A new Vietnamese restaurant promising super fast food service is opening in Trafford this summer.
Called HOP Vietnamese, it is already a huge hit in London and is famous for its super speedy service – promising to have you in, ordered and out with your food in three minutes.
Now, having conquered the capital, the team has its sites set on Manchester as owners gear up to open the first HOP Vietnamese site up north inside the Trafford Centre this summer.
Promising to bring big flavours to Manchester this summer, guests visiting the new Manchester branch in the Orient food court can expect fresh made-to-order, fully customised dishes inspired by Vietnamese street food vendors.
Choices on its London menus include traditional bahn mi baguettes stuffed with Asian pickles and meats like duck, chicken and pork, alongside a range of ‘HOP Boxes’ that combine various proteins with crunchy Vietnamese salad and rice.
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You’ll also find bun noodle salads and aromatic pho noodle soups (it is the Vietnamese national dish, after all), plus coconut soups, mango rice pudding and a range of sides like prawn dumplings, VFC dippers, Vietnamese slaw, ‘naked’ broth, pork ribs and prawn crackers.
According to bosses at HOP, the restaurant’s forward-thinking digital approach and commitment to innovation creates a truly next-level guest experience as well as a super-fast ordering operation.
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Speaking ahead of the new opening Paul Hopper, Founder of HOP Vietnamese, said: “Being a Northerner myself I have always dreamt of taking HOP up north one day – so when an opportunity came up in Manchester’s Trafford Centre it was hard to say no.
“I’ve believed for some time that HOP’s offering is perfectly suited to the needs of busy shoppers looking for a more exciting alternative to the regular fast-food offerings you typically find in shopping centre food courts. As one of the UK’s busiest shopping centres – Trafford Centre is the perfect place for us to demonstrate our appeal to this new audience.”
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: “We’re delighted to welcome HOP to Trafford Centre, particularly as this is the brand’s first opening outside of London. HOP will make an excellent addition to our ever-evolving dining offer and we’re confident visitors are going to love it!”
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The new opening follows the launch of HOP’s third restaurant in London (with Bond Street opening last month), and comes as the Vietnamese chain adds further options to their ever expanding menu.
This includes the addition of bubble teas, soft serve ice cream, iced Viet Coffees, homemade lemonades, both of which are available in a host of different flavours. The new offering also includes a children’s range and a selection of beers and cocktails.
Featured image – HOP Vietnamese
Eats
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.
Georgina Pellant -
19th June 2023 
