LEFT BANK, Quartier Latin, Soho, Greenwich Village, Coolsville, they just trip off the tongue. OK, I made up the last hip hang-out, but you know what I mean. Add to the list now that euphemism in motion, the Northern Quarter. It has transformed the red-brick streets between the Arndale and Piccadilly Station. The rag traders, sex shops and curry cafes have been joined by shiny city apartments with new bars opening faster than you can shake a cocktail.

So what's the food to accompany such Bohemian territory? Pan-Asian's not out of place, covering many bases. Asia's a big place. A whole continent, you know. Maybe the label would be applicable in an economic summit kind of way, but to food?

The Sweet Mandarin in the Northern Quarter, opened by three twenty-something sisters promises a departure from traditional Anglo-Cantonese fare with a pan-Asian menu.

Located around the corner from the Chinese Arts Centre and at the base of the Design House flats on Copperas Street, the Tse sisters have spent é1m realising their vision for a contemporary Chinese restaurant.

The sisters have a furniture store and an art gallery planned in a supposed bid for a Manchester lifestyle triumvirate, and the restaurant nods to this with self-consciously contemporary wall-to-wall glass and pared-down furnishings.

I had been dubious about the window walls, as I often walk past on quiet mid-week nights when a forlorn member of staff waves and beckons to you from the street with an unsettling red light behind them.

Yet from the inside, the window walls produce a bubble-effect, the diners ensconced and protected from the driving rain with the waiters exchanging glances with neighbours and rivals the similarly spanking new Northern Quarter Restaurant and Bar.

Seating is tight and even more so on a Saturday night. It didn't help that we were seated next to the galley door and they also were a waitress down (flu). It didn't make for an auspicious start.

Service

Nevertheless, service was impeccable and human. They were happy to chat and we decided to start with a bottle of the Villard Expression pinot noir (é17.95). The wine selection is compact, but it takes in some interesting selections. If I were in the mood, I would have opted for a Snake Blood cocktail (é5.50) made with snake liqueur.

The menu is traditionally Anglo-Cantonese in layout, broken down by meat selection with a fair smattering of untypical dishes. Manchurian fillet of beef and Lilly Kwok Chicken Curry caught the eye. Apparently Lilly was the first Chinese woman in Middleton.

Most of the mains are around the é7 mark, so good value for a city-centre eaterie.

We opted for an Appetizer Combo (é6.50 per head) of seaweed, sesame prawn fingers, salt and pepper spare ribs, skewered chicken and vegetable spring rolls.

The prawn fingers were sodden like bad French toast - or eggy bread, as is known. The seaweed slightly too oily, but the rest of the combo worked well, points for the spring roll pastry.

I went for the Sizzling Scallops (é10), scallops with ginger and spring onions accompanied by Amoy Style Vermicelli (é6). It came sizzling and the scallops were plump and flavourful, but the peppers and onions didn't tempt the chopsticks.

My friend went for the Firecracker Prawns (é9) with a side of special fried rice (é7). He commented that the sauce was familiar and not nearly as spicy as the title suggests and the prawns were on the chewy side.

The wine had been a poor choice, too acidic and not robust enough to handle the spice and starch. We switched to the Les Hauts du Mont, Ventoux (é15.95), like a Chateauneuf and infinitely better suited to the task.

My companion had space for a satisfactory tiramisu (é3.75) while I needed an espresso

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