I’d been hearing about Karam on the grapevine for some time. Having worked in Cheshire for many, many years I have always had a soft spot for visiting and being invited to the launch night was a perfect excuse to head back. Hale isn’t a destination town, if you were thinking of somewhere to go and eat around Greater Manchester, you wouldn’t necessarily think to travel to Hale.
As a group, we’ve often travelled to outside the city centre in pursuit of a good meal, and every time we do Mo and I often reflect and wonder why we don’t do it more often. There are so many great restaurants hidden around the North West, leaving the city usually means better parking facilities and generally a more cosy feel, as independents nestle into the communities they serve.
I was hoping Karam in Hale would leave us feeling the same way. Leave us with wanting to hop in our car and make the short trek across the M60. Look at me, I’m already thinking about leaving and we haven’t even got through the door yet!
Pulling up outside felt very familiar… ah yes, this site was once Hale Grill, I had many a drink here with friends, the nostalgia very much kicked in, especially since I hadn’t seen afore mentioned friends in years.
We entered to beaming smiles from the team inside, excited to launch their new look restaurant, the bubbles and welcome drinks flowing. At first I couldn’t quite get my bearings. My memories of this venue were of dark wooden surfaces and dim lighting – a real world apart from this vibrant, luxurious interior that was laid before us. We were treated to a tour, their are many facets to this space but each area remains just as good looking as the next.
Now of course, we weren’t here to have a good nosy round, the proof of any good restaurant is of course in the quality of its food.
Now.
The problem Karam faced, is that Lebanese cuisine is my number. one. all. time. favourite.
Piles on the pressure and I was very worried we may be faced with style over substance… but alas I was thankfully eating my words as the food started to hit the floor and oh yes! It was good!
Launch nights can be pretty hit and miss when it comes to restaurants, a lot of them centre around the booze, which for an alcohol-free gets like me, is not much fun when all you want to know is how good the food is and whether it’s worth recommending. Luckily when Karam did their launch food was very much a focus here – the trays of treats passed around were good sized portions. Bowls of food followed and we were able to sample some of the great dishes on their menu.
Food that hit the spot and we would definitely order again!
Alongside the food, Karam had organised entertainment: d.j., belly dancer and lots of well known Cheshire faces reaffirmed what I loved about venturing outside of the city, that cosy everyone-kind-of-knows-everyone feel (an ex reality tv-housewife blended into the crowd).
(My instagram story is a great way to catch the whole experience)
All in all I’d say Karam is a great addition to the Hale food scene. A name that translates to ‘generosity’ in Arabic, we certainly felt the Middle Eastern hospitality shine through.
*** Thank you to Karam Hale for inviting us along to their launch evening. All food and drink consumed on that night was at no charge – but of course all opinions here are mine and mine alone. Ok, maybe the other members of my group threw their two-penny in too, but that’s to be expected! ***
