OSMA, Manchester

6 May 2023
osmakitchenbar.com

Picture the mood. We had just returned from a fabulous two week holiday in Italy. We were relaxed, Jane was tanned, we had recharged our cultural batteries. We had also consumed our body weights in pizza, pasta, gelato, steak, tripe, pistachio cream etc etc. We had eaten in at least one restaurant every day for 14 days. We were kind of looking forward to a few weeks of home cooked meals.

But it was Bank Holiday weekend and we were loathe to give up on the holiday spirit right away. Plus, our first working day would be my birthday which, when we’d made the arrangements several months before, had seemed fine but now the reality of returning to work after a two week break on the day that I should have been esconced in the pub with a large slice of cake seemed utterley diabolical. So, one last trip out it was.

Acutally, I had booked our table at OSMA some time in advance. The chef owner, Danielle Heron, had represented the North West region on the Great British Menu earlier in the year, and when I saw her make that main course (the Chinese banquet with the poached chicken and spring rolls) I jumped online and booked a table. A Manchester native, Danielle learned her craft at L’Enclume (***) in the Lake District and then spent some time at Maaemo (***) in Oslo. OSMA specialises in small plates heavily inspired by both Far Eastern and Scandanavian cooking. We were intrigued.

The restaurant is in Prestwich in Bury, Greater Manchester, to the north of the city. From the outside it’s unassuming, to the point that you could quite easily walk past it if not paying attention. The inside is comfortable with a spacious dining room, chef’s table and bar area. And the staff are really welcoming and friendly.

We conferred over what plates we’d be ordering and set our attention to drinks. Cocktails first, because why not? In the photo you can see my date, most importantly, her Cherry Blossom on the left and my Passion for Rosemary on the right. Jane really enjoyed hers - the cherry sweetness from the puree’ and the rum is exactly her type of thing. Mine was fine, although I found that it edged towards slightly too bitter and could have done with a stronger hit of sweetness from the passionfruit.

L-R: Cherry Blossom (Havana 3 rum, Luxardo, Lavendar, cherry puree) and Passion for Rosemary (El Sueno Tequila Silver, rosemary, Aperol, passionfruit)

And then the food started arriving. I’m presenting the dishes in the order they arrived at the table, which actually matched the order they were presented in the menu - they had a plan, obviously. So, oysters to start. These ones were Scottish, and were served with a yuzu ponzu, which is a Japanese citrus-based kind of vinaigrette, and finely diced cucumber. I’m yet to find what I feel is the perfect accompaniment to oysters. I’ve done the lemon and Tabasco thing (meh) and the apple cider vinegar and horseradish thing (better), and this ponzu and cucumber, with its tang and crunch, worked really well. And the oysters were silky and luxurious. Happy days.

Fresh oyster with yuzu ponzu and cucumber

The next two dishes arrived at the same time and worked really well together. The first, crispy globe artichokes with miso mayonnaise, was lovely. The panko coating did nothing to take away from the earthiness of the artichokes, and the miso mayonnaise was very well balanced, providing salty, umami deliciousness. The braised beef croquettes with ramson mayo were crispy with a rich, meaty filling, pairing really well with the light, fragrant wild garlic of the mayonnaise. Jane and I came down on opposite sides of the fence in terms of which was our favourite of the two - she liked the croquettes best, I liked the artichokes - but both were great.

Small pitstop for more drinks before the next plates arrived. Jane knocked the booze on the head and ordered a Diet Coke. I did not. I ordered a glass of the Naranjo orange wine from the Pulenta Estate in Mendoza, Argetina. I’m new to orange wine, which is made by infusing the skins and seeds of white grapes in the fermenting wine for a longer period than you would to make a classic white wine, and this was nice - fruity with floral undertones and a good level of acid.

The wine paired well with the first of the two dishes we were served next. Isle of Wight green tomatoes and stracciatella, with salsa matcha and sherry vinegar. We had learned about stracciatella - very young, liquidy mozzerella - during our recent holiday, and had enjoyed it with a glass of prosecco in Rome. And it alongside Isle of Wight tomatoes seemed like a good pairing. But we were not expecting it to be as delicious as it was. The creamy cheese with the crisp fresh tomatoes was lovely by itself, but with the addition of the nutty, spicy Salsa Matcha and the sweet, sharp vinegar, the balance of this dish was quite beautiful.

We both thought it outshone the next dish, which I had thought might have been my star of the show. Savoury set custard with crab, enoki mushroom, shedded Iberico ham and spring onion, this had all the components of a fantastic dish. And individually they were delicious. However, we both thought that the salty, chewy ham overwhelmed the crab and custard, which was a shame. I could totally see what the chef was getting at with the flavour combination, and perhaps reducing the amount of ham would have cracked it.

The next dish arrived alone and was another I was particularly keen to try and I was not disappointed. The roasted courgette flowers with blue cheese, honey and basil were a real treat. Firstly, you’ve got the crispy, light courgette flower, which is utterly delicious and something you rarely see on the menu of a British restaurant. Why is that? What’s wrong with people? Why would you just chuck that bit of the plant in the bin when you can use it to make something so delightful? I just don’t understand the world we live in. Next you’ve got the truly magical combination of blue cheese and honey, which when paired with the brightly summery basil dressing was just lovely. Big thumbs up for this one.

Roasted courgette with blue cheese, honey and basil

Our final savoury plate was seabass with Wye Valley asparagus, peas, lettuce and tarragon. We both love seabass, and the bright, summery greens served with it were always going to work well. But, again, we were both a bit underwhelmed by this dish. You could argue that the fish was slightly overcooked, and the sauce that was served with it, although very tasty, undermined the fresh crispy bite that I was hoping for from the salad and vegetables. But I am always delighted to see asparagus on a spring plate, and it was fantastic.

Seabass with Wye Valley asparagus, peas, lettuce and tarragon

And just like that we were on to desserts. And, because it was my birthday and because we’re very greedy, we went for all of the sugary things. Firstly, there was cool, creamy tonka bean panna cotta with sweet roasted plums and a nutty Disaronno granita. Then pavlova with Wye Valley strawberries, vanilla and lemon curd. And we finished with a densely rich chocolate and rose truffle, complete with birthday candle (our waiter Anna was a sweetie).

The standout of the three was the pavlova. The meringue was that perfect balance of chewy and crispy, but not overly sweet, and when paired with the fruit, curd and cream was just the perfect spring/summer pudding. Jane loved it, which is a real compliment given she can usually actively dislikes meringue and will avoid it. I also really liked the truffle - I thought the rose was well balanced against the chocolate, and the portion was perfect given the intensity of the chocolate.

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at OSMA. We ate some wonderful food and were really taken care of by the lovely staff and the bill came out at £160 for the two of us, which includes tip. Reading through this post, it’s obvious that we found some dishes to be much stronger than others - for Jane, the croquettes were a real standout, for me the courgette flowers were really special, and we both loved the tomatoes and stracciatella - whereas one or two, namely the crab and seabass dishes, lest us feeling a little underwhelmed. But I think that’s often the case with small plate restaurants. You allow the chef the opportunity to be creative, and sometimes the end result doesn’t quite suit your tastes, and that’s absolutely fine. We would both absolutely recommend OSMA to anyone who wants to give Scandi-East Asian fusion a go. I mean, why wouldn’t you?

And what about the toast sandwich?
Jane - The pavlova. I don’t like meringue, and I was indulging Sarah in ordering it. But it was delicious - fruity, summery and just the right level of sweetness.
Sarah - Tomatoes and stracciatella. Who’d have thought a few tomatoes and a bit of runny cheese could be so delicious?