Manchester’s ‘other’ branch of Red Chilli is posher and more spacious than the city centre original, yet competitive enough to appeal to the local population of students and academics. They can’t miss the double-height glass frontage that gives on to a homely but contemporary space with its own private dining rooms. The kitchen specialises in Beijing and Sichuan cuisines, offering a multitude of ingredients, textures and spice levels that may challenge European palates – but to treat a meal here as scalp-gathering is to miss the point. Devotees wouldn’t leave without a piece of the Beijing-style fried spring onion bread, a hotpot or poached dish swimming with tiny dried chillies, or one of the many house takes on tofu. The specials list is a source of clay-pot guest dishes and sweet dim sum, while the set menu goes beyond the standards for a reasonably priced and unusually invigorating lunch.