It’s been some time since we last visited Sapporo teppanyaki in Manchester. I’ve always had fond memories of our time there, usually because they’ve been occasions to celebrate. But Mo and I have never really been just because we fancied a meal out.
When i received the invite to visit and try out their new menu, just the two of us, I have to be honest I hesitated at first. Wondering if we needed to invite others along as it might be strange just the two of us going, no-one else to share the experience with. Because eat8ng out at Sapporo isn’t just a meal, you get entertainment thrown in too. If you haven’t been before, the main tables are arranged around an open cooking station, where the chefs prepare the hot teppanyaki meals right in front of you, with serious knife, fire and cooking tricks thrown in. It works well in a group as they like to get everyone involved.
With Mo’s birthday on the horizon I decided to stop being ridiculous and book Sapporo as our celebration meal, an excuse to dress up and enjoy each other’s company. We arrived early and propped up the bar to order a couple of virgin cocktails, if I was to recommend one – go for the Elderflower Breeze. It was the better of the two. As soon as the drinks were placed in front of us our table was ready.
We hadn’t had lunch that day so we were mega hungry and everything looked and sounded amazing on the menu. I had to ask our lovely waiter that evening for his advice, I was so unsure on what to get. As we waited for food, our table had filled up and the chefs arrived to start prepping meals.
I’m not going to give you a blow by blow account, as part of the Sapporo experience is to sit back and enjoy the show – what I will say is that I have seen it many many times and I’ve got to be honest, it really doesn’t get old. I know what to expect, I’ve seen it before but each and every time they find a way to get me fully engaged. And iv yet to see someone watch without a huge grin on their face.
As the entertainment was something I expected, it left me the opportunity to focus more on the food. I mentioned earlier that Mo and I never really looked upon Sapporo as a place to simply dine out if we didn’t fancy cooking, but after our last meal, I can’t think of a single reason why we wouldn’t.
We started with dragon sushi, calamari and suzuki ceviche. The dragon sushi was a recommendation from our waiter, and absolutely hit the spot. The best part of all three dishes was how fresh the fish tasted, I practically inhaled the ceviche I couldn’t get enough it! If we hadn’t already ordered hot food, I would have been so tempted to go for a double portion of what we had.
For our teppanyaki meals, we had opted for chicken (which is halal here by the way) and the lobster. It was good to see all the veg is cooked first – and fyi even the stir fry veg on its own is delicious!!! It was packed full of flavour, not overcooked and along with the egg fried rice, both were perfect accompaniments to our mains.
Oh wait! No no… I apologise that was a lie. For a potato nut like me the BEST accompaniment was the sliced potatoes!!! Served with… garlic sauce. Yup, if you read my post many years ago from Spain where I devoured a gravy boats worth of the stuff, you’’ll understand that anywhere that serves garlic mayo and potatoes are always going to hold special places in my heart. I mean it’s not ideal if your out with company, but let’s be honest that’s never held me back.
Our chicken, lobster – cooked on separate stations by the way. I love that considering how often theses tables are frequented the cooking area is spotless when they start and boy do they clean it up quickly, efficiently and to a high standard. Puts my hurricane cooking shenanigans to shame.
As I was saying… our chicken and lobster were also of a high standard. The chicken had just enough marinade to be succulent, but not overpowering alongside our sides. The lobster, I was concerned how well it would cook on the plate, but I needn’t have worried, the flesh was meaty and the slight char gave it a nice edge.
All in all we had perhaps got a bit too excited with ordering, I’d recommend getting just the one starter each but in the same breath I can’t see how you’d narrow it down! I think the best part of Sapporo is that even with such a variety, the standard of each dish is pretty high.
I’m slightly annoyed with myself for having discounted it at times, and I’m so glad Mo and I ventured out that evening, as it was a great reminder that actually, even though they’re generally known for their culinary entertainment, their real forte is in great service and more importantly some really great food.
*** This meal was gifted by Sapporo to trial out their new menu. Some elements of the meal were paid for. Of course as always every single opinion on here are my own as are all the pictures. Thank you to Sapporo for a wonderful evening and we hope to be back soon***
