I tried Manchester's new luxury £120 'fire-based dining experience' perfect for a special occasion
When an email about a new “fire-based dining” experience in Manchester dropped into my inbox, I was immediately interested.
KAJI is the first new opening of the MUSU rebrand. The luxury Japanese restaurant, which opened two years ago to rave reviews, will now be known as MUSU Collection and feature a series of different culinary concepts, starting with KAJI.
Japanese cuisine remains at the heart of KAJI, including MUSU’s renowned sushi menu, and it is also offering “flame inspired” dishes that incorporate elements of cuisine from Southeast Asia, Brazil, Peru, and Portugal. At the helm of the operation is Chef Patron Steven Smith, who previously led the kitchen at Freemasons at Wiswell.
Style is also an important part of the KAJI brand and that is abundantly clear as soon as you walk into the soft thump of house music. The modern interiors of all-black furniture and statement animal wallpaper are illuminated by screen walls displaying the KAJI logo and glowing flame embers. If it weren’t for the two open kitchen stations and fresh seafood counter then you easily assume you’re in an exclusive nightclub.
Our first taste of the KAJI experience was the cocktails – another important part of the brand. Their signature cocktail menu features elegant and stylish twists on the favourites. We tried the surprisingly light Black Sesame, which is pitch black in colour and includes Japanese whiskey and sesame syrup, and the Yuzu Honey, which included plum and honey sakes and tasted as light and elegant as it looked.
After our cocktails, we were taken to our seats for the main event. Our menu for the evening consisted of a selection of sample dishes from the main menu. The first three courses were sashimi, nigiri and temaki using seafood of the highest quality. The sashimi even arrived on a cloud of dry ice. This was followed by a delicious fried Carlingford oyster, which was one of the most moreish morsels of the evening, and a crispy chilli buns and a pickled jalapeno butter.
After that came the XL Orkney Scallop with sea urchin butter, followed by koji aged Herdwick lamb rack with grilled leaves, potatoes cooked in embers and tomato ponzo. It’s in these dishes where the “fire” element of the concept really shone through. Our dessert was a smoked chocolate mousse with a passionfruit sorbet and a chunk of tequila-soaked barbecued pineapple. The menu was also accompanied by a fantastic selection of British wines, which were diligently introduced and explained by the sommelier.
MUSU has gained a reputation for excellence since opening, having been awarded the 3 AA Rosette award, and this new iteration looks set to continue the trend. At £120 for the taster menu, it’s on the pricier end of the scale, however perfect for a special treat. KAJI also offers a great selection of reasonably priced small plates that are ideal for sharing with friends over a cocktail or two.