Restaurant Review: ZUMU @ Dive, Manchester
Dive in the Northern Quarter is famous for its weekly quiz night and for having one of the largest- and best- beer gardens in the Northern Quarter. Accessible either by entering through Oldham street and down a flight of stairs or through the beer garden on Tib Street, this bar now plays host to some of the best Asian infusion food Manchester has to offer.
Perfect for lunch with friends, date night and even somewhere to take the parents this hidden gem is definitely on our list of places you need to eat in Manchester. Manchester Girl were invited to their launch night in July to sample the new menu.
Atmosphere:
The restaurant and bar are in the basement, so there is no natural light. This makes for a somewhat dark but cosy experience. If you choose to eat in the booth area, the seating is comfortable and is well lit, so there are no problems reading the extensive menu!
On the night it was obvious that they were launching, with a full restaurant and bar the service felt rushed and things were missed- but we returned since then when it has been quieter and the service was spot on.
The Menu:
The menu was really easy to follow and filled with so many choices we all found it so hard to choose what we wanted to order! With two of our party vegetarian, they found that there were plenty of vegetarian options available. Whether you want a big bowl of something delicious or three or four plates of different flavours to share between the table you really are spoilt for choice.
Our Order:
Food Choices
The sample sharing platter that was brought out was one of the highlights of the evening, and I recommend getting this is you are stuck on making a decision about what to order. They have a few different options to choose from too.
The cucumber sushi was fresh and surprisingly flavourful and a great vegetarian option. The pork bao bun was also a real highlight, just the right amount of filling to fluffy bun.
Moving on to our personal choices from the menu, one of the favourite dishes of the night was the Katsu Curry. Everyone said how big the portion was and the flavours were incredible- definitely a go-to meal if you want to feel all warm, fuzzy and satisfied.
If you’re more in the mood to follow their recommendations of 2 or 3 of their smaller main meals, for a tapas style meal, we recommend the chilli squid. Crispy, cooked to perfection and served with a side dip of a little sweet heat. These were so moreish, and one day I will be back to order just this 3 or 4 times over for my main meal.
With the squid I tried a portion of bao buns, the portion is small if you’re thinking about sharing it with the table- you only get two- but it makes the perfect meal if you’re having it solo with another dish or two. We tried the chicken bao buns, but preferred the pork we got in the sharing platter at the beginning.
City Girl Rating:
★★★★
I know I will definitely be adding this to the list of places I bring out to impress friends and family- I’m already planning on taking my boyfriend for date night soon!
The City Girl Rating system ranking system ensures that we recommend the best places to eat and drink. We take into account the atmosphere, customer service, value for money/ worth the spend, allergy awareness and of course, the quality of the food and drinks served.
DISCLAIMER: Food and Drinks were given to us for free as we were invited to the launch!
Written By Rachael Mole
