving it, loving it, loving it. If you are coming to Sweet Mandarin over the next few weeks watch out for superheros, fast cars and villans.
We see new friends coming in and old friends are about to leave. Graduates now have a big decision to make in their life track. Some of them will start their career next summer while others will plan for their further study. Time flies. Three years at university transform a person from a high school student to a professional ready to serve society. We at Sweet Mandarin congratulate you on your hard earned degrees and give you our best wishes.
But before you start to fly high, please slow down and spend a quiet moment on your university campus, where you have been studying, working and making friends for three years. Give sincere thanks to every road you went through, every book you read, and every friend you made. Because once you begin to work, you will see how different it is from university life.
At university, all moments, happy or sad, have been treasures from heaven. Pack them up in your mind, and embark on a new journey. Plenty more such moments are waiting for you in the years to come. Whether these moments are good or bad, you will understand life through experiencing them.
Years later, when you are in another part of the world, the moment you think of your youth, you will realise that part of your heart is still at university and Manchester will always be your home!
To celebrate, join us at Sweet Mandarin for a graduation banquet. To book a table email Lisa@sweetmandarin.com or book here
I know one day will never make up for all the universal joys and incredible memories of childhood that I’ve shared with my Dad but I wanted to thank you Dad, for being there for me, always, unconditionally and always fighting our corner. Together with the entire world – in celebrations of Dads all over the world on Father’s Day 20th June, I wanted to say I love you Dad.
I remember the midnight jogging sessions to Chaddy park with Dad, my siblings and our dog, Choy Sum as Mum drove the old banger alongside us. Even though we never managed to jog back as we all went home in the car – I loved that sense of adventure you instilled in us.
I remember Mum had gone out to buy the groceries and you decided to be a hairdresser for the day. We all had pudding bowl haircuts……and it was so atrocious you bought us an ice cream to make up for it. I learnt quickly not to let you touch my hair ever again!
I remember the amazing dinners you made us ranging from spare ribs to a whole steamed fish to chicken tomato with an egg in it and your amazing red cooked melt in the mouth chicken. And you allowed me to go on the woks and you taught me how to cook the perfect egg fried rice. Wow – Dad you’re the best.
And now you and the fat baby are partners in crime!
For everyone out there, don’t forget its Father’s Day on Sunday 20th June. We only have a few tables left that evening (5-11pm). If you’d like to tell your Dad you love him by treating him to a delicious Chinese banquet, I’d be honoured to serve you our sumptuous food and ice cold beers. To book your table call 0161 832 8848 or email me lisa@sweetmandarin.com or click here
Its great being a short 10minute walk away from the MEN Arena because we get to meet all the stars that perform at the MEN Arena. If you are going, be sure to book your pre-concert dinner at Sweet Mandarin (click here).
Performing tracks from his latest album Euphoria - alongside his greatest hits Hero,Takin’ Back My Love, Do You Know and Escape – Enrique returns to Manchester for the first time in two years with special guest Lemar.
Son of Julio Iglesias, Enrique exploded onto the music scene in 2001 with his number one ballad Hero which spent four weeks at the top of the UK charts.
The Madrid-born, Miami-raised singer has since gone on to sell 2.2 million albums and 1.6 million singles in the UK alone including six top ten singles.
Euphoria, Enrique’s ninth studio album, features guest appearances from Akon and Nicole Scherzinger plus Arena favourites Usher and Lionel Richie.
Enrique will be joined in Manchester by special guest Lemar.
The UK soul and R&B singer-songwriter will return to the Arena next spring fresh from supporting Mary J. Blige on her November Manchester date. The MOBO and Brit award winner will be performing tracks from his five hit albums including the singles 50/50, Dance (With U), Another Day and If There’s Any Justice.
Breathe. Breathe again. I’ve got some news my friends. I’m going to be starring on Iron Chef UK when it airs on Channel 4 on 12th – 17th 12.30pm – 1.30pm. This is like a dream come true for me. Thank you God. You’ve already given me an amazing blessing when Sweet Mandarin received the most prestigious accolade, winning the Gordon Ramsay F Word Best Local Chinese Restaurant award. Deep breath. My heart is racing because I love Iron Chef. I’ve watched all the American versions and am in love with Chef Morimoto and Bobby Flay. I can’t wait to get to Kitchen Stadium – this is an experience of a lifetime.
I am honoured to be invited to cook on Iron Chef and will dedicate my dishes to Manchester, my followers on Twitter and to all my clients at Sweet Mandarin. I’m gonna tweet throughout the cook off so follow me for more of the action http://twitter.com/sweetmandarin.
PRESS RELEASE: 1st December 2010 Lisa Tse to star on Iron Chef UK
Lisa Tse, CEO and head chef of the award winning Sweet Mandarin is to star on Iron Chef UK when it airs on Channel 4 in December. Lisa has already received one of the most prestigious accolades, winning the Gordon Ramsay F Word Best Local Chinese Restaurant award and her cookery school is now fully booked for months. This latest challenge will see Lisa battle against the Iron Chefs in a specially created Kitchen Stadium.
Iron Chef originated from Japan and its American version has received cult status as well as receiving the blessing of Michelle Obama who invited Iron Chef to the White House. In each episode, a new challenger chef battles one of the resident ‘Iron Chefs’ in a one-hour cooking competition based on a theme ingredient. In April/May, the UK will witness Iron Chef which is like no other cooking show before it. It combines haute cuisine, sports broadcasting and martial arts. It is crazy, zany and addictive.
Chef Lisa said “I am honoured to be invited to cook on Iron Chef. My three passions in life are cooking, people and business, and Iron Chef ignites all three. For everyone in Manchester, for my Twitter friends and my customers at Sweet Mandarin, I will rise to this challenge and try my best. I’ve been told that when the secret ingredient is revealed, we are free to choose what to cook and have an hour to produce something amazing. The Japanese call it omikase. I call it omigod — cooking without a net!”
For more of the action follow Lisa on Twitter http://twitter.com/sweetmandarin as she proposes to tweet throughout her cook-off.
About Chef Lisa Tse
Lisa is the CEO and brainchild behind Sweet Mandarin, an award winning Chinese restaurant, cookery school and corporate team building events organizer in Manchester, which she set up with her two sisters in 2004. Lisa won the prestigious award of Best Local Chinese Restaurant 2009/10 on the F Word and Gordon Ramsay was highly impressed with Lisa’s cooking. Sweet Mandarin has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Times, on BBC Newsnight and on the front cover of the Shanghai Daily. Lisa is the third generation of women in her family in the restaurant business and their story, self titled Sweet Mandarin was published by Random House in 33 countries and covered in a documentary by the BBC and the Chinese Channel. In 2010, Amoy chose Lisa as their chef of the year to celebrate Chinese New Year. Lisa has been cooking from the age of 11 years old and now cooks at Sweet Mandarin and for celebrities.
This video is a one off special – so make the most of it my friends – coz we got two left feet between the three of us in real life – so you’re never gonna catch us doing these ole Hip Hop moves!! We wish you a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year (2011 welcomes the Year of the Rabbit).
Much love
Lisa, Helen and Janet x
www.sweetmandarin.com
You are an absolute pleasure to serve and cook for. To thank you for your custom, and to celebrate in sweet style, I’ve made you a youtube video of your celebratory dinner at Sweet Mandarin. We love you lots – thank you for being the highlight of our evening.
This first video demonstrates the work I do day in day out with my corporate clients, VIP clients and Cookery School clients. Sometimes, its easier to just show you what I get up to. As they say a photo tells a thousand words. So I guess this first video will tell you a million and one sweet things about us. Enjoy! Chef Lisa
This second video was a lot of fun to make. I’ve been honoured to cook for thousands of people, teach hundreds of clients and meet a few celebrities along the way. This pictorial journey is a little something I’d like to share with you. The music is by Train and the up beat sweet song is ‘Hey Soul Sister’. I hope you will be inspired to cook. Much love Lisa.
Have you ever wondered who is that person you’ve been tweeting to morning, noon and night? Or perhaps you are a Flickr? Well you are invited to the Tweet up/Flickr up and you’re gonna meet your tweeters and flickrs from the Manchester area at Sweet Mandarin. I have a confession to make. I aka (@sweetmandarin follow me please click here and Flickr member click here to friend me) am a ”certified twitterholic” and I cook n tweet, serve n tweet and can’t wait to meet you in person. I’ve already got butterflies as I’m preparing the dim sum extravaganza for the Tweet up / Flickr up. It is customary for the Chinese to offer small gifts, so please enjoy our complimentary dim sum (literally translated means from the heart). My dream is to meet all the tweeters and flickrers in the Manchester area.
Twitter is such an amazing discovery. Not only is it fun, but its a way to help our fellow Mancunians. Through tweets with fellow tweeters, I know Manchester folk are suffering with the downturn. Everyone can do their bit and we’re going to hold these events for free. To my Manchester friends - its the Year of the Ox - Be strong. Turning up is half the battle and I know that networking helps boost the spirits, if not create an opportunity. Follow us @sweetmandarin.
HOW TO GET A TICKET
1. Email lisa@sweetmandarin.com with your full name, mobile number and your Twitter/Flickr username.
2. A confirmation secret code will be sent to you by email together with the date and time and venue. (this is to prevent gate crashers)
3. Print it off and bring with you. Your invitation is a personal inviation and cannot be transferred to another person.
4. Tickets are limited. Once they are gone, they are gone.
5. The cost is free. Dim sum will be served on the house. There will be a cash bar for your refreshments.
Gordon Ramsay has a new tv show out called Ramsay’s Best Restaurant. I wish all the participants all the best and hope you too will enjoy the experience like I have done.
Its an amazing opportunity to cook with Gordon Ramsay and watching this new show has made me reminisce about my experience exactly a year ago. The pressure tests we were put through were the hardest, toughest, back-breaking, shooting-through-the-roof blood pressure experience in my culinary career. Cooking a three course meal for the 50 diners was a live competition – there was no cut, edit, paste. It was live, it was furious, it was hard. I know I cook for sittings of 65 guests every night but Gordon Ramsay and his guests were a different kettle of fish and with Gordon Ramsay standing there watching over my shoulder it really stretched me to the limit. I’m thankful that we achieved 82 out of 100 and I dedicate this success to my mum – whose recipe, the Mabel’s Claypot Chicken helped us to rocket to the top of the leaderboard.
Although it was exactly a year ago, I remember vividly that evening when we received the news that we had made it to the Final of the F Word’s Best Chinese Restaurant Competition and we were estatic (Watch us battle it out here). Thanks to our wonderful customers who nominated us, we were on the map a la Gordon. However, before Gordon, we were and still are are the third generation of women restaurateurs and have always had great families follow us generation after generation. Their gran knew our gran (who set up her restaurant before Chinatown was established), their mum knows our mum and now the third generation visit Sweet Mandarin.
Nothing had quite sunk in even when a black car picked us up at our home to drive us to the studios in London. Having not slept the night before didn’t help when we were faced with 50 chicken breasts and about 100 pieces of squid to cut in the F Word kitchen – and we had an hour’s prep time to get through the mountains of ingredients.
I was cutting away in my own little world when suddenly this voice said ‘Hello Lisa!’ It was Gordon Ramsay. He was so tall and I was so shocked that it was the man himself that I nearly cut my hand. It was at that moment that it finally sunk – I was in the competition headed up by Gordon Ramsay to find the UK’s Best Local Chinese Restaurant and after three generations who have endured rollercoaster after rollercoaster it was a chance for me to restore the family name. Then I got nervous. I finally realised that this competition was real and was shocked that Gordon knew my name. I’ve seen him on the TV, but for him to know and praise me was a chef’s dream come true. It was a true honour to cook with him and a huge accolade to get 82/100 mark for the Mabel’s Claypot Chicken. When we won the Best Local Chinese Restaurant Award 2009-2010 I had tears in my eyes. To my dear customers and to all of Manchester, this trophy is for you.
If you want to pop over for my mum’s claypot chicken, please book a table here
Read the interview with Sweet Mandarin’s head chef, Lisa Tse, and second chef, Helen Tse…
How did you feel when you found out you’d made it through the F Word?
Helen: Amazing! Speechless. Nearly wanted to faint! Jean Baptiste came to see us to try our Mabel’s Clay Pot Chicken. Just himself, very low key – and then he left. Suddenly I got this phone call at lunch time and it went, ‘Hi it’s Gordon’ and he said, ‘I’ve got some real bad news for you; you’ve got to come down to London on Thursday’. And we found out on Tuesday! So we had to re-jig everything to get down here but it’s worth it. We haven’t quite come down yet!
Why do you think your restaurant was nominated as one of the best Chinese restaurants?
Helen: We have the best customers. It’s thanks to them.
Lisa: I guess they must really like our food, they always rave about the food and the ambiance of the restaurant. And also the location is quite special. It’s in an area called the Northern Quarter and there’s a lot of regenerated business and it’s quite cool and funky round there and we blend into that, I guess.
Helen: We do a lot of work with the community as well. We open up the restaurant for free for events. Lisa here is a manic Twitterer and we always hold ‘Tweet ups’ every month, and they really appreciate that. And we do Flickr meetings as well, so people who are crazy about photography come along. We also do events called ‘Meet My Neighbour’ where we invite blocks of residents to our restaurant and they get to meet their neighbours. Where we are there are loads of flats, these people have been living there for years and they don’t even know who their neighbour is. They don’t even know who lives in their block, that’s how dangerous it could be. So we thought we’d introduce them to each other. We feel safe in the neighbourhood because we know who’s there.
Lisa: We feel safe in the neighbourhood, and also when they walk past after work we can give them a wave now.
What about the food?
Lisa: We serve modern Chinese cuisine and exotic cocktails. When we first set up the concept it was a casual dining restaurant. So you could come in for a bite to eat up to the full blown banquet. We do traditional sweet and sour and black bean for example, but we also do recipes that have been passed down from our mother and grandmother. Like Lily Kwok’s Chicken Curry, Mabel’s Clay Pot and we also cater for vegetarians as well. Not only that but we have a Taste of China menu as well. So you can get regional dishes from China that you can taste in our restaurant, which is quite unique. I think when people go to a Chinese they’re scared to try things they not used to, so we try to introduce them slowly to spicier stuff or savoury dishes.
Helen: The dish that we’re cooking tonight for the competition is called Mabel’s Clay Pot Chicken, and lots of our dishes have a story behind it. And Mabel is our mum and she came to England when she was about 8, and she was separated from her mum for a few years because our grandmother came over first. And you know if you ever have distance from a friend or a family member there’s always an awkward time when they meet up again. And that also happened with mother and daughter. My mum hated England initially when she came here because she couldn’t speak the language, didn’t like the rain, didn’t like meat and two veg – she was used to rice every day. And this chicken was her favourite dish growing up, so my grandmother would cook it for her and it was through this dish that they bonded again as mother and daughter – and that’s why we’re cooking it again today. We’ve got this very strong belief; there’s many things in the world that divide us but the one thing that unites us is food.
And what is in the Clay Pot Chicken dish?
Lisa: It’s got chicken in, it’s actually got quite a lot of ying-yang elements in. So it’s got ginger which is yang, which is warming for the body, it’s got spring onion which complements it very well. And another thing that is very seasonal, which is Chinese cabbage and some onions as well. It’s really the sauce; what makes the sauce quite special is the Chinese sausage, called lapchang, so it’s a bit like your salami, and also the Chinese mushrooms as well. It’s very rustic.
How do you feel about cooking for the F Word diners alongside Gordon?
Lisa: I think once we’ve been in the kitchen and seen it we’ll be a bit calmer.
Helen: We’re going to have to cook quite quick it looks like and also tweak a few techniques to make sure you get it out within the time frame.
What would it mean to the pair of you if you were to win the competition overall?
Lisa: To get this far is just surreal, to meet Gordon Ramsay was pretty cool as he’s just amazing.
Helen: It’s a big thanks to our customers and would show that all the hard work’s paid off – and that whatever we’re doing we’re doing it right. Because sometimes in business you don’t know what’s the right decision or the wrong decision and you just keep going and hope for the best sometimes. Especially in the restaurant business; it’s so competitive, you always have to innovate and watch your competitors and hopefully we’ll do that for the diners.
Next week, Manchester will see an additional 10,000 people descend upon our streets to attend the Labour’s Annual Conference – one of the largest and most high profile political events in Europe. The conference will take place at Manchester Central – a short 5 minute taxi ride (or a 15 walk) from Sweet Mandarin.
If you fancy visiting us, we’re on the first ever High Street of Manchester overlooking the beautiful Smithfield Fishmarket Wall. We serve fresh, delicious Chinese cuisine and exotic cocktails in a casual dining setting and recently won Gordon Ramsay’s Best Local Chinese Restaurant Award (watch us battle it out on the F Word Gordon Ramsay TV show here).
We would welcome all delegates to Sweet Mandarin and look forward to meeting you. To book a table please book here
Here’s a map from Manchester Central to Sweet Mandarin if you are walking (click here) .
Hotels on our doorstep are The Crowne Plaza, Premier Apartments, The Light Boutique (click here), City Warehouse, Travelodge (Great Ancoats Street), Bacchus Apartments.
I was chatting to my friends who are also my customers (its funny how customers become friends after a while) and getting their feedback on Sweet Mandarin’s takeaway offering – always listening and trying to improve our service.
My friend Julia said many nights, she had gone home hungry – craving good Sweet Mandarin food – she remembered our wholesome Chinese food with a steaming bowl of rice after a corporate night out with her firm. She said “No where else does what you do – offer simple but delicious food at reasonable prices.” That’s true. Most restaurants will charge you restaurant prices for takeaway. What we offer is takeaway at takeaway prices with restaurant quality. We’ve also chosen our containers with thought, to ensure it comes to your door piping hot. We consider takeaway to be one of our core businesses and we value customers at home, as if they were sitting at Sweet Mandarin. We’ll even accompany the dinner with our choicest wines, so you can have the Sweet Mandarin experience in the comfort of your own home.
You can’t beat a takeaway – here are Julia’s top ten reasons:
1. I am home alone
2. Its raining/cold/late/got no car/car’s broken down/don’t want to venture outside for a whole night out
3. I’m already wearing pygamas and hooked to the tv set – you can’t just leave if Pop Idol or Desperate Housewives are on can you – get the bf to collect @sweetmandarin!
4. I just want to eat some decent Chinese food – no one else does Lily’s curry or Mabel’s claypot and the more I think about their food, the more hungry I get.
5. The fridge is bare apart from some mouldy cheese and stale bread – even a mouse would decline that offer!
6. I don’t want to cook, and even if I did, I have no food. Can’t cook won’t cook.
7. Its cheaper to get Sweet Mandarin take-out, than to buy all the ingredients and try to cook it yourself.
8. When I cook it tastes funny- I’ll leave it to the experts at Sweet Mandarin.
9. Takeout is great for a romatic night in, especially accompanied by the fine selection of wine Sweet Mandarin has (hehehe, I’m not alone, so you can ignore point 1 tonight :0))
10. Sweet Mandarin takeaway is the best…because the staff are friendly, the food is superb and the price is right.
Now that you are in a state of ravenous hunger, here’s what to do – call 0161 832 8848 and see their online new menu for takeaway at www.sweetmandarin.com – if you are really good with the computer, order online.
where’s the phone?
who’s taken my phone?
I need takeout NOW!
spring rolls – sweet and sour chicken – peking duck – firecracker prawns – special fried rice – chicken chow mein – one hot and sour soups – no make it two – and some prawn crackers…..and hurry. i’m about to faint with hunger.
If I had a conversation with you on the phone and you’d never seen me before you’d think I was a right proper Manchester lass. I end up saying things like ‘The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread’…..and ‘Ya know what I mean’. Its so funny – the Northern Accent. Some people try to refine it, shorten their vowels, and others just let them hang loose – and are proud of their roots. I’m the latter camp. Hey, I’m Loud and Proud and that’s why the Northern Accent makes #962 Sweet Nothing.
See you at Sweet Mandarin and I’ll happy give you a rendition of Eliza Dolittle ‘The rain in spain stays mainly on the plain’. It will crack you up. I promise. Book a table here.
We recently held a Thank You Dinner for our longest standing clients – those who through generations have frequented my Grandma’s restaurant, my Mum’s takeaway and now us at Sweet Mandarin. (Click here for the video created by an incredibly talented friend, Lisa Chan)
As I was serving these wonderful folk, my heart twinged with sadness and longing. Unlike my grandma’s and mum’s businesses who have loyal regulars every single week – on the same day, at the same time – ordering the same dishes (‘Usual please’) for the last 50 years – being located in the Manchester city centre area – the population is far more transient.
Nonetheless, I value my regular customers and corporate clients and set myself a personal challenge to get to know my regulars with a view to build a lasting legacy for Sweet Mandarin and future generations. Helen, Janet and I want to invite you to my very exciting events see below. Who knows, maybe after my 50 years, our grandchildren can invite you, our regular customers to a wonderful event like the above.
July Events
13th July 6-8/9pm Rich Dad Poor Dad Cashflow Game (free)
18th July 6-8pm Twitter v Flickr Meet Up (free)
10th August 6-8/9pm Rich Dad Poor Dad Cashflow Game (free)
Today, there are so many incredibly delicious brands of chocolate to indulge in but there is one that is dear to my heart and which my sweet tooth craves, and that is Ferrero Rocher.
As a kid growing up in the backstreets of Manchester, I was mesmerized by the adverts that surrounded Ferrero Rocher – the tray filled to the brim and eventually the last one was distributed around a room filled with impossibly glamorous people and an even more dazzling chandelier.
Every Christmas, Chinese takeaway owners visit neighbouring Chinese takeway owners and usually bring chocolates and oranges. Well the oranges were usually discarded to the kitchen, but the chocolates were inspected and given a shake through the wrapping paper to try to distinguish what kind they were. Most were recycled by way of gifting them to another visitor but when it came to receiving boxes of Ferrero Rocher, I ensured those boxes of chocolates never left our premises.
There is an art to eating a Ferrero Rocher. The way I have always always always insisted upon to my siblings (after all I am the oldest by 2 minutes), is to eat layer by layer but DO NOT break the wafer shell. When one has nibbled away at the chocolate encrusted nutty layer, the wafer shell should be opened and the hazelnut Nutella goo should be scooped out (with the tongue of course) and the whole hazelnut hidden inside the hazelnut Nutella goo eaten as best possible without it getting stuck in the teeth. At the very end, that is when one can pop the two wafer shells into the mouth to melt. It takes so much better than just crunching into one of these beauties. Try it and let me know the difference. You’ll thank me for the advice above and that is why Ferrero Rocher makes #970 Sweet Nothing.
Virgin Trains now have regular trains every twenty minutes from Manchester to London and vice versa. Travelling down on the Pendolino faster-than-a-bullet trains takes a record 2 hours and 10 minutes rather than the previous 6 hour zombified journeys one used to have to endure. So technically I could be in London faster than getting from one side of Manchester to the other side.
Whilst London offers incredible opportunity and a zillion potential customers from all regions of the world I’m happy to dip in and out of London rather than pitch up Sweet Mandarin in the capital.
I find it sometimes so busy that the zillions of people that are tripping me up left, right and centre that I can’t do everything I want to do in London. Travelling on the tube for instance is my biggest nightmare. Its claustrophobic and I’m breathing in this hot rancid air that makes me faint. Even after a super super shopping spree, getting back to Euston and then getting a seat on the train back to Manchester is that little bit more stressful. That’s because everything is faster and rather than 10 to 1 person buying that sweater or train ticket, its more like 100 to 1 in London.
Personally, after I’ve collapsed in my train seat there is no sweeter image and sound than seeing the Manchester skyline and hearing the words now arriving at Manchester Piccadilly. That’s why this royal welcome home makes #975 Sweet Nothing.
For me, the family table is the heart of the house, where all the highs and lows of the day are celebrated or commiserated. It’s a sanctuary which rejuvenates me not only physically but spiritually and emotionally. In this day and age where there are more and more people living alone, the family table is replaced by a table at their favourite restaurant, Sweet Mandarin.
Dining together allows us to better understand who we are, regardless of our social status. The food does not have to be elegant, complicated or fancy. I find that busy people like simple food- the busier they are, the simpler the food. The food at Sweet Mandarin is straightforward home cooking with a few contemporary dishes.
Getting back to the table allows us to love and nurture each other and renew connections to our families – however they are configured in this diverse and ever-changing society. Such connections are crucial in a fast-paced world where we feel more disconnected every day.
One of the best ways I know to restore that daily balance is to sit down at the table. As a child, growing up in Manchester, UK, I learned the importance of the family table or eating together in a restaurant. It was there that I felt love matched only by my family’s appreciation for fresh, wholesome food, a love of good cooking, and a fellowship just not possible if you are eating on the go or if you are whizzing through the drive-in window of a fast food outlet.
These early experiences started me on my life’s journey of cooking for families. It is around the family table that there are times of celebration and times of great sadness, and always we came together to embrace the food and each other. The table is a place of communion for life’s large and small events: holiday meals, weddings, birthdays, and everyday get-togethers. We welcome you to our family table at Sweet Mandarin. Don’t be a stranger, you’re home from home at Sweet Mandarin.
Try our wonderful banquets – to be shared with friends and families. To download the menus go to www.sweetmandarin.com
Do you need to book out Sweet Mandarin for your special event – call Lisa 0161 832 8848 to discuss your event and how we can make it extra extra sweet.
Best wishes and sweet dishes to you and your family.
#983 Sweet Nothing – Al Fresco Chinese (at Sweet Mandarin of course :0))
As we indulge in our two days of summer, I can finally use that bit of pavement opposite Sweet Mandarin to cavort in a bit of al fresco Chinese at Sweet Mandarin. I love sitting outdoors when the weather is warm and dry…it feels like I’m on holiday somewhere exotic. I just need the ocean to dip my toes in.
I found the location for Sweet Mandarin in October 2004 when it was a derelict car park. I’d been sweet talked by the developers that the area was being regenerated and that the Crowne Plaza would be opening literally next door to our building – at most a five second walk door to door. So I signed the deal and have hung in there waiting and waiting and waiting for 5 long years. Finally, after surviving beyond the odds, last year, a shiny new building was errected and became our latest welcome neighbour.
The Crowne Plaza crew namely Bob and Robin are a very friendly bunch who have the same ethos as us; to deliver a great experience to mutual clients and make them feel at home from home. They go the extra mile, and have even done that for me. Not only do they recommend their clients dine with us (we welcome you with open arms), but Robin has been that knight in shining armour when I was stranded during the snow blizzards in Manchester (thanks to freak global warming weather).
The snow was as high as the car tyre and I could not travel left, right, front or back. I just created snow circles and screamed like a girl. So I gave up on wokmobile and decided to stay at the Crowne Plaza. What a treat. The room was modern, clean, immacuate with a touch of elegance and luxury. I loved the piles of fat fluffy pillows and the power shower in particular. The next day, I was having breakfast and Robin walked past and asked what I was doing in the Crowne Plaza given that I am a Mancunian. I explained. He smiled and nodded and went on with his duties. After a sumptuous big breakfast and a good glug of coffee, I went to pay. ‘The bill has been settled Lisa. Thank you.’ I couldn’t believe it. Robin had paid for my stay out of his allowances and wouldn’t allow me to pay. Now that’s what you call a knight in shining armour.
Here’s their website – book there, its an excellent experience – home away from home http://www.cpmanchester.com/ and whilst your staying at the Crowne Plaza, book a table at Sweet Mandarin here, pop around the corner to visit me at Sweet Mandarin. It would be great to meet you and personally welcome to Manchester. Because of Robin and his generosity in my time of need, The Crowne Plaza makes my #984 Sweet Nothing.
I must have been very wicked in a former life, because I am a glutton for punishment. Straight after an intense Friday night service, I’ve scheduled a cookery school session for Saturday morning. And straight after an even more intense Saturday night service, I’ve scheduled a cookery school session for Sunday morning. Often, its a battle against the clock. Wake up. Get washed. Drive – on road, avoid pedestrian. Open up just before the queue forms and psche myself up to teach.
I teach every weekend at the Sweet Mandarin Cookery School. I love meeting the students and it is their high energy which keeps me going, pumps me alive and they make me forget about that lie-in and trashy daytime tv. I teach three courses – beginners Chinese cookery, intermediate Chinese cookery and dim sum masterclasses. Courses are booked up till August (give or take one or two slots) and although my body is physically knackered, I’m up fighting, ready to teach and love bouncing off the energy in the class. If you want to find out more about Sweet Mandarin’s cookery school, click here
To celebrate National Vegetarian Week, Sweet Mandarin has an exclusive offer – the Mabel’s Tofu Claypot is available at a discounted price of £7.00 – oh and you don’t have to be vegetarian to order it! Sweet Mandarin has a lot of choice for vegetarians and can even cook up the most amazing Vegetarian Banquet. To book a table click here.
Veggie myth-busters for 2010.
There are a few myths that do the rounds about veggies – the Vegetarian Society would like to kick them into touch during National Vegetarian Week.
Poor protein – wrong!
Protein is available in all foods (apart from refined white sugar and some oils) and your protein needs are automatically met by a balanced, varied diet. Meat does provide protein, however it is only one source. Nuts, beans, eggs, soya products, pulses and dairy products are all excellent sources of protein.
Veggies eat fish –wrong!
Vegetarians do not eat fish or shellfish. Fish are cold-blooded animals living wholly in water. Vegetarians don’t eat animals.
Weak and feeble, lacking in iron –wrong!
A lack of iron is one of the most common problems in a typical British diet. It is just as much a nutritional problem for meat eaters as it is for veggies and research shows that veggies are no more prone to iron deficiency than meat eaters! Even meat eaters get 86% of their iron from vegetarian sources.
Being veggie is unnatural – who says?
Arguing that an action is natural can be quite problematic. A common argument used by meat-eaters is that because we have canine teeth this is evidence that we have been ‘designed’ to eat meat. Meat eating animals have sharp claws and, since they have to kill mainly with their teeth, possess powerful jaws and pointed, elongated, “canine” teeth to pierce tough skin and to spear and tear flesh. They do NOT have flat, back teeth like us which vegetarian animals need for grinding their food. As for our sharp teeth, gorillas are entirely vegetarian – as are almost all primates – and yet have far longer and sharper canine teeth than human beings!
Vegetarianism is a fad – don’t think so!
Some people do change diets as they change fashions. However vegetarianism has been around for literally thousands of years. For example, the Greek philosopher, Plato (427 – 347 BC), and his teacher Socrates (470 – 399 BC) were both vegetarians.
In the UK the first vegetarian cookbook was written in 1812. The oldest Vegetarian Society in the world was formed in 1847 in the UK.
Things are always busy leading up to Chinese New Year (On 14 February, 2010 we welcome The Year of the Tiger grrr) and its super busy at Sweet Mandarin this year because I’ve agreed to be the featured chef for Amoy / Waitrose for their extra special Chinese New Year promotion.
Read our book Sweet Mandarin which charts our family’s rollercoaster history and you’ll discover an interesting nugget from our past; our great-grand father, Leung used to manufacture soy sauce for a living. So when Amoy (the premier soya sauce manufacturer) contacted us and asked me to be their chef, it was a huge honour and from a personal perspective, this opportunity is the connecting piece that binds present to the past.
You see, in the beginning, our family were farmers in Guangzhou China who had nothing – not even a sausage. It was my great grandfather, Leung who decided to manufacture the soy beans he farmed and created the inky black liquid, soy sauce – that led our family’s journey to Hong Kong and gave us our first taste of prosperity. Yet the double-edge sword of our family’s successful soy sauce business led to rivalry and jealously from other soya sauce manufacturers. This escalated to tragedy when my great grandfather, Leung was murdered, leaving a wife and six girls including my grandmother. Women in the 1930s were not entitled to assets, education or rights so all the assets he built up were dissapated to a distant male relative who wanted nothing to do with us. Once again, our family was plunged into poverty and my grandmother, mother and our generation have since faced adversity after adversity ever since. Yet what has pulled us through each generation has been a love and talent for cooking food – we have cooked for a living and survived thanks to our customers. To be invited to be the chef for Amoy is bittersweet – I wish my great-grandfather were here to share in the celebrations.
I cannot wait to cook for the competition winner and look forward to the challenge ahead. Remember you have to be in it to win it, so what are you waiting for, get entering and I’ll see you in your kitchen.
Best wishes and sweet dishes
