Michael Wan’s Mandarin

Think of Blackpool and what springs to mind? Whatever it is, it’s probably not top tier Cantonese dining. But a visit to Michael Wan’s Mandarin might just change that.

Ask locals about Blackpool’s best places to eat, and two Michael Wan restaurants will inevitably be among the headlines. Wok Inn, an eccentric, ruin bar cum noodle joint, is the place to go for something more relaxed, but for a special occasion (and what trip to Blackpool isn’t a special occasion), Mandarin is your spot.

It’s a fairly intimate space, conveniently nestled among a cluster of great bars. We’re greeted by friendly staff, who guide us – past Chinese hanging ornaments and carefully placed trinkets – to the bar where we order wine that will be delivered to our table.

There’s booth seating on the ground floor, but we’re led upstairs, and we’re glad for it – it’s a more ambient space, with an antique cabinet lining one wall, and a bay window decorated with plants filling another. We ask our waiter if we can see the vegetarian menu and his eyes light up. There are around 10 tables to attend up here, but the ample waiting staff means he can devote time to guiding us through the standout veggie dishes, asking questions about our palate and explaining how various combinations work with each other.

But he has his own favourites, and we go with dealer’s choice. We soon realise why he was so animated about the szechuan spicy aubergine and tofu dish. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better Cantonese stew than this. It’s luxuriously rich without feeling heavy, and the aubergine – such an easy vegetable to get wrong – is perfectly cooked, soaking in all of that rich flavour without turning mushy. Chestnuts add a pleasing crunch, as do an allotment’s worth of vegetables that support the star of the show.

The drier salt and chilli tofu is another revelation. Our ever-passionate waiter tells us they’ve been working for months on getting the texture of the tofu just right – melt-in-the-mouth crispy on the outside, and fluffy (not a word you generally associate with tofu) on the inside. You can tell how much time they’ve spent tinkering. It’s the best tofu we’ve ever had.

Both main dishes are served on candle warmers, with noodles (really, a dish in their own right) and rice served in ornamental pots with lids. It’s a nice touch, and means you can take your time eating without any food going cold. And indeed we do take our time, intermittently chatting with the waiter about the food, Mandarin’s sister restaurant, and life in Blackpool. Before long, he’s showing us the fruits of his new videography hobby and talking about his family like we’re old pals.

The food is impeccable, but the warmth of the staff leaves an equally strong impression. They’re genuinely proud of the dishes they serve, and they invest as much care into your selections as if they’re eating with you. There’s a reason this place has just featured in OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in the UK for the third year in a row, and it’s not just the food.