Restaurant Review: Duk, Preston

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Dinner Was A Lame Duk

I initially made a booking for the charming Pond (Duk’s sister restaurant), but without explanation, the reservation was overlooked, and I was redirected to Duk. Having previously been impressed by Pond, I didn’t cause a fuss as I expected a similar quality dining experience.

Duk is one square basement room accessed by a dark staircase – a claustrophobic mustard cube. It should have been easy for the staff to see diners, and manage the small number of tables. Despite being the largest table booked, nobody was on hand to greet or advise our party where to sit, creating an unwelcoming impression. There was just one menu between two tables, but weirdly coffee menus for all. I waited fifteen minutes for acknowledgement, before getting up and communicating the entire drinks order directly at the bar. There was also a lack of information, as the drinks menu provided no indication of what wines were available by the glass, the size of the glass and their respective prices. Two of the diners ordered white wine: one arrived warm, the other incorrectly poured.

Rather than individual plates or in bowls, Duk’s tapas came in a strange system of three bowls shaped into one ceramic form. This arrangement was completely impractical as whatever I ordered, was attached to someone else’s choice twelve feet away. We ate the entire meal from one small saucer, which forced residual flavours to mix that had no business together. Nobody asked if we wanted further drinks or food, frustrating as one item never materialised. The whole concept of tapas is people order little and often – something completely impossible at Duk. After everyone had finished, we wanted more, but after fifteen minutes of obviously nobody chewing, we gave up. When I got up to ask for a dessert menu, I was told there was only two deserts: “Churros and a collection of confectionery”. I enquired into what constituted a collection of confectionery and was reliably informed it was a “mixture”. How helpful.

At least the menu was diverse and exciting, and everything certainly sounded appetising. High-quality ingredients were used throughout but often lacked execution, as the kitchen’s output was a mixed bag. The Chorizo was rich and delicious, but the Pigs Cheek was incredibly tough. Some excellent cheese made a welcome appearance.  The wine was decent but not cheap.

This poor evening was largely in part due to a shortage of staff, on another day a better experience is likely to be had, but it ‘s hard to justify a return to Duk.

Duk Restaurant
Review Summary

Atmosphere 4   Cost 5    Quality 6    Service 1

*Since this review was first published, Duk Preston is unfortunately no longer with us –   hence the lack of link*

Restaurant Review: El Rincon de Rafa, Manchester

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Tucked Away Tapas

Despite looking like a carpark’s back entrance, the inside was full of understated character. As with people, it’s the inside that counts, and El Rincon certainly had charm. It was nothing like the nearby industrial-glitz of Spinningfields, but that’s not a criticism. El Rincon de Rafa was a restaurant full of life, densely populated by eclectic diners, resulting in a buzzy, cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Our party rightly ordered most of the tapas menu. Everything was decent – the clean plates spoke for themselves. Credit should be given to El Rincon de Rafa’s kitchen for their speed and consistency, but the food didn’t leap from the plate with vibrancy. The standout dish was easily the Chicken Livers in Sherry which should be required eating. Sherry is such a versatile ingredient; I don’t know why I don’t drink or fry stuff in it more of often. I’d suggest avoiding the Crab Claws as they offered little to the palate, but you can’t go far wrong with anything.

El Rincon de Rafa’s Wine List was exclusively Spanish – which may force customers into unfamiliar territory – which is rarely a bad thing. Both the lower priced red and white wines were well balanced and perfectly gluggable.

Given the portion sizes, most diners would eat three dishes and probably have room for a fourth. The tapas, along with a few glasses of their cheaper wine was approx £30 per head, which I considered average at best value for Manchester City Centre.

El Rincon de Rafa’s service was efficient and organised. All the food arrived surprisingly promptly given the number of diners. However, it wasn’t particularly cheerful despite a British friend ordering in fluent Spanish. Furthermore, we had native Spanish speakers with us, which I mistakingly hoped would increase the rapport.

Gushing TripAdvisor reviews report the tapas is staggering; it isn’t even the best tapas within the M60. However, El Rincon de Rafa is worth a visit for pre-theatre glasses of wine if nothing else.

El Rincon de Rafa
Review Summary

Atmosphere 8  Cost 5  Quality 7  Service 6

Find El Rincon de Rafa
Manchester

Restaurant Review: The Red Cat Restaurant, Chorley

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The Red Cat – Far From Purrfect

I was warmly welcomed into The Red Cat Chorley and browsed the menus in a perfectly clean, but ultimately uninspiring bar area. The cocktails were expensive (for Chorley) averaging £9. It’s an amount I’m prepared to pay, but their constituent spirits were not premium products, making them unjustifiable. Instead, I opted for the lowest priced – but still relatively expensive red wine  – which was undrinkable. The bottle of wine cost less than the price of the glass; if not The Red Cat Chorley was ripped-off. I should have taken it back, but I was too awkwardly British. A friend ordered a Coke, which arrived ¾ full in a tacky Coca-Cola branded glass. No big deal, but The Red Cat Chorley asked £30 for some mains.

I went on the proviso of the limited but reasonably priced, ‘Red Cat Market Menu’, boasting three courses for £22.50. Although very restrictive, I eagerly looked forward to trying the risotto with black pudding and chicken with tarragon tagliatelle for the first time. Disappointingly, the risotto served was the standard mushroom issue, and the unusual tarragon tagliatelle was amended to tarragon mash. Appetising none of the less, but not quite the novel experience the Red Cat Chorley promised.

Once seated I was promptly given a complimentary crostini and fresh miniature loaves, which were quirky and lovely in equal measure. The mushroom risotto was cooked perfectly, very well seasoned and presented beautifully (often a challenge for risotto); however, the portion size was minuscule. I appreciate The Red Cat Chorley was not an all-you-can-eat buffet, but a slightly bigger serving would’ve cost 20p. Despite savouring the flavours, it was eaten in less than ten seconds. If I had eaten each grain with chopsticks – contemplating each molecule of flavour – it would have taken two minutes. For the main course, the chicken was succulent and delicious, and the mash was creamy and rich. It was all good stuff, but not a great deal of it: it cried out for baby carrots or grilled vegetables either as standard or recommended. The dessert of Panna Cotta was a stunning dish, perfectly balanced and presented with care and sophistication. Panna Cotta is all about the wobble factor – this was bootylicious.

A serious gripe was during coffees, The Red Cat bar was so cold we had our coats on, huddled together like penguins (the flightless bird, not the chocolate covered biscuit). A final issue was The Red Cat Chorley standard a 10% service charge not advised on the menu.

The Red Cat Review Summary

Atmosphere 6/10    Cost 7/10    Service 8/10    Quality 7/10

*Since this review was first published, The Red Cat is unfortunately no longer with us -hence the lack of link*