WILL 2016 be time to take a breather after the hectic food and drink antics of 2015? Don't bet on it. Expect more stepping on the gas. So much so that the completed Corn Exchange and Spinningfields will become just part of the furniture as Manchester continues to gorge itself on culinary novelty across more ‘new frontiers’ than you can shake a chopstick or a schooner at.
King Street, Cutting Room Square, Salford’s Chapel Street, Barton Arcade, First Street, Sadler’s Yard and the Piccadilly fringe of the Northern Quarter are all abuzz with new projects, while further afield, Heaton Moor, Prestwich and even Moston are extending the party to the suburbs.
If 2015 was the year when Liverpool grasped the Manc nettle with the likes of Lunya and Mowgli opening outlets here, then look out for Leeds as the next big invasion. Uber-cool Friends of Ham and Belgrave Music Hall have long term plans to cross the Pennines and there has been wild (and as yet unfounded) speculation that Michelin-starred Michael O’Hare (pictured above left) may be tempted from Leeds’ Man Behind The Curtain to take over the kitchens of Gary Neville’s proposed boutique hotel in the old Stock building.
To us it is sounds like big bucks United trying to hoover up talent from lesser teams (sorry Leeds), but to grab that elusive star maybe the ‘Hair Metal Chef’ might prove to be our culinary Cantona.
STOP PRESS: It has just been announced that O'Hare has been appointed creative director of GG Hospitality, the company run by Neville and former United team-mate Ryan Giggs, which runs Hotel Football at Old Trafford and Cafe Football in London.
The Tyke advance guard is already on its way. Craft beer/Indian veggie bar Bundobust – a huge hit popping up at IndyManbBeerCon – are aiming for a big new venue, somewhere around Newton Street, we believe. An announcement is due in January.
That would make sense with Cottonopolis (review) already in place and Aumbry’s Mary Ellen McTague signed up to reinvent her amazing cheffery in the former Roadhouse.
New frontier competition comes from Cutting Room Square across Great Ancoats Street. TOM has already previewed it, reviewed Rudy’s Pizza and profiled Ancoats Coffee Company there. Next up is the Seven Bro7hers Beer Bar in February and, later in the spring, the big one – Goose Fat & and Wild Garlic restaurant, offering casual fine dining in the Fairbairn Building, where Guerrilla Eats kickstarted the street food revolution.
Less eagerly anticipated by TOM is an American-style sports bar on the Square called Second City, which seems out of kilter with the carefully curated evolution of this historic area.
Not far away along Swan Street, we’re expecting a new bar from the NQ’s Kosmonaut/Ply folk to boost that strip, which currently features that perennial renegade, Bar Fringe, a revitalised Band on The Wall and the gloriously cosy Blackjack Brewery ‘tap’, The Smithfield. Rumours are rife that the derelict Mackie Mayor market building next door will be taken over by the team behind the acclaimed Altrincham Market House. When we hear anything definite we’ll let you know.
NOMA is nearby – 20 acres of Co-operative site also reinventing itself, notably through work in progress (above) the Pilcrow Project in new Manchester Square, Sadler’s Yard. Here the hand-made ‘people’s pub’ is slowly coming together, promising to combine artisan beer and food with courses covering everything from dry stone walling to robotics.
This is all very indie and local. But expect the national chains still to be to be staking their claim to a piece of Manchester. First up in January is Busaba Thai, which has spurned its natural habitat, the Corn Exchange, in favour of the Printworks, not a venue TOM associates with quality tucker. This chain, which shares its founders with Wagamama and Hakkasan, offers 170 covers over three floors and signature dishes with ‘secret recipe pastes” developed in association with Aussie Thai food guru David Thompson (a TOM fave). Any better than standard fare from Chaophraya and funkier chain sibling Thaikun? We’ll soon find out.
Another Asian-inspired is coming to Spinningfields at about the same time. All-day diner Itsu ticks all kinds of healthy boxes – “64 dishes of protein packed, low carb and flavoursome dishes”.So sushi and sashimi, brown rice pots and hot chicken noodle soup. Fresh ‘beauty smoothies’ and juices will also be available, alongside new hot food range ‘miso with (health) benefits’; comprising classics like lucky duck, dumpling melt and classic miso soup.
Japan isn’t going away soon, but for all the benchmark sushi and sashimi about (Umezushi, Cottonopolis et al) there is a lot of fish being given a raw deal by inexpert operators. Ditto tonsils and karaoke. Still we look forward to dropping in on Lost In Tokyo in Stevenson Square, a homage to that pulsing metropolis’s bar culture in Stevenson Square. Makes a change from hula joints.
One Japanese trend we haven’t picked up on yet is Ramen – thick noodles in dense pork broth. Word is that minimalist London chain Shoryu Ramen aim to to make up for that in 2016. Teppanyaki we’ve had for yonks but that might not stop London brand Benihana fancying a slice of the action.
Manchester’s persistence with pan-Asian fusion stems big time from Living Ventures’ Australasia, which has percolated the city with suitably trained sous chefs. Their last big site acquisition in the centre was the now empty Room, destined for more of the same with the transferred monicker of Grand Pacific. The revamp is certainly is taking its time. TOM just hopes they don’t dumb down such a glorious space.
Late in 2015 Lunya brought a fab deli, gin bar and tapas pzazz into the under-used Barton Arcade (though love and kisses too to forerunners Pot Kettle Black and BistroVin). Soon it will have a (as yet to be named) neighbour giving its regards to the classic New York steakhouse courtesy of Solita godfather Franco Sotgiu. Let’s hope the meat and martinis match up to the Manhattan transfer!
Over in Chorlton we can expect Hispi, an offshoot of Chester restaurant Sticky Walnut named after a pointy cabbage. No wonder it has salivating those foodies who worship at the social media altar of chef Gary Usher, who last year crowd-funded himself into the Wirral with Burnt Truffle. Why, a theme developing, isn’t it Stewed Hispi?
In contrast to all this ingredient-led nomenclature much-admired Manchester chef David Gale is calling his casual fine dining restaurant – above Scene on Spinningfields Left Bank – after his godson, Louie.
Over in King Street another vastly experienced exponent, Simon Shaw (above) is sticking with the name that synonymous with his innovative, contemporary tapas honed up in the Pennines – El Gato Negro. The Black Cat; it must bring him luck. Both chefs have been a long time coming in their new sites but TOM still can’t wait to taste their food.
The same goes with Indian Tiffin Rooms, who are expanding from leafy Cheadle to First Street, where the only interesting food so far has emanated from Street on First inside (sic) the Innside Hotel. Expect a lot of activity in the vicinity of Home. man cannot find sustenance alone from all those installations and Spanish film festivals. And, of course, in the Great Northern Warehouse the B.Eat Street pop-upsters are putting down roots. We guess it will never be boring.
Meanwhile, to stop you feeling hungry in anticipation of this feast, check out some of the truly tasty venues that showed up in the closing months of 2016. You won’t be disappointed at any of them, we guarantee… Quill, Cottonopolis, Cafe Beermoth, Rudy’s Pizza, Mowgli, Pho, Lunya, Asha’s, Evelyn’s Cafe Bar, Albert’s Schloss, Gray’s Larder in Chorlton, Saison in West Didsbury and Levanter offshoot Baratxuri in Ramsbottom.