Ning, Manchester

Ning is a restaurant I've been keen to try after tasting a sample dish at a street food festival earlier in the year. Malaysian food isn't something you hear much about or see very often, but having sampled one dish I had to get down to their restaurant to learn more. 

Last night I finally got that chance, after being enticed by a recent 30% off "happy-hour" offer we headed out for an early evening meal. We made the walk through the Northern Quarter in the rain all the way up Oldham Street, to find Ning on the right as we neared Great Ancoates. 

The outside appearance may have been a little disappointing (no doubt the appearance hampered by the poor weather), but I'm glad to say inside was no let down. 

Inside it's a sea of deep pinks and purples, with flowing curtains and signature pattern wallpapers. Being early evening it was quiet when we arrived, but by the time we'd eaten it was a lively place which I can imagine gets very busy at peak times, so booking before is recommended. 

The Food

Once the three of us had sat at a table near the window our waiter was quick to offer us a drink from the menu and highlighted to us the specials and the fact that the "happy hour" was in effect, entitling us to 30% off our food. 

I ordered an Asian lager named Beerlao. This came in a small bottle, a little over half a pint for £4.50. At first a little disheartened at this, but I was please to find it a crisp refreshing beer which I'll have to source for the meat fridge. 

For starters I'd ordered Pad Thai fish cakes, while the other members of the party ordered Tiger Prawn Satay (Chargrilled lemongrass-marinated tiger prawn skewers with handmade spicy peanut sauce, rice 'cakes' & garnish) and Chicken Murtabak (Mamak style crispy pancake filled with chicken, onion, potato, egg, herbs & spices, served with sweet chilli dip). 

All were well presented on, what seems to be standard for restaurants these days, clean slates. The Thai fish cakes were excellent, with a light Thai flavour noticeable first, before the seafood flavours stood out, the taste then ending in a small kick from the spice. The side of sweet chilli dipping sauce wasn't overpowering with the chilli as can sometimes be the case. 

Pad Thai Fish Cakes with Sweet Chilli Dip (£6.95)

I sampled the Satay Tiger prawns which were a little difficult to de-shell left while on a skewer but the Malaysian seasoning really made these prawns different. The small rice cakes were an odd addition to this plate as it wasn't really clear if they were designed to be eaten with the prawns of the peanut dipping sauce. The sauce by the way only hinted at peanut, probably my least favourite nut taste, even I enjoyed this dip. 

Tiger Prawn Satay (£7.50)

The final starter, the Chicken Murtabak, were well wrapped inside their pancake sleeves. The pancake wasn't soft or overcooked, and the chicken worked well with the other fillings. 

Chicken Murtabak (£7.25)

For the main course, I'd chosen a Bihun Goreng Satay dish (Wok-fried vermicelli rice noodles cooked with Malay satay paste, egg & crisp vegetables), while the others chose Gulai (Classic Malay thick and spicy coconut milk-laced curry infused with Chef Norman's special blend of spices including cinnamon, star anise and pandan leaf) with a side of noodles, and the Pad Thai dish  that I'd sampled at the food festival months before (Classic wok-fried flat noodles with egg, vegetables & topped with ground peanut). 

My Satay dish was almost a combination between a stir fry and a egg noodle dish. What could be better? The chicken was buried well beneath the noodles but was juicy when I found it, if it was a little bland in taste. The noodles, vegetables and egg within the rest of the dish added to the flavour though and the satay flavours brought depth to the dish. The vegetables looked overcooked at first but upon tasting them they were still crispy which was a great surprise.

Bihun Goreng Satay (£12.95)

The Gulai dish was a mild, thick curry which really did need the side order of noodles or rice. This is apparently one of the more favourite dishes on the menu, and it spoke for itself. It wasn't overpowered with spices as is often the case. 

Gulai Curry with Rice Noodles (£10.95 + £2.20)

Finally, the Pad Thai was just as I remembered. This can be a vegetarian dish as it can be served without the meat or fish. The chicken in this Pad Thai tasted similar/the same as the Goreng Satay dish, but this is no criticism. The ground peanuts, as the peanut dip in the starter, wasn't over powering, it tops the dish off well. I highly recommend putting the slice of lemon to the side of this dish to good use. It really brings the dish to another level! It'd probably go even better with a prawn or seafood option. 

Pad Thai Noodles (£12.50)

Bihun Goreng Satay (£12.95)

Conclusion

Ning is a Malaysian restaurant co-founded by Norman Musa, a Malaysian chef who hopes to introduce the public to, and expand Malaysian food throughout the UK and the rest of the world. 
If Norman continues to make food with the fresh ingredients like this it shouldn't be hard for him to succeed in that mission. 
Now that I've tasted Malaysian food I'm wondering why there isn't already more of it around. 
The location may be letting Ning down a little, as it's sort of the wrong side of the Northern Quarter but it's still ideally placed for those that know about it. 
The food speaks volumes though, and will shout louder than the location over time I'm sure. The fresh ingredients and lesser known seasoned flavours make Malaysian food a new favourite.

The prices may be on the higher end of the average meal in Manchester but they seem to have numerous offers on at the moment which is always enticing, and the price is reflected by the great tasting foods and fresh ingredients.  

If you're looking to try something different over the normal Indian curry then I'd highly recommend the Ning restaurant. 
I'll definitely be back to experience more of what Malaysia has to offer. 

Meat Rating: 8/10

Money For Meat: 30% off food offer, paid in full