A NEW Northern Quarter venture does exactly what it says on the tin. No that many tins are the basis of Cocktail, Beer, Ramen + Bun – more like long seethed bone broth and bottle muddled concoctions.
Not that vegans are neglected at this late night hangout in Oldham Street (open until 2am). This is late 2018, so the Tantanmen ramen bowl pictured below piles miso aubergine, bok choy and shiitake into a sesame vegetable broth. Like the rest of the ramen roster it comes in at around the £12 mark.
So far so toothsome, but ToM is also tickled by other less obvious items on the menu alongside the Oriental stuffed buns, dumplings and karaage chicken. Where else would kimchi team up with padron peppers as a snack? And how exactly will crumbed pig’s head korokke, bonito, miso mayo or nasu dengaku (miso glazed aubergine) taste? We can’t wait to find out.
This 40-cover joint is the brainchild of Ben Gretton and Tom De Santis, who bring an equally eclectic cocktail and music mix to this indie project, which sits alongside a burgeoning Oldham Street scene that also includes Fress, Koffeepot, Eat New York's The Bagel Shop, South African restaurant Chakalaka plus stalwart music venues The Castle and Gullivers.
The cocktail menu has been created in partnership with Emma Roberts of Into The Gathering Dusk. Aperitifs will be a big deal, including their own version of Aperol, called ‘Hipsterol’. Ouch.
Cocktail, Beer, Ramen + Bun, 101-103 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LW.
