There’s a new addition to Ancoats (sort of) and another member of Manchester’s ever-growing ramen scene.
The kitchen at Mule, a stylish coffee shop on Blossom Street, usually churns out quality brunch dishes.
But now, come nightfall, the offering switches entirely, with steaming bowls of ramen and Japanese small plates flying out of the tiny space.
With Lucky Ramen at the helm, Mule can give Ancoats locals a more late-night haunt.
Mule in Ancoats is now home to Lucky Ramen. Credit: Mule
The space itself is seriously intimate, with room for only a dozen diners plus a couple more seats to perch on at the bar, just like all the best ramen joints in Japan.
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Mule pitches itself closer to California than Manchester – its website says it’s a ‘transportive desert-bar’, and it’s not far wrong.
The cafe/bar/restaurant feels more mid-century Palm Springs than post-industrial, soaked-in-drizzle Manchester, thanks to its cacti, its limestone-washed walls, its raw wood details and its sand-coloured marble bar.
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Lucky Ramen at Mule in Ancoats. Credit: Supplied
When we pop in for dinner, there’s rain lashing against the huge windows (naturally), but when the sun does shine there’s a huge terrace outside that quadruples the capacity of the tiny inside.
So while it’s certainly cosy when every table is taken, it in no way feels cluttered or claustrophobic.
It would be easy to sit here all day and night, ploughing through the cocktail list, which is mostly short and strong – margaritas, negronis and cosmos rule here.
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A sour cherry margarita at Lucky Ramen. Credit: The Manc Group
Lucky Ramen brings giant bowls of hand-rolled noodles and five different broths, each one painstakingly made over the course of eight hours.
The ramen bowls are loaded with the likes of crispy karaage chicken, stir-fried soboro pork, char-siu and soft shell crab, with roasted king oyster mushrooms and tofu for vegans.
Jammy-yolked ajitama eggs, their whites tanned by their soy sauce marinade, float on top of everything.
There are plenty of sides and small plates too, like edamame beans covered in a moreish salt and chilli seasoning, pork and prawn gyoza, and Japanese fried chicken with yuzu mayo.
Inside The Black Friar as Salford pub unveils incredible floral display
Daisy Jackson
Spring has really sprung in Salford – legendary pub The Black Friar has just revealed a sensational makeover, with gigantic flowers sprawled across its frontage and a new seasonal menu to go with it.
The historic pub is celebrating the changing of the seasons with both a striking floral installation and a menu that celebrates spring and Salford in equal measure.
Most Mancs will by now have spotted the 4,000 flower-strong installation that now adorns the front of The Black Friar, with bright pink, yellow and purple flowers spilling from a gigantic pink tap.
And all those florals continue inside, with the pub’s Tavern – previously a cosy winter hideaway – now filled with trailing blooms and woodland installations, just off their award-winning garden.
Cheshire-based artist Kelly Louise Chapman is the woman behind this sensational transformation of the much-loved gastropub.
As for the pub’s kitchen, they’ve crafted a new very seasonal and very British menu, with plenty of nods to Black Friar’s Salford roots.
There are dishes like a Boddingtons braised ox cheek (the pub still proudly displays its Boddingtons sign outside), aged beef tartare, butternut squash and ricotta tortellini, and pan-roasted cod fillet.
Spring small plates at The Black Friar pubDelicious spring drinksInside The Tavern at The Black Friar
A popular item from the Valentine’s Day menu – the Cornish crab vol-au-vent – will be sticking around on the spring menu, along with an enhanced grill section that includes a lamb Barnsley chop cooked over coals.
Then for desserts, you’ll be spoilt with a banoffee knickerbocker glory, and passionfruit panna cotta.
And for drinks (because this is a pub, after all), The Black Friar has put together a range of seasonal drinks like a rose sangria sharer, and non-alcoholic sodas like kaffir lime and coconut.
Ben Chaplin, head chef at The Black Friar, said: “This new menu is all about celebrating the best of spring produce.
“We’ve carefully crafted each dish to highlight fresh, seasonal ingredients and bold flavours, adding new depth to our offerings while still delivering the comfort that will always be associated with The Black Friar.
“My top recommendation and personal favourite dish is the Slow-Cooked Boddingtons Braised Ox Cheek.”
Neil Burke, owner of The Black Friar, commented: “We wanted to bring a taste of spring to The Black Friar, inside and out. This floral installation will transform the space and bring sunshine and smiles, whatever the weather!
“My top recommendation on the new menu is the Cumbrian Spiced Lamb Scotch Egg. It’s EXCEPTIONAL.”
To find out more about The Black Friar and to book a table, visit HERE.
Team behind award-winning Higher Ground to open new Bar Shrimp seafood bar in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Higher Ground, one of Manchester’s very top restaurants, is to open a brand-new seafood bar later this year.
With Bar Shrimp, they’ll be bringing a brand-new offering to town, with cocktails, beers on tap, British seafood and snacks.
Bar Shrimp will come from Daniel Craig Martin, Joseph Otway and Richard Cossins, who at this point are a well-oiled operational machine.
They’re the team behind proudly British bistro Higher Ground, which grows much of its own produce at its Cinderwood Market Garden and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand within a year of opening.
The same team are also behind Flawd, the beautiful waterside wine bar at Ancoats Marina.
And they’ve cemented themselves as one of Manchester’s most widely acclaimed hospitality teams – even Rick Stein says Higher Ground is one of the best places to eat in the entire country, which is high praise indeed.
Bar Shrimp, set to open in Manchester this winter, aims to be a ‘relaxed and focused bar with delicious food’.
They say: “Whether it’s a beer after work, some food with friends or after dinner drinks late into the night, Bar Shrimp will be a dynamic space where the music and energy evolves throughout the evening where everyone and anyone can come together for a memorable experience.”
They announced the news this morning on Cerys Matthews’ BBC 6Music Show.
British seafood with a side of cocktails? Sounds alright to us.
A location, opening date and more info on Bar Shrimp will follow – stay up to date with their latest HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
8th April 2022 
