"Ning is a hidden gem! Located at the top end of Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter, this Malaysian and Thai restaurant is beautifully decorated and offers some of the best South East Asian food in Manchester at a wonderfully affordable price, including a 2 course plus rice, prawn crackers or noodles deal for £10..

There's a great selection of Malaysian dishes to choose from with other Asian favourites from Thailand and Indonesia available too. We opted for the delicious Chicken Murtabak starter (Malaysian style pancake - £4.75 or part of the £10 menu), the beautifully cooked Nasi Lemak (perfectly fried chicken and gorgeous coconut rice, with crispy anchovies, cucumber and a rather greasy fried egg - £9.95), and the Chicken Kuey Teow Goreng (£7.95 or part of the £10 menu). All presented beautifully with emphasis on quality ingredients.

At the start of the meal, the service was impeccable. The waitress sat us down, explained the menu and told us we could request the dishes to be milder or even more spicy when ordering. We forgot that bit though when ordering and, as a result, the Chicken Goreng was a little bit too sharp for our taste buds. Drinks were swiftly brought, bottles of Bintang Indonesian beer for only £3.50 (the Laos Beerlao beer comes recommended) and a good Mojito for just £4.95. The food was delivered just as professionally but thereafter service seemed to disappear - we had to literally get up from our table to grab the attention of the waitress for more drinks, and again for the bill later in the evening. It was only a small grumble however and up to that point service was definitely worthy of all 5 stars.

Whilst this area of town has drastically changed for the better in the past year or so, you can't help but feel that if Ning was located elsewhere in the city centre it would deservedly be one of the busiest restaurants in town. Located opposite the City Arms pub, probably the roughest in town (tables by the window give you plenty of entertainment), you can't help feel it's at a disadvantage. Pau Brasil and The Northern have joined Ning around this part of the Northern Quarter adding a much needed touch of class and this is a restaurant definitely worth visiting. It's certainly one we'll be venturing to again and again, wherever it's located" - restaurants of manchester 12/1/07 (visited on a wednesday evening)