Ithaca

36 John Dalton St, Manchester, M2 6LE

If the first victim of recession is luxury then no one told the management of Ithaca, Manchester’s opulent new Japanese restaurant, a venue that wears its £4m price tag on its kimono sleeve as well as its grandiose furnishings.  One concession has been made to the current economic state though, a Wetherspoons-esque promotional deal; slightly tacky, rather like Harrods having a bargain basement.  Still, a free meal’s a free meal, so, clutching my privilege card that entitled me to a 241 lunch (their abbreviation, not mine), I ventured forth into Manchester’s luncheon quarter to cash in on this generous offer.

We hit our first hurdle on arrival; the two for one set menu (sorry, just can’t do the number thing, it’s so 90’s), was not vegetarian friendly and my date is as vegetarian as they come.  Never fear though, our hostess informed us that in addition to the two for one offer, the à la carte menu came with a 40% discount for every customer and that this was the case every lunchtime, Monday through till Thursday.  Right.  Feeling a little less privileged yet enthused with the idea of a free reign over the à la carte choices, we left our discount cards in tatters as we were led to our knee-height table that gave us a window-seat view of the KPMG Manchester offices.  The irony of the two buildings’ juxtaposition was not lost on us, nor on the vociferous group of accountants on an adjacent table, whose expense accounts were clearly grateful for the cost-efficient splendour that Ithaca provides.

The menu is set out in a rather prosaic fashion, listing Pan-Asian delicacies as if they were school dinners.  With a weakness for eating anything that once took flight, I settled on the sliced duck breast with spiced carrot and raisins, dressed with nashi pear and sake soy sauce.  My date had the enigmatically titled ‘vegetable pot’, which consisted of peculiarly shaped sake-soaked vegetables floating in a red curry paste, served in what appeared to be an Action Man’s cauldron.  Both dishes were fantastic and I ended up finishing the remainder of the generous vegetable pot as my duck, while ornately presented and pleasantly lingering, did not satisfy my Western appetite. 

The discount did not stretch as far as the wine list, which was reassuringly expensive; the savvy management realised that any money saved on food will invariably be re-invested in drinks.  A nice touch was that our waitress kept the bottle of wine off the table, refilling our glasses at appropriate intervals throughout the meal; perfect for those who fancy a boozy lunch without risking the judicious eyes of colleagues, (take note KPMG employees).

Situated just outside the heart of the city, Ithaca’s restaurant is a perfect day venue for a smart-casual meeting, a discount lunch date or an expensive drowning of sorrows.  It’s certainly hooked me enough to return in the evening and check out the upstairs bar area that no doubt will be littered with inebriated accountants slurring boring stories of their glory days.  Still, if the restaurant’s 40% reduction continues, roll on the recession! 

David Harfield