Ratings are out of 100, with 100 being the highest standard and 0 being the lowest
- A Japanese fine dining-like experience
- Great selection of gluten free options
- Staff well informed about allergies
- Higher-end price, expect an expensive bill
- You order multiple plates and small portions
- Location: Manchester City Centre, Bridge Street
KAJI was not what we expected!
My partner had passed by KAJI in Manchester several times and always thought it looked appealing from the outside. He’d been curious about what it would be like to dine there. So, on a spontaneous Wednesday evening after work, we decided to drop in and give it a try.
The interior of the restaurant was beautifully decorated, giving a dark yet elegant atmosphere. It was relatively quiet, but given it was a Wednesday night, the way the space was arranged made it feel cozy and intimate, despite the restaurant being very large. The service was exceptional, they asked about allergens before I even mentioned it, and the waitress carefully went through the entire menu, explaining which dishes could be made gluten-free, which might contain traces, and which ones I should avoid. There were so many options available, and with only a few items not being gluten free. Yay!
We noticed the tasting menu option and asked if we could choose that instead of the A la carte menu. However, they explained that since we were a walk-in and hadn’t made a reservation, they didn’t have enough time to prepare a gluten free tasting menu for us. Which is fine as I am certain we will be returning and will try the tasting menu!
We decided to go for the chicken wings, drunken rice, hanger, lamb rack, heritage potatoes, hamachi and sea bream sashimi, unagi and salmon maki rolls. The waitress suggested the salmon maki rolls, as despite it not being on the menu, we wanted to try the salmon open temaki, but it was not ideal for sharing. These were shared (me and my partner) as all the plates were quite small and came out in different stages. The Maki Rolls were one of our favourites, and they even provided gluten-free soy sauce for the both of us! The sashimi was nice, presented on a smoky dry ice plate in the image above, but as you can see the cuts of fish were very small so I would only recommend getting one if you’re curious to try it.
I would recommend the steak and lamb, as they were cooked to perfection and topped with gorgeous garnishes. We chose the chiri chiri sauce, which neither of us had tried before. It had a minty flavour and we weren’t too fond of it, although it paired well with the potatoes. The chicken wings were presented in a unique way, and only included 2 chicken wings. This was a bit disappointing as the chicken was delicious and served with a katsu curry sauce so we would have liked more than 2. The heritage potatoes were my least favourite part of the meal; personally I prefer mini potatoes that are very soft, but these were harder and on the undercooked side.
When presented with the dessert menu, we took a look and the waitress said the only gluten free option was the chocolate tart. So we decided not to go for a dessert, although looking at the tables next to us, the desserts did look lovely.
Our cocktails were also very nice, but again in small glasses and on the higher price end.
So, if you’re looking for a more upscale dining experience, with a variety of dishes to try and don’t mind paying a premium for the presentation, I would definitely recommend coming here. It is great for gluten-free dietary needs and all the food was delicious, though it’s on the higher end of the price scale.
