London’s viral Korean corn dog restaurant Bunsik has revealed it is heading to Manchester, with a new site set to open later this year.
Bosses of the hit London chain now have their sights set on a new space on Piccadilly Gardens and have leased a 2,000 square foot unit for the new restaurant opening.
The new opening will mark the first northern venture for the hit eatery, which already has three popular London branches in Chinatown, Embankment and Camden.
Having already become iconic for their £4 corn dogs in the capital, the team is now making moves north with their first outpost in Manchester – promising to offer an even wider selection of its infamous corndogs when it opens its doors here.
Sweet and savoury, chewy and crispy, Korean corn dogs are believed to have been around since the 1980s in Korea and have since gained notoriety in Taiwan, Japan, China, the US, and now, Manchester.
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For the uninitiated, a Korean corn dog is made from either sausage, cheese, or a combination of the two; skewered, dipped in batter then rolled in breadcrumbs; topped with potato, diced french fries, crushed ramen noodles, or crispy rice before hitting the fryer and cooked to a perfect golden brown.
Image: Bunsik
Image: Bunsik
Championing this well-loved East Asian snack, Bunsik’s menu will feature all kinds of tasty and authentic options.
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Alongside tried-and-tested classics, further menu highlights include the Kimbap (cooked rice, vegetables, fishcake, and meat rolled in gim – dried sheets of seaweed – and served in bite-sized slices), Ddukbokki (cylindrical rice cakes cooked in a spicy sauce), Korean Fried Chicken (tossed in a variety of sauces including sweet and spicy, honey garlic, and dakgangjeong) and Cup Bap (rice, noodles, broccoli and chicken).
The new restaurant will also serve a variety of Korean chicken burgers., alongside a new Korean dessert similar to ice cream.
Called Bingsu, it is a type of Korean shaved ice where a block of frozen milk or cream is grated or shaved using a knife to create a fluffy, snow-like dessert and will be available exclusively at the new Manchester site with toppings ranging from chopped fruit and condensed milk to fruit syrup and red beans.
There’ll be something on offer for fans of bubble tea too, with popular choices like Strawberry Bubble Tea, Chocolate Bubble Tea and Matcha Latte Bubble Tea on offer.
One of the country’s most innovative and successful street-food brands, Bunsik will open on Piccadilly gardens in late summer and will be available on Deliveroo.
Popular ramen spot and karaoke bar House of Fu quietly closes in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s coolest ramen spots has quietly closed its doors last weekend, saying the site just ‘doesn’t click’.
House of Fu opened just two and a half years ago on Portland Street, following major success across in Leeds.
Their Manchester restaurant was kitted out with details like a neon piece of art in the shape of multi-storey noodles, and a bright orange, blue and white colour scheme against classic exposed brick.
On the menu, it was a comprehensive list of ramen bowls, rice bowls, and small plates, plus great cocktails.
But despite such a solid offering, House of Fu has shared its heartbreaking closure, with its final service last Saturday.
They wrote: “Manchester PSA! We’re heartbroken to announce that we’ll be closing House of Fu on Portland Street this Saturday, 28th February and this will be our last weekend serving the good people of Manchester.
“It’s been a wild two and a half years. To say the economic landscape has been challenging would be a bit of an understatement, but sometimes a site just doesn’t click. You live and hopefully learn.
“We want to say a massive thank you to all our staff. They’ve worked incredibly hard to make sure our customers have had amazing experiences since day one and closing is absolutely no reflection on them. We also want to say thanks to you, our patrons, for choosing to spend your time and money with us.
“We’d also like to thank our landlords, Bruntwood, who’ve been incredibly helpful since we opened, 10/10, would rent again.
“Hopefully we’ll see some of you again soon and please remember to support your local independent hospitality businesses. From the House of Fu Team.”
The Sopranos stars finally visit much-loved Manchester sandwich inspired by the show
Danny Jones
In what feels like an inevitable story in the making for a long time now, members of The Sopranos cast have finally visited the popular Manchester sandwich spot inspired by the show, Bada Bing.
We know were biased, but we believe there’s an argument to be made that the beloved Manc butty shop has perhaps an even more fervent cult following than die-hard viewers of the hit American TV drama.
In case you somehow still don’t know the connection, Bada Bing is named after the strip club where several of the main characters work and spend a lot of their time.
Having returned to Manchester city centre back in 2024 after a successful first stint, they’ve been busier than ever, and that famous local name seems to have spread further than ever, including all the way over to the States, where actors from the original show caught wind and have now made the pilgrimage.
You might wonder why they didn’t name it after the butchers and deli, Satriale’s, or maybe even Artie Bucco’s oft-featured restaurant, Vesuvio. Both seem pretty ideal, right?
But let’s be honest, Bada Bing just has a better ring to it; there’s no denying that.
Either way, when series stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa came over to Manchester last week for a live edition of their podcast (which has just wrapped a limited UK tour) at the O2 Apollo.
But whilst they were here, they also made sure to visit a lunchtime joint that we’re sure Tony, Paulie, Christoper, Silvio and all of The Sopranos regulars would approve of.
While they didn’t quite perch out on the stoop with an espresso and a cigar, they did pose with co-owner Sam Gormally for a quick photo op outside the door.
Oh, and we don’t even need to confirm whether or not they liked the heroes – we just know they did.
‘Chris’ Moltisanti himself, Imperioli, also hopped on social media to share another key moment from his visit to the region:
Writing on their TikTok post, the Babd Bing boys dubbed it a “full circle moment” and reiterated that they still “can’t believe this just happened.
To be honest, we’ve barely got over it ourselves, and we’re just very big fans of the place.
We simply cannot imagine how surreal that day must have been for the whole team and everyone involved, and we hope we get a fun new special toasting the pair’s appearance sometime soon.
Georgina Pellant -
10th May 2023 
