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Sweet Mandarin 19 Copperas St, Manchester, M4 1HS www.sweetmandarin.com • Email: sweetmandarintables@gmail.com • Tel: 0161 832 8848

A CASUAL DINING RESTAURANTCLASSIC CANTONESE AND AUTHENTIC HOME STYLE DISHES EXOTIC COCKTAILS

“A CULINARY JEWEL” Gordon Ramsay on Sweet Mandarin Restaurant

S O U P

The first item on the menu at Sweet Mandarin when we opened our doors back in 2004 was Hot and Sour Soup, and this is what caught the attention of John, one of our first customers who still orders this soup every week without fail. He said that our friendship was cemented when I served him this soup. “It’s the ultimate test of a good Chinese restaurant. Your Hot and Sour Soup was so good I had to get to know you, chef!” If you want something spicy and sour try the Hot and Sour Soup - perfect to warm you up.

1 HOT AND SOUR SOUP 酸辣汤 CONTAINS PORK AND PRAWN £4.50

2 WON TON DUMPLING SOUP 万潭汤 CONTAINS PRAWN £4.95

3 CHICKEN AND SWEET CORN SOUP 万潭汤 CONTAINS SESAME OIL £4.50

6B HOME MADE BEIJING DUMPLINGS WITH PORK AND CHIVES 私房芹菜猪肉饺子 £6.95 (4 pieces)

7 CRISPY SEAWEED 香脆海苔 £5.95

8 SESAME PRAWN TOAST 芝麻虾吐司 £5.95 (4 pieces)

12 VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS 鲜蔬春卷 £4.95 (3 pieces)

14 SKEWER SATAY CHICKEN STICKS 串烧咸香鸡柳 £5.95 (3 pieces)

17 CRISPY WON TONS 炸云吞 £5.95 (4 in a portion)

18 SALT AND CHILLI CHICKEN WINGS 盐和辣椒鸡翅 £6.95

18SQ SALT AND CHILLI SQUID 椒盐鲜鱿 £7.00We cooked this dish for the final of Gordon Ramsay’s F Word Best Local Chinese Restaurant in the UK in 2009. We finished service at Sweet Mandarin at midnight and after just two hours of sleep we were picked up by a shiny black car and driven to a secret destination in London. We were whisked into a fancy kitchen with a boiling hot Aga and told we had just one hour to prepare our squid for 50 people. Our Salt and Chilli Squid was one of three dishes that helped us win the competition. As we raised the trophy, I swear I could hear the Rocky IV theme tune “Eye of the Tiger” belting out.

88S SWEET CHILLI CHICKEN WINGS 甜辣鸡翅 £6.95

88H HOT WINGS 是拉差辣翅 £6.95

18M SALT AND PEPPER CHILLI MUSHROOMS 椒盐鲜菇 £5.95

18T SALT AND PEPPER CHILLI TOFU 椒盐豆腐 £5.95

18CRAB SALT AND PEPPER CHILLI SOFT SHELL CRAB 椒盐软壳蟹 £7.95

19 SALT AND PEPPER CHILLI SPARE RIBS 椒盐排骨 £7.95

S TA R T E R S & D I M S U M

20 HOT AND STICKY OK RIBS 秘制OK排骨£7.95

22 BUTTERFLY KING PRAWNS WITH SWEET CHILLI SAUCE 酥炸明虾配甜辣酱 £7.95I first discovered this dish when we went to Lamma Island in Hong Kong - famous for its seafood heritage and its peace and tranquility. It was a humid hot day of our visit so we decided to eat outside to catch the sea breeze. This is what we ate, served by a scraggly looking man with even more scraggly trousers. The freshly caught shrimp were massive and kept trying to jump out of the wok and into the open fire, only to be skillfully caught by a fat woman with sturdy, dexterous hands. The fried prawns give a wonderful texture and the dipping sauce makes this dish one of the tastiest starters.

27 QUARTER AROMATIC CRISPY DUCK 葱鸭肉卷配秘制酱汁 WITH LETTUCE WRAPS AND HOISIN SAUCE £14.95

28 HALF AROMATIC CRISPY DUCK 葱鸭肉卷配秘制酱汁 WITH LETTUCE WRAPS AND HOISIN SAUCE £26.00Aromatic crispy duck is our answer to Peking Duck; the latter originated during the Yuan Dynasty and appeared on imperial court menus for the Emperor of China. Imperial chefs were sworn to secrecy and the recipe wasn’t revealed until after the Republic of China was born in 1912. Our aromatic crispy duck takes us over 48 hours to marinade - along the way, the ingredients of this special dish and a rich spice rub are added, together with hoisin sauce. It’s one of our most popular dishes and it is best enjoyed with a sprinkling of friends, a dollop of family and perpetual laughter.

S P I C Y D I S H E S F R O M S I C H U A N101 SIGNATURE DISH – SLICED FISH SICHUAN IN HOT & SPICY BROTH 水煮鱼 £16.95 Translating literally to “water-cooked fish”, it’s fish slices gently poached in a broth infused with dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns and chilli bean sauce. It’s a tingly, vermilion deep flavour, loaded with slivered vegetables like beansprouts and cabbage. The flavours are moreish, addictive and full of heat. A must try!

102 SIGNATURE DISH – SLICED BEEF SICHUAN STYLE IN HOT & SPICY BROTH 水煮牛肉 £13.95

103 GONG BAO CHICKEN 宫保鸡丁 £10.95 This is a classic Chinese dish with a kick of scorched chilli, tingle of Sichuan pepper and gentle sweet & sour sauce, it’s a typically Sichuanese combination of flavours.

105 HOT & NUMBING CHICKEN 辣子雞 £11.95 Numbing and hot dishes date back to the Emperor of the Qing dynasty and originates from the famous Huanese dish. This dish has very little sauce as the key flavours are imparted from the hot chilli and Sichuan pepper powder to give the lip tingling taste of numbing and heat.

106 HOT & NUMBING KING PRAWNS 辣子蝦 £15.95 Numbing and hot dishes date back to the Emperor of the Qing dynasty and originates from the famous Huanese dish. This dish has very little sauce as the key flavours are imparted from the hot chilli and Sichuan pepper powder to give the lip tingling taste of numbing and heat.

109 FRAGRANT SPICY POT SPECIAL (KING PRAWNS, CHICKEN, BEEF) 麻辣火鍋 £14.95 This dish is a special medley with an aromatic base of cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, cardamon, shaoxing wine, light soy, dried chillies, Sichuan peppers, fennel seeds and ginger.

110 MALA PASTE WITH CRISPY FISH 麻辣魚 £16.95 Mala paste is the fragrant Suchuanese paste made with lots of garlic, black pepper, Sichuan pepper, chilli pepper, sesame paste and cooked into a spicy sauce with the crispy fish placed on top to soak up the spicy goodness.

C H I C K E N

71 CHICKEN FRIED RICE 鸡柳炒饭 £10.95

C11 DRY SPICE CHICKEN 干香料鸡 £10.95 (HOT) with dried red chillies and peppercorns.

29 FIRECRACKER CHICKEN 宫保鸡丁 £10.95 Our version of the Kung Pao.

30 LEMON CHICKEN DELUXE 酥炸鸡扒伴柠檬汁 £11.95

32 CHICKEN SWEET PEPPERS & BLACK BEAN 豉椒鸡柳 £10.95

36 SATAY SAUCE CHICKEN 湘式香辣鸡 £11.95Contains nuts.

37 LILY KWOK CHICKEN CURRY 咖喱鸡 £12.95

37T JUNGLE GREEN CURRY 青咖喱鸡 £10.95 Our grandmother, Lily Kwok came to the UK in the 1950s. The ship took 35 days to sail from Hong Kong to Liverpool, taking in Singapore, Penang, Ceylon, Bombay, the Suez Canal, Gibralta, and Southampton along the way. It was on this journey that Lily perfected her green curry recipe, which wooed the local community in Manchester on her arrival. Elements of the dish were learned in Singapore, where Lily stopped off to visit her sister (who had relocated there with her husband) and the secret blend of spices was perfected in Bombay.

37R EMPEROR RED CURRY 湘式香辣鸡 £11.95

C2C VOLCANO CHICKEN 辣牛肉 £13.95 Inspired by the Hunan Province - set halfway between Sichuan and Canton in China. This classic dish blends chunky chicken with the fiery chillies soothed with fresh sauteed vegetables and Hunan sauce.

35 THE GENERAL TSE’S SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN 谢氏酸甜鸡块 £10.95 This dish is renowned all over the world. There is an age-old debate about whether sweet and sour is an authentic Chinese dish or whether it was created to cater for Western palates. In fact, Sweet and Sour Pork originates from the 18th Century and was the definitive dish used to test the skills of chefs. In the Guangzhou region, Sweet and Sour Pork is very popular - note its original name was simply Vinegar and Sugar Pork. You could say that Sweet and Sour Chicken is its distant relation, although it is sweeter in taste. This recipe was handed down from our dad, whom we have nicknamed The General because he is always giving out orders.

31 MABEL’S CHICKEN CASSEROLE 砂锅鸡 £13.95 (also contains a few slices of lap cheung which is a Chinese pork sausage and soya sauce)Our mother, Mabel, remarked that she lost her childhood innocence when she arrived in England in 1959. Her mother, Lily had left her and her brother, Arthur in Hong Kong for three years whilst Lily carved out her business in the UK. When Lily brought Mabel, aged 9, and Arthur, aged 12, to England, Mabel hated the country immediately, and she hated Lily for bring her there. Mabel missed the sunshine, her friends, the food, and most of all her grandmother who had become like a surrogate mother. Mabel arrived on a dark winter afternoon and remembers shivering in the street while Lily unloaded the bags. It was through this dish that the animosity between mother and daughter melted away. As the chicken was stir-fried and the rice wine added, my mother was instantly transported back to Hong Kong and she picked up her chopsticks with relish. This was her comfort food. We cooked this dish for Gordon Ramsay on the F Word and it won us the title of Best Local Chinese Restaurant in the UK. We dedicated the award to our mother.

P O R K

44 SIZZLING CANTONESE PORK 中式猪肉 £14.95 Contains nuts.

C12 MINCE PORK AND AUBERGINE 茄子猪肉 £13.95

100 MA PO TOFU (PORK) 麻婆豆腐 £10.95 In Chinese mapo means pock-marked woman who ran a restaurant in Chengdu and was renowned for her spectacular braised bean curd dish, hence the name.

40 “MANCHURIAN” FILLET STEAK WITH BLACK PEPPER SAUCE 黑椒铁板牛扒 £17.95

40B FILLET STEAK WITH BLACKBEAN SAUCE 黑豆酱牛扒 £17.95

37B LILY KWOK’S BEEF CURRY 咖喱牛肉 £12.95 A classic and delicious Chinese curry with tender slices of beef and onions and peas. our gluten free curry sauce is made the traditional way simmered for 24 hours packed with flavour and mild spice. A favourite gluten free Chinese sauce made with love. Lily Kwok started her first restaurant in Middleton Manchester and served her famous curry sauce to The Beatles, The Hollies and Cliff Richard.

38 CRISPY SICHUAN BEEF 川香牛肉 £11.95 Contains traces of nuts.

39 BEEF WITH SWEET PEPPERS & BLACK BEAN WITH SOYA SAUCE 豉椒炒牛肉 £11.95

C1 SHANGHAI NOODLES WITH BEEF AND MUSHROOM WITH SOYA SAUCE 上海面牛肉蘑菇 £13.95

B E E F

40C CANTONESE STYLE FILLET STEAK 中式牛扒 £17.95 Sliced fillet steak grilled in a Cantonese fruity sauce served on a sizzling hot plate. When we returned to the village where my grandmother grew up, the streets were deadly quiet. There were no cars, motorcycles, or bicycles. No bells, no horns, no 21st century beeps. Only the delighted shrieks of awestruck children receiving sweets from our grandmother resonated. In the fields behind the house, there was a shout from a martial arts competition. We observed the deep, introspective silence of the old barber, sitting in his brown silk pyjamas on a plastic stool, waiting for someone to come in for a shave. And elsewhere there was the soft whirring of an old sewing machine, pedalled by the dressmaker in his shop. To our surprise, this was all that remained of the village where our grandmother grew up. Contains nuts.It was a memorable visit for our grandmother, returning to her village after 60 years of absence, but one of the remarkable memories for me was the food we enjoyed that day, which was cooked for us by an old relative from another era. This is one of the truly inspiration dishes he prepared for us.

42 BROCCOLI BEEF WITH SOYA SAUCE 西兰花牛肉 £11.95

43 BEEF WITH BUTTON AND SHITAKE MUSHROOMS WITH OYSTER SAUCE 杂菌炒牛肉 £11.95

C2B VOLCANO BEEF 牛肉火山 £13.95 Inspired by the Hunan Province - set halfway between Sichuan and Canton in China. This classic dish blends beef slices with the fiery chillies soothed with fresh sauteed vegetables and Hunan sauce.

68 STIR FRIED BEEF HOR FUN 牛肉炒河粉 £10.95 This used to be one of my favourite dishes when I was a child, and we often used to have it for Sunday brunch. It was also a dish our mother enjoyed eating when she was a child growing up in Hong Kong, as it was popular with the street hawkers. On one occasion, Mabel said her stomach was growling so much as she walked past a street vendor cooking this delicious noodle dish with soya sauce that a passerby gave her money to buy a portion! Life was tough growing up in Hong Kong after World War II. By 1950, the population had surged to an estimated 2.2 million, due to the influx of refugees fleeing violence and political uncertainty in China, and the subsequent lack of housing resulted in 300,000 squatters building tin and board huts on slopes that were far too steep for development. Not far from this chaos our family lived, immersing itself in a life of street cooking, hawker-style. This dish is dedicated to that forgotten world in Hong Kong which has since been demolished.

B E E F

S E A F O O D

47 SWEET CHILLI KING PRAWN 甜辣明虾 £15.95 My mother told me that this dish would be our inheritance, the living part of our family tree, she taught me how to make it as part of my birthright. It seemed as if school work and life’s other little frustrations all seemed to evaporate as we sat down to enjoy it. My mother always used to say “this dish tantalizes the tastebuds and the eyes” - and she was absolutely right. Battered prawns laced with sweet chilli sauce.

48 FRAGRANT HARBOUR SATAY KING PRAWNS 沙嗲明虾 £15.95 Tender young prawns sauteed with peppers, onions and bambooshoots in a mild spicy sauce. Contains nuts.

50 THE ORIGINAL GENERAL TSE’S SWEET AND SOUR KING PRAWNS 谢氏酸甜明虾 £15.95Lightly golden battered king prawns wok-braised with peppers, onions, pineapple in a tantalising sweet and sour sauce.

51SB PAN FRIED/ STEAMED FISH OF THE DAY 是日香煎鱼/是日清蒸鱼 £16.95Filleted and served on a bed of pak choy with soya drizzle with scallions.

51 FIRECRACKER PRAWNS 宫保明虾 £15.95 Sweet Chilli juicy dish with king prawns, peppers, garlic and onions.

53 SIZZLING PRAWNS 铁板明虾 £16.95 Delicate flavours punctuated by ginger and spring onions served on a sizzling hot plate.

76 SIZZLING SCALLOPS 铁板扇贝 £17.95 Delicate flavours punctuated by ginger and spring onions served on a sizzling hot plate.

C6 SHANGHAI SPICY KING PRAWNS 沪氏香辣明虾 £15.95 Seared king prawns cooked on a bed of wok fired leeks with a sesame chilli sauce.

C10 DRY SPICE KING PRAWNS 辣王虾 £15.95 Sauteed king prawns with spring onions, dried chillies and zesty peppercorns.

72 PEKING KING PRAWNS 粤式果汁明虾 £15.95 Battered King Prawns in a Cantonese fruity sauce.

V E G E TA R I A N

55 BUDDHA’S GOLDEN PICNIC 杂菜篮子 £13.95 A mixture of delicious oriental vegetables served in a golden woven birds nest.

57 MABEL’S VEGETARIAN CASSEROLE 杂菜煲 £11.95 Tender chunky tofu slow cooked in with Chinese mushrooms, ginger, garlic, spring onions and Chinese cabbage leaves.

58 THE ORIGINAL GENERAL TSE’S SWEET & SOUR TOFU 谢氏酸甜豆腐 £10.95Fried tofu wok tossed with peppers, onions, pineapple in a tantalising sweet and sour sauce.

C4 AUBERGINES IN CHILLI SAUCE 川式香辣茄子 £12.95 Casserole style aubergines with spring onions in a classic Chengdu spicy sauce made with chillies, peppers and garlic.

39TVEG BLACKBEAN VEGETABLES 豉椒炒杂菜 £10.95

61 MIX VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN 杂菜炒面 £10.95

65V SPICY VERMICELLI WITH VEGETABLES 杂菜香辣米粉 £10.95

37TV JUNGLE GREEN VEGETABLE CURRY 杂菜青咖喱 £10.95

N O O D L E S , R I C E , V E R M I C E L L I & S I D E S61S SPECIAL CHOW MEIN NOODLES, MIXED MEAT, PRAWN WITH SOYA SAUCE 特色炒面 £13.95

65 SINGAPORE VERMICELLI (SPICY) CONTAINS SLITHERS OF PORK & PRAWNS 星洲炒米 £11.95 粉

66 PAD THAI WITH CHICKEN AND PRAWNS 泰式炒粉 £11.95

69 YANGZHOU FRIED RICE 扬州炒饭 £11.95 Contains pork, prawn, peas, egg and soya. Despite its name, this dish did not originate from Yangzhou. The recipe was invented by Yi Bingshou (19754-1815) during the Qing Dynasty, and the dish was named Yangzhou Fried Rice because Yi was once the regional magistrate of Yangzhou. If you want something different from the usual fried rice try this dish which includes char siu (Chinese pork), baby shrimp, rice, scallions, soya sauce and egg. It makes for a luxurious side dish and you’re worth the treat.

70 FIVE TREASURES EGG FRIED RICE 福建炒饭 £13.95 A savoury soya sauce with chicken, king prawns and mushrooms.

73M MUSHROOM FRIED RICE 蘑菇炒饭 £8.95

FR FRAGRANT EGG FRIED RICE 炒饭 £3.50

BR BOILED RICE 饭 £2.50

84 NOODLES AND BEANSPROUTS 面条 £3.95

85 CHEEKY CHIPS 薯条 £3.50

96 SALT AND PEPPER CHIPS 椒盐薯条 £4.95

86 PAK CHOY AND GARLIC 蒜蓉炒上海青 £6.95

87 STEAMED BROCCOLI 清蒸西兰花 £6.50

92 LILY KWOK’S CURRY SAUCE 郭氏秘制咖喱汁酱 £5.95

95 SWEET MANDARIN’S SPECIAL BLENDED CHILLI OIL 甜甜特制辣椒油 £3.50

BEAN BEANSPROUTS 豆豆 £4.95

112 SICHUAN SPICY POTATOES 四川土豆 £7.95These are the best potatoes ever!