Manchester's King Street welcomes another smart new dining spot next week as chef and restaurateur Gary Usher opens his latest bistro, Kala.
The new city centre restaurant, which comes from the same stable as Didsbury's lauded Hispi, has been paid for in part by its own diners, who helped Gary to crowdfund a record-breaking £100,000 in 11 hours by paying for meal vouchers and other perks up front.
He and his team have put every penny to good use, injecting the formerly nondescript Whistles shop with warmth and character, decorated in shades of dark navy and grey and lit up by mid-century style orb pendants and table lamps.
To the front of the building, and flooded with light from the double height windows overlooking the upper end of King Street, is a handsome wood-topped bar and pastry pass, which has space for up to 10 diners to enjoy a casual bite to eat.
"The idea was to have a bar where you would feel just as comfortable eating as you would dining at a table - and somewhere where dining on your own is totally cool," said Gary.
"I wanted lots of space, lots of leg room, hooks for your bags and USB slots."
A dedicated bar menu will be available here from noon until 6pm, featuring snacks such as rosemary and thyme focaccia (£4), pig's head sausage roll and spicy ketchup (£6.50), pickled egg with caraway salt (£2.50), and rock oysters with pickled shallot and lemon oil (£3.50 each).
"If you're coming in and fancy a glass of wine, some pickles and a sausage roll you can just have that; we wanted something really casual so we're serving all day," said Gary.
A polished concrete staircase leads from the bar to the main, 65-cover dining area on a mezzanine level bookended by dark green banquette seating, with an open kitchen at the back.
The kitchen is kitted out with a charcoal grill - a first for Gary's restaurant group, which also includes Hispi in Didsbury - which will be used for dishes such as chargrilled duck hearts and green sauce (£5.50, from the bar snack menu) and barbecued whole monkfish tail with red cabbage, mango and macadamia (£26, from the main menu).
The main menu will also feature plenty of favourites that have proved popular at his other north west restaurants - Sticky Walnut in Chester, Burnt Truffle in Heswall, Wreckfish in Liverpool and Pinion in Prescot - such as braised featherblade of beef with watercress, pickled walnut, truffle and parmesan chips (£23); chicken liver pate with rhubarb and cider chutney and toasted milk loaf (£9); and parkin with stem ginger ice cream and butterscotch (£6).
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Vegans are well catered for too, with a menu including vadouvan-spiced hispi cabbage with crispy onions and lime pickle (£6.50) and salt-baled celeriac with sesame, bok choi, tofu and almond creame (£15).
A set menu offering two courses for £20 and three for £23 will be available at lunchtimes (noon to 2.30pm), from Monday to Saturday, and early evenings (6pm to 7pm), Monday to Thursday.
Dishes include barbecued sprouting broccoli with pumpkin seed puree, salsa macha and lime; torched sea bream fillet with red cabbage, mango and macadamia; and stem ginger semifreddo with chocolate sauce and brandy snap.
Kala will also be open for breakfast, with dishes including pikelets with English blossom honey and whipped brown butter (£8.50); buttermilk waffle with whipped yoghurt, Yorkshire rhubarb and honey (£8.50); baked field mushrooms with spinach, tarragon butter and fried duck egg (£7); and a full English (£11).
Despite the vote of confidence signalled by the success of the crowdfunding campaign, Gary admitted he's 'ridiculously nervous' about opening an all-day, city centre site.
"The rent is high and rates are ridiculous - it has to do well," he said.
"It's all been done on a serious budget but I feel quite proud that we've got it done to a great finish. To open a restaurant like this on King Street on the budget that we've done it on, I'm really chuffed."
Kala opens to the public on Wednesday, May 1 after a series of soft launch services for friends and family. Visit kalabistro.co.uk for more information.
