Team Bricki's Merry Mancunian Mini Break DAY TWO

[princessnicki]

Sorry to start again on a negative but i had an awful nights sleep (if you can call it that!) There was a buzzing noise from the aircon unit all night, drunks woke me up shouting around 4.30am outside the hotel and then the icing on the cake was the tram starts every 10 minutes from 5.30am which was so loud as they beeped the horn and breaked (it honestly felt like the bed was on a train platform!) I was starting to get really angry by this point as i feel like they were taking the mickey out of us for asking to move rooms. We very rarely complain about anything and this just highlighted why i hate doing it! On a positive I will say that the rooms were absolutely spotless though so thumbs up to housekeeping

Anyway moving on, today was Bretts birthday, the last one of his 30s! I dont think he is too happy about turning 40 next year but he doesnt look that age at all. He said he wanted cake for breakfast so cake he got and we headed over to Fress in the Northern Quarter.

He chose a slice of Percy Pig as this looked the most like an actual birthday cake, it was strawberries and cream filling and it was huge! I am so glad we shared this as we struggled to finish it. It was very tasty though

It was only 11.30am but we couldnt pass up trying something from the cocktail menu. The 80s classic Grasshopper is my all time favourite cocktail so if there is anything that resembles that on the menu im ordering it.

After Hours (Creme De Menthe, White Rum, Chocolate, Milk, After Eight)

Brett chose

Ferrero Rocher Martini (Vodka, Frangelico, Chocolate Liquor, Cream, Ferrero Rocher)

Nut Tellin You (Nutella, Rum, Chocolate, Coffee Tequila, Vanilla Icecream)

I dont know how he managed two chocolatey creamy ones as i was starting to get a sugar rush so i switched to something light, fizzy and fruity. I completely misread this and didnt realise it was Gin but the lemonade and prosecco overpowered it so it actually tasted very refreshing and i enjoyed it.

Flamingo Fizz (Pink Gin, Prosecco, Strawberry, Lemonade)

We made the 15 minute walk over to Spinningfields to Australasia. As it was a Monday there wasnt a great deal open, but Australasia was one of the places we had kept meaning to visit so we booked a lunch reservation. This restaurant has to have one of the prettiest doorways ever- it's a glass pyramid that leads you to a staircase taking you down into the main area. The decor is simple and modern but really beautiful.

The food on offer here is Asian small plates and Sushi, with a selection of larger plates if you want to do traditional starter and main. The menu is designed for sharing and thats how they encourage you to order. As huge tapas fans we opted for small plates. At lunch time there is a menu offering 3 plates for £18 and there is a great amount of choice.

This was a meal of two halves for us as we didnt overly enjoy the first few plates that came out. There was nothing wrong with the food, it was all excellent quality, they just werent to our taste. I think without realising we ordered too many deep fried things that were served first and filled us up before the best dishes came out. We should have ordered the Seabass Fillet and Lemongrass Chicken Skewers instead. At least we know for next time.

Squid with Sriarcha Mayonaise. This was served in tempura and it was cooked perfectly as the squid wasnt chewy but it needed a little more of the mayo to flavour it.

Salmon Tamaki. This had a decent amount of salmon filling inside but it didnt wow me as much as i had hoped as we love sushi and it was difficult to share between two. There is a lot of choice of sushi on the menu so we probably just ordered the wrong thing

Yum Yum Squares with Spicy Tuna and Avocado. The squares were filled with rice so this was quite a filling dish, the accompaniments were delicious and i wish there was more as it was hard to split across the 6 pieces

However the last few plates were delicious!

Japanese Curried Korokke. This is like a curried potatoe croquette and had a lovely flavour inside.

Seared Teryaki Beef Rump, Sweet Soy, Spring Onion. This was our favourite dish, the meat was gorgeous, so pink and tender, seasoned perfectly and paired so well with the Spring Onion

Pork Wontons, Sweetcorn Puree, Sriarcha, Sesame Soy. These were gorgeous too, they had so much pork inside and a perfectly cooked crispy coating

We ordered a side of Kimchi Chips and this was a huge portion of homemade chips topped with Kimchi (fermented salted vegetables). I wish these had come out first as i was too full to finish them and they had such a good flavour

The cocktail menu here sounded fabulous- signature cocktails and Asian twists on classic cocktails. I struggled to choose as i wanted about 10 of them

We had Kiwi and Honey Crush (Ketel One, Lemon, Kiwi, Honey)

Down In Flames (Plantation Pineapple Rum, Velvet Falernum, Star Anise, Lime, Coconut)

Miss Saison (Midori, Lemon, Saison Beer Syrup, Egg White)

Green Apple Martini (Zubrowka, Green Apple Liquor, Apple, Lemon)

All of these were really refreshing with lovely flavours and easy to drink

Brett also had a big boy drink Bitter Luxe (Woodford Reserve, Martell VS, Grand Marnier, Benedictine, Antica Formula, Chocolate Bitters)

I had booked some activities that i knew Brett would love so we made the short walk across the street to Lane 7. This is an arcade that offers various activities such as Darts, Karaoke, Shuffleboard, Arcade Games, Beer Pong. I had booked Bowling as this is something we have actually never done together. There is a standard lane or premium lane which is a private booth under neon lighting and graffiti walls and seats- i booked premium as it wasnt much more. This was such a cool experience, the decor was fantastic, i wish we had booked two games as we had so much fun. I am terrible at bowling and scored 65 compared to Bretts 105. He got 3 strikes and a half strike- i did manage to get a strike and a half strike on the last round by some miracle.

We had a cocktail each while waiting for them to set up the lane. Drumstick (Vodka, Chambord, Vanilla, Raspberry, Lime, Soda) and Honey B (Honey Bourbon, Lemon, Honey, Ginger Ale), both werent great, like TGIs it was mainly sickly juice. Not worth £9 each

I also booked Shooting for Brett which was an hour long experience where you have lots of games to choose from- army scenarios, zombies, target practice. You can play with a normal pistol or a larger rifle. The pistol was a proper gun that had been converted into a laser controller. Brett absolutely loved this, it was a great way to blow off steam, he was really good at it too, he had a great aim, he got top marks in the precision rounds and he was quite quick in the response tests too.

We had some time to kill so decided to play in the arcade for a bit. We had a couple of turns on the dance game, i used to love dance mat for the PS1 when i was a child. Brett played some Street Fighter as this was his favourite game as a child.

We also played Air Hockey where Brett beat me 7-3 and Foosball where i surprisingly won 6-2. We loved this place and will definitely visit again when we are next in Manchester.

Next up was our booking at the Washhouse. This is a cocktail bar that does the craziest unique cocktails. We last visited in 2018 and the menu is completely different now so we were excited to see what was on offer. It is divided into 4 sections, quick and easy to make cocktails, twists on traditional cocktails, adventurous and then completely crazy and adventurous. They are all amazing to look at and completely unique. When we last came they were £11 each, now they are £13.50 so be prepared for that if you ever visit- they do use premium spirits and add a lot of extras to your cocktails, they are also pretty strong. You enter through a launderette and ring the phone to say you want to put a wash on, this opens a vending machine to a secret staircase to the bar.

The bar is dark with individual lights on each booth. The staff are amazing, they walk you through the menu and explain the elements to each cocktail when they serve it to you. I let the staff choose my cocktails as i knew they would all be amazing i just wanted the cool pretty ones. Also if you dont like your cocktail they will swop it for another one for you free of charge (as long as youve only had a couple of sips!) We stayed here for over two hours as we were having a great time. They gave us a great booth too, right next to the bar so the bartenders were interacting with us. It was really popular even for a Monday night.

So onto the crazy cool cocktails

Nice Pair (Tonka Roe and Co Whiskey, Pedro Ximenez, Pear Ginger Syrup, Acorn, Nettle Wine). This was amazing! Perfect for the season as it had all of the Autumnal flavours. I wasnt sure if i would love the whiskey but it was really good. Strong but easy to drink. The glass is amazing too as it kept the drink ice cold the whole time!

We'll Always Have Paris (Pampero Rum, Cacao Blanc, Saliza Amaretto, Condensed Milk, Raspberry, Hazelnut) This was right up Bretts street as it tasted like a boozy milkshake, almost had a bakewell taste with the Amaretto and hazelnut. The biscuit is made by a French baker who prints rude words onto them in French. I stole the Macron as they are my favourite and it was delicious!

I Know A Prick When I See One (Ocho Tequila, Le Verger, Prickly Pear, Lime, Mexican Soda.) This was essentially a frozen Margarita but the flavours were a little different, it was so refreshing and tasty.

Jah Makin Me Crazy (Wray and Nephew Rum, Kings Ginger Liquor, Taylors Falernum, Scotch Bonnet, Coriander, Mango). Now this one is hardcore! First a little dumpling is covered in Overproof Rum and set on fire with a blow torch. Brett didnt finish eating that as it was so strong! And then there was fire in the form of the actual drink- it was so spicy, it made Bretts eyes water like crazy. I tried it and the flavours were nice but it was just so spicy! Brett enjoyed it despite the crying and he managed to finish it (while taking sips of his next one!)

Pay The Piper (Cocchi Vermouth di Torrino, Italicus, Pepper, Black Olive, Parmesan, Tonic) I wanted one off the crazy page so i chose this as i love Italian flavours. I was a little apprehensive as i hate the bitterness of tonic but it was overpowered by the other flavours. It was really really good, you could taste and smell Basil as you drank it, there were so many savoury flavours going on, there was a little heat from the pepper. I voted this my favourite one of the night.

Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe (Pampero Rum, Blue Curacao, Giffard Banane du Bresil, Wham Bar, Banana, Lychee). Brett needed something frozen and sweet to sip alongside his fire drink and this fit the bill perfectly as he loves banana. It came in a pick and mix bag and was topped with sweets

Our final round of the night had to be off the crazy section

Winner winner (Old Forester Bourbon, Benedictine, Chicken Parsley, Apple). This wins points for the best presentation. It was supposed to be a take on fried chicken and chips- it came in a chicken basket with chipsticks and chicken fat (like crackling). The drink itself was really tasty too

I finished with Cherie Cobbler (Zacapa 23, Oloroso, Sherry, Pineapple, Miso, Citrus). This was so good, it was like a crumble pudding, really fruity and refreshing but also strong! It was topped with an Eccles Cake (Scone with Jam if you are from the right side of the Pennines haha)

Our server came over and sang Happy Birthday to Brett and gave him a Birthday shot which was a huge shot of Limoncello (i think, Brett wasnt sure) and a piece of Battenberg

The toilets are crazy too, there is a button that says "do not push" which sets off disco lighting and disco music and a sign saying Disco Made Me Do It.

There is also a secret door that takes you into a room with a slide!

We had the best time here and we will book it again for my birthday when we come over to see Joseph at the theatre and try tick some different ones off the list!

Brett was ready for some food now and i had booked one of his favourites- Chakalaka in the Northern Quarter which is a South African bar and grill. As we walked down the main street there was a huge number of TV crew filming stopping people going through, we asked what they were filming and they said something for Disney. We did some digging and it appears to be their new series for Star called Wedding Season! We watched the scene involving a man in a takeaway avoiding a group of men in a Pest Control van who were shooting at him. Most of the actors had hoods up and faces covered which lead us to think it may be famous people involved. I know they film a lot in Manchester as its cheaper than shutting down places like New York for example. We will keep an eye out and see if we were correct!

Chakalaka was so relaxing and chilled compared to the vibrant noise in Washhouse so it was the perfect way to end the day. We ordered some Droewors with our cocktails while deciding what to eat. Droewors is dried out meat and spices and it is sooooo tasty, the version here is our favourite as its so soft! We bought a portion to take home!

Brett ordered his favourite dish from back home- Lamb Bunny Chow. This is a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with a delicious spicy curry with lamb, potato, onion, tomato and spices. This version is amazing, very authentic and Brett devoured the lot!

I had Boerewors Roll with Monkey Gland sauce and Aromat Biltong Fries. Boerewors is a spicy flavourful sausage, Monkey Gland is like a sweet BBQ sauce, Aromat is classed as a garlic and onion flavoured spice but we use it more like a salt when we cook with it as it is very salty, Biltong is dried out beef mixed with herbs and spices (mainly cumin). I love Boerewors more than English sausages, they have so much more flavour in them. I didnt make much of a dent in my Fries as mentioned, Aromat used like a coating is just way too much salt (i love the taste but would regret it the next day!)

Brett definitely had the cocktail munchies as not only did he finish my dinner but he ordered a Boerewors Roll (minus the chips) for himself!

For cocktails we enjoyed some of our favourites

Pomegranate Mojito (Spiced Rum, Pomegranate Juice, Lime, Soda, Mint)

Peaches and Cream (Amarula, Peach Schapps, Egg White, Bitters)

Spicy Margarita (Tequila, Triple Sec, Lime, Chilli, Salt)

Jaffa Cake (Tia Maria, Triple Sec, Orange Juice)

Brett loves coming here, South African food is hard to find and this place is apparently really authentic.

We walked back to our hotel and watched TV for a bit before falling asleep. An amazing jam packed day of fun for Bretts birthday

[mitch84]

This looked like such a fun day! I love not that far from Manchester and really need to try and explore more. Glad Brett had a lovely birthday.
Genuinely didn’t know an Eccles cake was the same as a scone though! I have never eaten an Eccles cake

[P&S]

What a fun-filled birthday day! Happy Birthday Brett

I'm definitely looking at booking Lane 7 as I think my hubbie and some friends would love it

The food at Chakalaka looks amazing especially your Boerewors Roll

The washhouse would be wasted on us as hubbie is an ale drinker but looks great fun

[princessnicki]

Originally Posted by mitch84

This looked like such a fun day! I love not that far from Manchester and really need to try and explore more. Glad Brett had a lovely birthday.
Genuinely didn’t know an Eccles cake was the same as a scone though! I have never eaten an Eccles cake

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Thank you We had some great food and cocktails in Manchester, definitely worth checking out especially around the Northern Quarter, plus Deansgate/ Spinningfields area for the slightly fancier places

It was definitely a scone with jam that they gave me, maybe they got confused ive just googled it and Eccles cake is a pie full of raisins lol

[princessnicki]

Originally Posted by P&S

What a fun-filled birthday day! Happy Birthday Brett

I'm definitely looking at booking Lane 7 as I think my hubbie and some friends would love it

The food at Chakalaka looks amazing especially your Boerewors Roll

The washhouse would be wasted on us as hubbie is an ale drinker but looks great fun

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Thank you Lane 7 is a lot of fun, lots of different activities to do, we loved it.

We love a visit to Chakalaka as South African cuisine isnt something we can get very often.

Washhouse was fantastic, cant wait to go back and try some more crazy cocktails

[smithlane]

Oh wow, another 3 reasons to visit Manchester! The cake and cocktails for breakfast look delicious, The Washhouse sounds like nothing I've ever heard of before and the food in Chakalaka looks amazing. I'm now trying to find a free weekend to visit!

[Goldia]

Well a belated happy birthday to Brett. So am absolutely amazing cocktail creations. I have never seen battenburg cake on a cocktail, so that's a new one for me! Awesome. It looks like you had a fun time and really enjoyed the birthday celebrations.

[princessnicki]

Originally Posted by smithlane

Oh wow, another 3 reasons to visit Manchester! The cake and cocktails for breakfast look delicious, The Washhouse sounds like nothing I've ever heard of before and the food in Chakalaka looks amazing. I'm now trying to find a free weekend to visit!

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Highly recommend The Washhouse, its a bit pricey but they put so much effort into each one. Chakalaka is great, lots of different South African dishes on the menu

[princessnicki]

Originally Posted by Goldia

Well a belated happy birthday to Brett. So am absolutely amazing cocktail creations. I have never seen battenburg cake on a cocktail, so that's a new one for me! Awesome. It looks like you had a fun time and really enjoyed the birthday celebrations.

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Thank you very much we had a fantastic day, the cocktails are amazing at Washhouse, would love to go back and try even more