Hakkapo — Restaurant in Manchester

Finally, the season where the sun gets to show off its wonders is here.

Longer days mean more time to spend outside with loved ones, friends, family, acquaintance etc and what better way to catch up and make plans than over food?

I got a new favourite spot and this time around I decided to not hoard but share 24hours later; Hakkapo was an amazing delight.

I remember stumbling across their instagram ( @hakkapo_mcr) months back and thinking I need to go and I finally had the time to with a new friend.

I love the interior, ambience gotten right. You can feel how intentional the minds behind were, definitely welcomes you into the realm of Izakaya which feels like an intimate love letter to Japan.

A simple menu which makes choosing easier, though like we know I always like to ask for recommendations from the staff and it is safe to say each suggestion was a hit!

To start, I ordered the Hakkapo Sake Pick as a drink, my one rule if there is sake on the menu I am having it. It was fruity and refreshing, very light and not dry, which I loved and served cold. 10/10.

Now from the small plates section, we got the crispy baby squid and honestly this is the best squid I have had in forever because on its on without the dip, it was throughly and perfectly seasoned, and so tender. 10/10 I kept thinking I need the recipe pretty much throughout the entire meal experience.

Next up, the prawn toast bao!This was a lovely surprise, very different from usual bao buns I go for, it was perfect.. the succulent prawn tucked and lined in the milky soft bao bun literally melts in your mouth. 10/10

The spicy tuna roll?10/10 few things in this life are as satisfying as delicious fresh, well rolled, and layered sushi! alongside the side option: soy and curry glazed fries 10/10, a delicately balanced combo, it is safe to say I fell in love with this cuisine again and honestly a huge kudos to the chefs!!

To finish up, we were surprised with a complimentary dessert as my friend and I were celebrating, make sure you ask for the "Horlicks ice cream fried bao" 10/10 it is a must try!!

As a pastry and overall food fusion lover, Hakkapo is now high up on my list on places to eat in Manchester and I am so excited to try everything else eventually. I will also be frequenting their new bakery: "Nagomi cloud bakery" which launches tomorrow for more creative Japanese pastry fusions.

Another thank you to the team for the beautiful and special dining experience, also dress code wise just show up as yourself ready to fall in love with authentic food!

Receipt has been included for prices, enjoy and look out for my other reviews coming. I am back playing catch up, thank you! and follow my page @gowithfrances on instagram for more of my...

I have no problems with service and atmosphere, but the food itself and the value of the food was simply appalling.

It was most disappointing paying £8.5 for a single regular sized scallop, that we then shared amongst three, as we were under the impression it was going to be a “small plate.” Do not underestimate their description. My bad i didn’t bring my microscope.

The Salt Aged Sirloin was under-seasoned and was served on a bed of unappetising rice. The portion of beef provided was skimpish for a hefty price of £17.5. Although I have no problem paying this if it was decent.

Black Garlic Tonkotsu was priced fairly and was the only dish that would make someone with a decent appetite full. Presentation was nice, but not a fan of the “smoked pork belly”, which just tasted like ham - was not a fan personally. The broth felt a tad bit saucy. And the “jammy” soy egg was not jammy enough nor soy enough.

Salmon Zuke - can’t go wrong with raw salmon and rice i guess… but it wasnt mind blowing.

Miso and Vanilla Ice Cream Fried Bao - not bad. Sweet and salty with some crunch.

Won’t be coming here again. Gave 2 star cause the ambience, branding and presentation was quite good. But food itself and value was lacking.

EDIT: Thank you for replying! I thunk regarding the scallop - it might help if you displayed 1pc next to it and it might help clear up any difference in expectation. I went with a group and all of us were quite surprised when it came and it was only 1pc. Regarding the beef bowl, my reasoning is that the taste, satisfaction and how full it was from i ordered did not justify paying £17.5 for, 30 day salt aged or not. Perhaps more seasoning, or...

It was a really hot day so I craved light refreshing food to eat after a day at a vintage clothing event.

This place shone like an oasis in the desert after walking in the heat to get there. I loved the open-air decor and collection of sake and Japanese whiskeys on display.

We were greeted warmly and offered to sit anywhere. The menu consisted of mainly small plates, sides and ramen. I love ramen but was too hot and bothered to partake. Between us, we ordered pickles, cucumber salad, yasai fries, a celeriac bao bun, sashimi salad and the karaage chicken and oyster mushrooms. To drink I selected an apricot and tequila highball..nom and cute how It came with an origami crane.

The pickles took me back to Japan, really tasty, and the cucumber salad had great flavours, I make something similar and home but finely slice it, and I found it a bit too chunky. The yasai/ sweet potato fries with seaweed and like a ricotta on top were tasty and wholesome! Both karaage dishes were also delightful especially with the Siracha dip. The weakest dishes was the sashimi salad. The tuna, salmon and sea bass tasted lovely and fresh but found it very thinly sliced and the salad itself unimaginative. My friends bao bun looked great but my friend said the pesto type sauce overpowered every thing.

To finish we had this stunning matcha dessert, puffed rice with sesame ice cream? And red bean paste. You poured the gorgeous matcha all over everything it was a stunning dish.

Overall really lovely and attentive staff, gorgeous setting, and lovely presented food and enjoyed it as a whole would just try some other dishes next time. ...