If you cast your minds back just a couple of weeks, Manchester was basking in balmy 19C temperatures and it felt, just for a brief minute, that perhaps spring had really sprung. And just like that a cold snap hit and we were left feeling utterly foolish.
As I soon learnt, there’s a term for that - fool’s spring, when warmer weather proceeds a further snap before spring properly gets underway. So, as normal service resumed this past week, and the sun turned to that particularly potent Manchester rain, I went in search of some light relief, an antidote of sorts.
I’m happy to say I found it perched at the top of Stockport’s Lower Hillgate. Owned by the same people behind the hugely popular Cambodian restaurant Kambuja in Marple, The Mekong Cat is inspired by the countries the Mekong River runs through.
Y Sok, owner, head chef, and the star of the show, was born in Southeast Asia and has spent most of her life perfecting the dishes passed down to her by family and friends. While Kambuja, formerly known as Angkor Soul, has always felt very authentic, The Mekong Cat takes it up a notch, and is all the better for it.
Leaving the drizzle and cold firmly outside, on arrival, a harmony of sounds greets us. The combination of children’s laughter, the hum of the open kitchen beyond and the chatter amongst staff makes the place feel both inviting and dynamic.
The space follows roughly the same blueprint of the café that formerly occupied this space, Tandem Coffee House. Booths line one wall, leading down the open kitchen, while a scattering of tables leads you back to the doorway.
Taking our seats at one of the booths, an extensive vegan menu is offered alongside the standard one - a refreshing touch. Though it was lunchtime, it's worth mentioning here that it’s BYOB here, and while there’s plenty of pubs and bars just down the hill, off-licences are few-and-far-between, so that’s something to bear in mind.
As is to be expected, noodles here take centre stage. Both broth and non-broth options are available, but on this day, given the aforementioned weather report, broth was the obvious winner.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. The menu also encompasses a small but perfectly adequate amount of starters and wings, as well as rice dishes and banh mi.
To kick things off, we tucked into Prawn & Pork Summer Rolls (£5), an assembly of rice noodles, carrots, cucumber and lettuce wrapped into fresh rice paper rolls. Light, fragrant and utterly delicious. These expertly wrapped rolls are accompanied by a crunchy peanut sauce, which delivers the perfect balance between salt and sweet.
I should note here, that I approached the food in almost Man v. Food fashion, insofar as I purposely didn’t eat anything beforehand. So, while I imagine others would have eaten these in a dainty fashion, I did not.
Consequently, when some of the contents fell from the rice paper onto the plate, it made sense to scoop up what was left and drown it in peanut dip, and I don’t regret that decision for one second. Just as I’m wiping said sauce from my face, our wings arrive.
We opted for the Angkor variety (£6.95), which glistened in a small pool of vivid honey sriracha. Topped with sesame and spring onion, every bite is a perfect marriage and sweetness and spiciness, and I’m left in awe of the glaze.
Warm-up done and dusted, we dive into our mains. I was quite tactical here and decided to order Kar Ko (£11.50), a Cambodian beef stew and the Classic Bahn Mi (£6), a traditional Vietnamese sandwich, so I had something to mop up the broth with at the end.
When the steaming bowl of beef broth arrives at the table, I am transported to another place, one very far away from fool's spring. It looks so good I almost don't want to disturb it.
A sea of tender beef, which I basically inhale, rice noodles and chunks of carrot awaits. Less than a minute in, I'm debating whether to ask our waitress to bottle up the broth for me.
One of the most comforting bowls of food you could hope for on a dreary Wednesday afternoon, the sweet and woody flavours of the star anise and cinnamon hit me with every spoonful, and I've pretty much forgotten about the rain outside.
With the little space I have left, our attention shifts to the the Banh Mi. Whilst this may look like a very busy baguette, every element works seamlessly together.
Freshly baked, then slathered with house-made chicken liver pate - the menu says optional but its a no-brainer - it's accompanied by Vietnamese mayonnaise, pickled carrots, mooli, cucumber, sliced onions and coriander before being finished off with Vietnamese ham, sliced pork and smoked ham.
It's a wonder I had space, but it's a bit like dessert - you always have room. I manage to eat this in a more civilised fashion, saving a little bit at the end and dunking it into what's left of the broth and siracha sauce.
When The Mekong Cat opened in February it decided to set its stall out very firmly. If you visit their website you'll see them describe the food as "unapologetic" and "not always western friendly".
In the current climate, when hospitality is still struggling to find its footing, I think such an approach and ethos is to be commended. It takes guts to create a truly authentic dining experience, and this one does so with a quiet confidence that can only be applauded.
The Mekong Cat, 47 Lower Hillgate, Stockport SK1 1JQ
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