Mark’s Score 8.6
There are so many new restaurants along S. Salisbury Blvd, I feel that I have been ignoring some of the old tried and true establishments, and therefore have not done them justice. First on this list is Manna.
Manna is owned by Sufang and Jackie Lin, the same people who own Smoking Monster further up South Salisbury Blvd, as well as Kaiju Sushi in Berlin. Like Smoking Monster, it is hard to pin down the cuisine at Manna. It is a bit Japanese, a bit Korean, with a little Hawaiian thrown in on the side. While Smoking Monster is more a sit-down restaurant, I view Manna as the Lins’ answer to fast food. At least it is the Asian version of fast food, which is both more nutritious and tastier than the American interpretation.
My job required me to frequently travelled to Seoul and Tokyo for a number of years. Manna reminds me of the quick, and cheerful, fast-food restaurants that are ubiquitous in both cities. These restaurants were designed so that Tokyo’s and Seoul’s “salarymen” could promptly grab a lunch and get back to work in under 30 minutes. But unlike American fast-food chains, these restaurants are noted for the quality and nutrition of their product. Fast does not have to mean substandard or unhealthy.
On my last visit to Manna, I wanted traditional (and Korean) so I ordered the pork bulgogi bowl. Bulgogi is Korean style barbeque served on a bed of white rice (never fried) with rice noodles and a Japanese style salad. If you have never had Japanese style salad, I highly recommend you try it. It is very simple, shredded green and red cabbage with shredded carrots, suffused with a delicate Japanese dressing.
As is the custom in East Asia, Manna is small, with only a few tables, and as is customary the sushi chef works in full view of the diners. The décor is understated with muted colors and light wood highlights. Though I never saw this in Tokyo or Seoul, I did appreciate the K-pop music videos that were mutedly projected onto one of the walls. The videos add to the Asian charm of Manna. As long as I didn’t look out the window and see Salisbury University across the street, I could have been anywhere in Seoul. To top off the authenticity of the experience, the woman behind the counter handed me both the menu and my change with two hands. It is considered rude in Japan to use only one hand when handing over an item to a guest. I immediately felt embarrassed by grabbing the menu with one hand, I remembered to do it properly when I accepted my change.
As I have come to expect from all of the Lin’s restaurants, the food was perfectly prepared and authentically Asian. If you want to experience Asian culture and cuisine, but don’t have the money to travel to Tokyo, all you need do is walk into Manna for lunch.
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