Yane

Yane is a credit to Chorlton. After their wildly successful delivery service during lockdown, owners Duncan and Lisa Yung opened this neighbourhood restaurant in late 2023, with the goal of creating a welcoming space, faithful to authentic Japanese food and tradition. 

This means a hearty no to well-worn dishes like sushi and ramen (regarded as junk food in Japan, apparently), preferring to focus on elegant comfort food such as donburi and kare (Japanese-style curry), plus an entire section on the menu devoted to tsukemono (tangy pickled vegetables, made in-house). 

A traditional Japanese divider known as a noren curtain covers the entrance, setting the scene nicely. The venue is full of subtle touches like this. If you’re a curious epicurean, take a seat at the pass and watch the chef at work, effortlessly slicing pickled cucumbers to resemble snakes, to pick just one example of artful knifemanship. 

If you’re more of an ambience style diner, sit in the window and watch the South Manchester suburbanites go by; or simply grab a booth for privacy. There’s a wealth of thought and know-how behind this beautiful ryokan-style space – it’s a great place to just be, for a couple of hours. 

The same can be said for the food. The level of care and attention is remarkable – think downtown Osaka rather than out-of-town shopping centre. The ingredients are fresh and satisfying, and the ideas are dazzling and rarely seen, even in a city as modern and globalised as Manchester. 

According to the menu, the kare roux that forms the base of the curry sauce has undergone 7.5 iterations, and while I’m not sure of the maths, I’m assured it brings it as close to the classic Japanese brands as possible. Who am I to argue? It tastes glorious drizzled over the crispy, panko-coated seasonal vegetables, and that’s what I’m here for. 

From the donburi section, gyudon features thinly sliced beef on rice, accompanied by onions and pickled ginger, along with an onsen tamago egg. This is an egg slow-poached at a low temperature, designed to mimic Japan’s hot springs, resulting in a uniquely soft and silky texture. Spinning all this together with chopsticks is one of life’s great gastronomic joys. 

Speaking of spinning silk, the natto at Yane is an experience in itself. After whizzing the fermented soybeans together, they release strangely beautiful, slow-moving gossamer strands. The whole dish itself has a rich, umami taste, best balanced with rice, and an absolute must-try. 

Another essential dish is the creme brülée cheesecake, which the staff quite rightly encourage us to try. It’s a three-layered dessert, deceptively simple in appearance, and wonderfully light and fluffy. Like everything on the menu, it feels like countless hours have gone into perfecting it in terms of taste and texture. Verdict? All worth it. 

In Japanese, Yane – or rather, 屋根 – means roof, as in the roof of the owner’s home. It fits. There’s a family-style feel here, where the welcome is warm and friendly and the food is unfussy but meticulous, all at the same time.