Talk about making a statement. Wings, which sits in Heron House on Lincoln Square, just off Deansgate, has managed to establish itself among the cream of Manchester’s Cantonese crop. First impressions clearly count here, and this favourite of celebrities and Premier League footballers steps up on that front. Walking in off the street, your eyes are quickly drawn to the amazonite cristallo bar top, cladded with handcrafted lava stone imported from Mount Vesuvius. Arguably Europe’s most famous volcano.
By comparison, the dining area is more understated, favouring clean, simple lines to allow customers to focus on their dining experience — and specifically the acclaimed food. With many recipes honed over the 20 years the owners have been involved in hospitality, the style is all about authentic flavours but delivered with contemporary flair and finesse. All dim sum is handmade, as are the pancakes to accompany the iconic Peking crispy duck. According to insiders, the most popular standout dishes are the rainbow dim sum platter — a colourful, flavour-packed selection — steamed seabass, sweet & sour king prawn, salt & pepper or barbecue ribs, and stuffed bean curd with rainbow vegetables.
Diving deeper into the menu, don’t miss highlights like the spinach & seafood and seafood hot & sour soups, quick-fried scallops with mange tout, chicken foo yung, and clay pot beef in curry sauce. The choice is extensive, with plenty more to talk about, but for now let’s leave it there. Priding themselves on elegant, attentive but not overbearing service, Wings also offers a substantial wine list, which forms part of the experience — the walk-in cellar, located in the main restaurant, is a bold focal point and one of the most talked about parts of the ‘furniture’. Then again, the Italian porcelain and oak, and handmade fixtures made by the same people who worked on the St Regis Hotel and New York’s renovated Statue of Liberty, also leave a lasting impression.