Two new restaurants in Manchester are expanding the cultural options in town. Two members of ICE News checked each one out for this report.
Rum Bar Mezcal is a Mexican restaurant that opened on at 867 Main St. in early March. When we went, they didn’t have their liquor license yet, but they did suggest a visit to the liquor store nearby as bringing your own bottle was allowed. They are now serving alcohol, and there are plenty of non-alcoholic options.
The interior of the restaurant was very modern and clean with pretty gold, cream and teal colors that complemented the food being served.
For the drinks we tried the Sunset Spritzer and Hibiscus Margarita (both non-alcohol). The spritzer had a mostly grapefruit and seltzer taste with a little hibiscus. The margarita had a strong hibiscus flavor and tangy lime, but both were amazing.
The appetizers we got were the Street Corn and The Loaded Tostones, featuring fried plantains. The street corn was grilled nicely with the topping being a little spicy but mixed well with the corn that was juicy and sweet. The Tostones were our favorite of the meal with a good size portion and savory flavors.
Their main dishes are also hearty and large. The Pernil P.R – which is traditional Puerto Rican pork roast – and Jalapeño Burger. Both were delicious and filling and it was nice to see a Puerto Rican dish on the menu.
We ended our meal with Fried Ice Cream, and it was a highlight. The ice cream was amazing and went down well with all the previous flavors from our meal.
Rum Bar Mezcal was a 10/10 in our book and you’ll definitely be seeing us return in the future to try more of the extensive menu! For more information visit https://rumbarmezcal.com.
Shogun X Sushi in Manchester is a new, all-you-can-eat revolving sushi restaurant at 1483 Pleasant Valley Road. When we went, we were immediately taken aback by the beautiful interior design transforming this former Hooter’s location into an authentic Japanese eatery.
A mix of modern and traditional Japanese designs – think anime flags and a suit of samurai armor – that really popped with color. On the far right side of the restaurant are traditional tatami rooms with low tables and mats, while the rest of the location features upholstered booths and tables.
But the main feature of the décor was the conveyor belt that ran through it holding a variety of delicious-looking sushi, sashimi, orange slices to cleanse the palate and other items. Once you are seated, you can immediately start grabbing any covered plate that rolls by and begin eating. It is $37.99 per adult for dinner and $24.99 for lunch and it is unlimited, all you can eat.
If you’d like to order something else off the menu, including dumplings, tempura, noodles, ramen, rice or stir fry, there’s a touchpad at every table where you can place an order. So there is more than enough to pick from if you’re not feeling like having just one thing. One of the servers will bring it to your table or it could be delivered by the angry Shogun robot straight from the kitchen.
All of the food we ate was fantastic; one complaint is that some of the food that was revolving wasn’t always as hot as I would have preferred, but it still tasted amazing.
Expect the same food to be rotating throughout your dining experience, so if you have a favorite, you can expect a new plate of it to come back every 15 minutes or so. The Gyozas were a big hit at our table!
There is a two-hour seating limit for the restaurant, and if you don’t finish your food, you are charged an extra dollar. This avoids waste and ensures that you only pick what you can eat. No to go boxes here!
Shogun X Sushi was a 10/10 in our book, and we would definitely go back again. For more information visit https://shogunxsushi.com.
