There’s a restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter serving up giant pancake tacos stuffed with streaky bacon, fried eggs and sausage, and we’re officially in love.
Taking thick and fluffy American pancakes as the sturdy ‘taco’ base, chefs at Kong’s NQ are filling up these sugary sweet bad boys with lashings of maple syrup and all the salty breakfast goodness you could wish for.
Crammed full of crispy rashers of bacon and a hand-shaped sausage patty, drizzled with syrup then topped off with a fried egg, according to Kong’s owner Tom Potts and co-owner/chef Martin Stephens it’s the only dish of its kind here in Manchester – and quite possibly in the whole of the UK.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Priced at £11, for that you’ll get two massive pancake tacos loaded with all your breakfast must-haves. Combining salty and sweet perfectly inside thick, sweet pancakes, it’s everything we want in a breakfast dish.
That said, there are plenty more dishes to tempt on the menu elsewhere – not least, one of the most perfect specimens of fried chicken French toast we’ve enjoyed in some time.
Read more: The new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this month | April 2023
Think thick toasted brioche loaded with Kong’s signature fried chicken, which is brined for three hours, rolled in a secret spice mix, then double-dredged for a crispier texture, plus streaky fried bacon, maple syrup and a comforting dollop of Cheshire Farm ice cream.
Fried chicken French toast at Kong’s NQ. / Image: The Manc Eats
Crispy pork belly and green harissa breakfast tostadas at Kong’s NQ. / Image: The Manc Eats
Elsewhere on the brunch menu, you’ll find the likes of pork belly and green harissa breakfast tostadas, vegan black pudding breakfast muffins with hash, spinach and spicy salsa verde, and the ever-classic steak and eggs.
Add to that free coffee refills, and more dishes like Chipotle pulled braised beef egg benedicts and a special Breakie Burger with pork patty, smoked streaky bacon, aged cheddar, fried egg, hash browns and bloody mary ketchup, and it’s safe to say this is one hell of a brunch menu.
Newly opened on Oldham Street inside the old CBRB unit, Kong’s is predominantly known for its epic fried chicken dishes and has hosted different pop-ups around the city at locations including Black Dog Ballroom, Dog Bowl and Hatch.
Vegan black pudding breakfast muffin at Kong’s NQ. / Image: The Manc Eats
Vegan fried ‘chicken’ at Kong’s NQ. / Image: The Manc Eats
On its main menu, diners will find a host of its must-try fried chicken burgers alongside some elegant small plates and larger sharing dishes.
Whilst still working for CBRB, back in 2021 Kong’s owner Tom took advantage of the furlough scheme to start his own specialist fried chicken sandwich business – even cooking and serving his first sandwiches out of CBRB’s kitchen whilst the restaurant was closed.
Now, everything has come full circle with him taking the keys to his old place of work and transforming it into his first permanent restaurant.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
City Centre
Grassroots music venue The Yard announces new outdoor festival – and it’s got a great name
Thomas Melia
City centre grassroots music venue The Yard has just announced its new outdoor festival, where you can expect lots of impressive local live music.
Independent and grassroots music venue, The Yard, is known for hosting some of the best gigs, creative events and live music in the city, and this festival is no different.
Titled ‘Stranger Ways’ – if you don’t get that reference, then we don’t know what to tell you – anyone attending can expect to hear music that champions Manchester’s indie spirit, with a lot of local talent represented in the lineup.
Alex Spencer is set to headline day one of Stranger Ways Festival.The Yard is a brilliant venue known for hosting a variety of live music events.Credit: Supplied
This talent has seen praise from the likes of Lady Gaga and The Coral, even getting his track ‘Nightmares’ featured in EA Sports FC25 (FIFA).
They’ve seen massive success this year playing at the Isle of Wight Festival earlier this summer and supporting ‘Every Breath You Take’ penman Sting in Cardiff.
Another of our picks for Manc artists of the month for June, Arkayla. Named after “a terrible Oasis demo” from 1991, the band will be stopping by to sing a couple of their hits, too.
The band are already making waves, quite literally, receiving plays from one of the biggest rock radio stations in the UK, Radio X.
Wigan band The Lilacs are set to headline day two of Stranger Ways Festival.Arkayla are one of the headliners for The Yard’s new outdoor festival.Credit: Supplied
And of course this festival falls during Oasis’ massive reunion tour, so it would be rude not to have a tribute act, or two, performing at this outdoor festival – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Carpets and The Oasis Experience.
Now, as far as tribute bands go, that’s up there with one of the best and quietly clever names we’ve heard since we came across, well… Stranger Ways.
Speaking of Oasis, every ticket purchased for The Yard’s outdoor festival, Stranger Ways, gets entered into a prize draw to win tickets for one of the Burnage boys’ Wembley gigs with an overnight stay.
Stranger Ways Festival is taking place at The Yard across 19 and 20 July – To access the full lineup and grab your tickets, you can find everything you need to know HERE.
Anyone who has managed to bag themselves those precious Oasis tickets is in luck too, as if you can show proof on arrival to The Yard, you can guarantee yourself free entry.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
City Centre
Stevie Wonder at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Yes, your ‘Superstition’ is correct: an icon is in our midst, because Stevie Wonder is heading to Manchester for a massive headline show.
Grab your ‘Part Time Lover’ and get ready to tell them, ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life’; for one night only, theStevie Wonder is coming to town.
Not that this recording artist needs any introduction, but the pop, soul, R’n’B, funk and jazz superstar is well and truly one of the greatest living performers of all time, and his love for the UK and our city, in particular, dates far back.
His other most notable Manc concert took place over a decade and a half ago at AO Arena in 2010, but now he’s back for a debut at our newest and biggest indoor entertainment venue.
This is going to be a very special evening and one that’s likely to have fans ‘Cryin’ Through The Night’.
His career skyrocketed when he burst onto the music scene and the charts by becoming the youngest recording artist to reach the top spot at 12 years old with ‘Fingertips Part II’ in the US back in 1963.
Now, Stevie Wonder is polishing the keys on his glossy piano and warming up his vocal cords to sign, seal and deliver you an unforgettable performance to the 23,500 crowd of Co-op Live.
Stevie Wonder gig guide – all the key info
Stevie Wonder is heading to Co-op Live in Manchester on 5 July.Credit: Supplied
Stevie Wonder UK tour dates
Thu 3 July – Lytham St. Annes, UK – Lytham Green Festival
Sat 5 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 7 July – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Wed 9 July – Cardiff, UK – Blackweir Fields
Sat 12 July – London, UK – BST Hyde Park
Stevie Wonder tickets for Co-op Live gig
Of course, Wonder is a household name and securing tickets for someone who’s been soundtracking so many people’s lives from the ’60s to present day means there are a fair few fans of the icon.
However, there are still a handful of tickets left for Stevie Wonder’s upcoming Manchester gig that you can choose from HERE.
There’s even some exclusive premium tickets that will leave you feeling ‘Overjoyed’ ahead of the ‘Love, Light & Song’ show HERE.
Stevie Wonder setlist
The R&B Soul pioneer is known to change up his set lists, but this one below is taken from the Michigan stop of his US tour back in October, and contains most of the tracks you can expect the now 75-year-old hall-of-famer to play.
Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart
As If You Read My Mind
Master Blaster (Jammer)
Higher Ground
You Are My Sunshine
You Are the Sunshine of My Life
For Once in My Life
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours
My Cherie Amour
Overjoyed
Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)
Feel Like Makin’ Love
You’ve Got a Friend
Something’s Coming
1999
Contusion
Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing
Love’s in Need of Love Today
Village Ghetto Land
Living for the City
Sir Duke
Isn’t She Lovely
I Just Called to Say I Love You
Superstition
My Eyes Don’t Cry
Do I Do
Another Star
Surely has to be one of his best ever, right?
What are the stage times for Stevie Wonder in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11 pm, so you don’t have to worry about seeing ‘Another Star’ appear in the sky; you can be tucked up under the covers before the clock strikes twelve.
There’s no official support act listed for this event, but ‘Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing’ because you’re in safe hands with the ‘Master Blaster’ who’s ready to swoon you over with hits from every decade.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Stevie Wonder takes the stage @TheCoopLive on Sat 5 July.
We have your travel Signed, Sealed and Delivered:
– Trams depart the city centre every six minutes – Etihad Campus is the closest stop – Tram works are taking place, check before you travel Visit: https://t.co/A5MJ5c7Hmbpic.twitter.com/LLpmJ80cyi
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Legendary recording artist Stevie Wonder is heading to Manchester for his ‘Love, Light & Song’ UK tour.Credit: Supplied
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Georgina Pellant -
5th April 2023 
