"I've visited Australasia more than any other restaurant in the past 12 months, largely through work - it's great for entertaining clients - and largely because of my love of sushi. That said, it's true to say I have a love and hate relationship with the place. Whilst I'm obviously massively stereotyping here, the food is like many of its glamorous evening customers, lacking the substance of an undeniably stunning presentation. That said it certainly has a 'wow factor' that will appeal to many 'non-foodies', which is the moniker I'd guess accurately describes the majority of these orange skinned, short skirted, ridiculously high-heeled WAG-wannabes (again, I'm stereotyping). Not that the food isn't good, it most certainly is, but it just lacks that certain something that could have brought Manchester its illusive Michelin Star. Not that a venue calling itself a 'late lounge' with a DJ and large noisey bar would get a star mind.

When conversation turns to restaurants, inevitably Australasia crops up, shortly followed by "you should have gone there when it first opened... the food was amazing!", thanks largely due to a former Young Australaian Chef of The Year, who only seemed to last for a month or two in rainy Manchester. The food is still good though, don't get me wrong, but just not top notch... unlike the presentation, which is easily the best in town. On my latest visit, as a guest of a business associate who had previously been to Australasia three times since it opened and, from what he revealed, not many other restaurants in that time, it was the same old story.

My Cornfed Chicken (£17.50), proving yet again that it is easily the most photogenic dish in town, yet seriously lacked any flavour and was too dry. My dining partner opted for the same dish he'd had on all three previous visits, the 28 day aged Fillet Steak (£24), which was cooked medium rather than medium rare, as he'd requested. He chose not to complain, however the service is usually top notch, if a little bit too scripted, and you can't help but feel they would have bent over backwards to correct the issue. In saying that, on this occassion, a busy Friday night, they failed to bring a bottle of mineral water despite three requests and we also had to ask twice for the bill.

As I say, I have a love/hate relationship with Australasia, and I'll certainly be returning time and time again for business meals or to enjoy sushi or sashimi over fantastic cocktails at the bar. I just wish it could be that tiny bit better - as it maybe was when it first opened (or do we always reminisce with rose tinted spectacles?). The decor is stunning, the acoustics are terrible, especially when the bar is full; the prices are reasonable, the menu too confusing; the wine list comes on an iPad, the novelty soon becomes tedious; the food looks world class, it tastes 'just' good; the Japanese options are amazing, there's hardly any Australian dishes to choose from; and the bar serves some of the best cocktails in town, but attracts the kind of fake poseurs who wouldn't know a Roasted Barramundi from a Roasted Parsnip.

For better sushi, go to Sapporo, for better fine dining, go to Michael Caines, but for beautiful surroundings and a great dining experience, go to Australasia for a meal that ticks all the boxes... yet somehow disappoints at the same time... depending on your benchmark that is. As I say, I hate to stereotype." - Matthew, Manchester - TRUSTED REVIEWER (10/5/12 visited on a Friday evening)

food	price	service	smartness	overall
"looks amazing"	"reasonable"	"generally good"	"beautiful but too loud"	"I love/hate it"

"Australasia is a part of the world which holds fond memories for myself, having spent a year living and traveling throughout it. I have plenty of culinary memories of the continent, and some of the best food and wine that I've ever had the pleasure of sampling is from there. Their lack of pretence, and a ballsy and proud attitude is what sets their cuisine apart, and the distance to other great food and wine areas in the world, makes them, New Zealand in particular, a place whereby local produce is absolutely paramount. I still occasionally miss it if I'm being honest, so was more than chuffed to hear about an upcoming high end 'Australasian' eatery in Manchester, as odd as it sounded for our city. Then sections of the local media started whispers of Michelin stars, which only heightened my expectations and excitement.

Looking at the menu, it all looked very nice, but I have to admit to not seeing too much on it which screamed, or even whispered, 'Australasia'. Sure, they love their sushi and South East Asian cuisine and its generally high use of seafood, in a part of the world where the sea is predominant, but still, I'll never agree that Japanese/Pan Asian food is 'Australasian', and a couple of dishes which give a nod to the area, such as Aussie Steak (£60) and a Barramundi dish (£19.50), don't really constitute naming a whole restaurant in this theme. If I went to a 'British' restaurant in Australia, and found the menu to be mainly full of pizza, curry and crispy duck, just because it's popular in Britain, I'd be left wondering how it was at all British? The same applies here really. Still, I love South East Asian food, and I love steaks, and good food is good food, so hey, let's give it a blast...

Upon descent, down the slick stairs from Deansgate, the down under reference started to make sense, since its 'down under' the Armani shop. A very modern and smart place indeed. Bright and lively. No windows but, hey, you cant really get around that one. All in all though, a very smart place. However, it took about five seconds to realise that before we had eaten or drunk a thing, this is yet another supposed top end Manchester restaurant which is, in fact, a bar/restaurant, and consequently very rowdy, with in house DJ. Whilst browsing the menu, we couldn't help but feel that for the most part, the clientele where there to show off their Christian Louboutins and Mulberry bags, whilst being as rowdy as possible, forgetting that they are in a restaurant. All very typical of almost all of our great city's modern high end restaurant offerings really. Michelin claim that their issue of stars is 100% based on the food, in order to reduce the snob factor. That simply isn't the case though. Food tastes better when you're not half cut, and are in the correct environment. A DJ, rowdy clientele and people knocking back cocktails, is a quality environment for a big night out, but not for a fine dining experience. For me, a high end restaurant should primarily be about the food, service and dining experience. It's always a let down when you pay the kind of money which starred places charge, and you get an over hyped place with good but not outstanding food, and a table of lads next to you, banging on about their sexual conquests.

Anyway, we ordered a bottle of wine, a decent bottle of Aussie Chardonnay/Semillon (£19), to complement our starters of a mixed sushi/sashimi platter to share (£19.50). Service was pleasant, quick, bubbly, and suited the venue ideally. Incidentally, the wine lists came via iPad, which seemed a little showy and a tad pointless and pretentious to be honest, but it was a novel twist. The quality of the sushi was, in all fairness, the best that I've had in a long time. Still though, I was left wondering where the things such as kangaroo, emu, crocodile, paua and tarakahi were on the menu, since the billing was 'Australasia', not 'South East Asia,' so surely they should serve tasty alternative meats/fish which we don't see over here? I just sat there thinking about BBQing kangaroo steaks back in Australia, wishing that they sold it in Asda as a cheap alternative to venison, whilst wondering, how much of the dining room really knew, or even truly cared about what they were eating, compared to those who were there just because they were at a 'cool new kid on the block'. Anyway, for mains we got a bottle of Paddock Shiraz (£19), the Wagyu Steak (£60) and the Barbary Duck. The steak was cooked and seasoned perfectly, and all in all, a very good steak, which literally melted in your mouth. It's hard not to cook a good quality wagyu steak well though really, but I enjoyed it, and the spicy wine cut through the richness of it pretty well. My other half's duck was a touch under seasoned and also a tad overcooked, but still very good, with strong Asian flavours coming through, although the wine wasn't great with it. That was our fault though, since we picked it. Chocolate Pave (£7) and Mango Soufflé (£7) ended up the dinner, and it must be said, were both really quite good, but again, sorry to keep going on, but what's Australasian about either?! The Chocolate Pave was well complemented and balanced by the miso ice cream which it came with, and the soufflé rammed with flavour yet was still light and matched its coconut ice cream sidekick very well. A great way to finish.

All in all, we left feeling a touch let down. The food is good, without question, but the rest of the package just isn't what we go for when eating at supposed high end places. I love bars. I love restaurants and I love clubs. But not all in the same venue, especially not when paying the same kind of money for a dinner, which could easily be bettered at some more affordable one star Michelin eateries across the country, or even some non starred cheaper places in Manchester.

With regards to other opinions in the Manchester media, that Australasia is destined for a Michelin star, well I just wish that people would stop going on about that to be blunt. We are a very long way off and, until people realise that expensive and blingy doesn't mean 'fine dining', we will never get a star. If Australasia gets one in the next few years, I'll leave the city and never come back. I can say that pretty confidently because I love my city and have no plans to leave, despite feeling increasingly frustrated by the seemingly endless flow of style-over-substance eateries which pop up once a year or so. I have no interest in celeb spotting haunts, claiming to offer a fine dining experience, when in fact, people don't go there for the food, regardless of how good it may or may not be. It's a place to be seen, a fashion statement, and coincidentally, the food really isn't the star and hence, is not up to the standards of a Michelin inspector. As for my 'five year' statement, I'll stick my neck on the line and say that Australasia could well be closed long before then. It's potentially Ithaca Mk2, in almost every sense, and could be destined to suffer the same fate.

I get that the man behind this wanted to open a place which nodded towards his homeland, and I also get selling the kind of food which you are passionate about, absolutely. But does Manchester want it, that's the question? Do we as a city really love sushi that much, as to open a brand new place in a prime location, which bills itself as fine dining, and charges fine dining prices and yet doesn't quite justify those prices in terms of delivering a culinary experience? As well funded as the owners are, the books have to balance. As competent as the food is, Australasia isn't a foodie place, its a fashion statement, and as such will probably have to change, as fashion invariably does by nature. And when it changes, will it then start to serve real Australasian food, which dare I say it, do people want anyway, or will it just dumb down what it already does and start doing three courses for £20, and then close down if that doesn't work?

I just don't see any serious foodies returning to this place after one curious visit, and it will inherently be populated by the party set, and not those who visit a place for a dining experience. Then the next trendy place will come along and be the place to be, and so the cycle continues. The difference is that places like Rosso and San Carlo can fall back on their accessible and easily affordable food, which most people like to eat, and are only marginally more pricey that Pizza Express on the whole. That may not be an option here. It's no wonder that in our city, the highest turnover is generated by a massive all-you-can-eat buffet, and I'm finding myself almost ready to accept that we won't see a Michelin starred eatery for a very long time indeed. People generally have no interest in it, and all those who claim that places like this are worthy of such an accolade, usually don't have a clue. Regardless of what Michelin claim, such awards are not just about food. If you put a DJ and a cocktail bar in the Fat Duck, it would lose its 3 stars. Less is more in some situations really but, then again, a buzzing bar/restaurant is the best way to remain profitable in a city which prefers drink to food. It's a good job that I love Chinese buffets and curries too really." - Chris Handley, Salford - TRUSTED REVIEWER (1/8/11 visited on a Saturday evening)

food	price	service	smartness	overall
"good but not australian"	"fine dining prices"	"pleasant"	"modern, smart & rowdy"	"a fashion statement"