Here in Manchester, ramen places have always been a bit like buses. For years, there’s hardly been any, then all of a sudden a load appears all at once.
Thanks to the arrival of Toyko Ramen, CBRB, and Lucky Ramen these past few years, city folk are now well-catered to – but for those in the suburbs, good ramen can still be a hard thing to find.
Thankfully Chorlton has just welcomed a brand new addition in the form of Shogun Ramen and Bar, where noodle fiends can slurp down umami-rich broth, nori, and gooey eggs to their heart’s content.
Opened inside what was formerly Peck & Yard, Shogun might be a new concept but it all still comes from the same team.
On the menu, you’ll find six different styles of ramen served in either a rich and flavoursome pork bone tonkotsu complete with a secret base, a 6-hour chicken broth for non-pork eaters, or vegan-based miso and shitake mushroom broth.
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The eponymous Shogun tonkotsu is the signature dish here and made even more indulgent with the addition of truffles, whilst the ‘owner’s favourite’ ike no tonkotsu features shitake mushroom, double nitamago eggs, sweetcorn, and chilli flakes.
Traditional tonkotsu fans, meanwhile, will definitely want to try the ‘original’ which combines thick slices of barbecue pork belly with kikurage mushrooms and a dusting of spring onions.
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In a nod to the site’s past as a beloved chicken shop, there’s also a chicken teriyaki ramen served in a 6-hour broth with radish. nitamago egg, mushrooms, spring onions, sesame seeds and sweetcorn.
As for vegans, they’re well looked after too, with a plant-based bowl featuring wilted pak choi, kikurage mushrooms, spring onions and sesame seeds.
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find nibbles like edamame, fried vegetable gyoza, chicken yakitori and stuffed bao buns to get your appetite going, alongside a selection of cocktails and Japanese beers.
The new concept sees the team behind Peck & Yard breathe new life into their restaurant as they give things one more shot after announcing a heartbreaking closure earlier this year.
In the summer, the team said they ‘did [their] best but unfortunately it wasn’t enough’, sharing a farewell video last month that showed staff members hugging one another and ‘holding back tears’
Now they’re back, reopening under a new name and switching up their concept from fried chicken to steaming bowls of ramen.
Having previously considered opening a ramen shop prior to launching Peck & Yard, owners said that now seemed as good a time as any to give things ‘one last shot’ – and we’re so glad they did.
Open from 5pm – 10pm Thursday to Friday, 1-11pm Saturday and 1-9pm Sunday, head down to the restaurant on Manchester Road to get your traditional ramen fix.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
Manchester’s smash burger and ice cream legends Big Licks launch huge crowdfunding effort
Daisy Jackson
Big Licks, the Manchester restaurant that’s found the ‘sweet spot’ between amazing burgers and delicious desserts, is sailing through a huge crowdfunding campaign.
The restaurant, which has an eye-catching location down on Liverpool Road as well as two sites in Scotland, has already raised a whopping £135,000 for its expansion dreams.
It’s now pushing to hit £150,000 so that it can open new restaurants and franchises across the UK.
Big Licks was first launched by two teenagers in 2009 as a takeaway – it’s now gone on to be a rapidly expanding name bringing in £3m in sales and more than 400,000 customers in the last 12 months alone.
On their menu you’ll find incredible smash burgers (with up to four patties in each bun) made with free-range grass-fed beef that they source directly from farm, or buttermilk chicken topped with their signature ranch sauce.
There’s also an impressive menu of house-churned ice cream made with quality local ingredients, and cakes, cheesecakes and brownies all baked in house daily.
All that is alongside fried chicken, loaded fries, and other mouth-watering sides.
Next on the agenda for Big Licks is expansion across the country, offering up the chance to become a shareholder in this bright young business.
They want to use the money raised to prepare the business for franchising, with a target to open 18 restaurants by 2027.
Then any extra money raised will be used to open more company-owned restaurants.
And there are rewards on offer for those who choose to invest in Big Licks.
If you invest £100, you’ll get a Big Licks White Card which gets you 10% off in store, as well as owning a share of the business.
Then the rewards continue with other things like free burgers and shakes all the way to merch and much bigger discounts.
Co-founder Anees Ahmed said: “It is clear that the potential is great.”
He added: “We believe one of the key ingredients to a successful restaurant is creating a hangout spot, a vibe. That will always be our aim when you come to Big Licks.”
The businessman then said: “We won’t compromise on quality. We will always keep sourcing within head office. This means we keep producing our own ice cream using locally sourced organic milk and the finest Italian flavours.
“We’ve found that sweet spot. The combination of sweet desserts and smashing burgers that opens up audience’s doors, covering off every craving.
“We want you to be part of the journey and become a shareholder in Big Licks.”
You can find out more about the Big Licks crowdfunder through Crowdcube here.
*Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong.
Eats
Electrik Bar in Chorlton is giving away 100 FREE frankfurters to celebrate their latest kitchen collab
Danny Jones
We all love a freebie, so we thought we’d spread the good word of the scran lords by letting you know that Electrik over in Chorlton is giving away 100 free frankfurters to celebrate their newest menu takeover.
The popular neighbourhood bar and kitchen on Wilbraham Road in the South Manchester suburb has had a couple of different foodie collaborations over the past couple of years, with local residents Paramogeddon and Four Side Vegan Pizza being the most recent, but now they’re doing hot dogs.
Welcoming their latest vendors Tisch Und Teller, Electrik will be giving away a total of 100 free frankfurters to the first century of people there this evening.
Bringing a taste of Berlin, Bavaria, Frankfurt and more (with a Manc twist, of course) to the popular pub for the Thursday launch party, all you need to do is order a drink upon arrival to get your hands on a free frankfurter sandwiched between a lovely fluffy roll.
Who doesn’t love a hot dog? Especially when they’re giving them away.
As for Tisch Und Teller (TuT), they’ve been serving up German-inspired favourites from the likes of The Shakespeare in Manchester city centre and Nip and Tipple in Whalley Range since September last year, including some very impressive brunches and Sunday roasts.
But the brand just keeps gaining more traction and now they’re setting up shop in Electrik, we’re sure the word will continue to spread – and fast.
Better still, as advertised on the promo poster, not only will TuT now be serving up their delicious food from Electrik every Thursday-Sunday for the foreseeable but the launch party will also live music by local legend and DJing veteran, Abigail Ward of Ghost Assembly.
Free food, pints and top tunes – what more could you ask for on a random weeknight?
The offer will be available from 6pm tonight and, once again, you have to be among the first 100 people to buy a pint to be eligible for a free frankfurter.