Eye-catching “Instagrammable” pink restaurant 202 Kitchen has announced the opening date for its new Spinningfields site.
The restaurant first appeared as a pop-up in a vacant plot on Bridge Street last summer, filling the space with pink blooms, neon signs and a life-size Barbie box.
Situated on Leftbank, the huge 7000 sq ft venue will overlook the River Irwell and provide 200 covers to give guests the option to enjoy outdoor waterside cocktails, or the iconic lavish pink surroundings.
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The Manchester site – which will be formed by knocking together the two restaurant spaces previously occupied by Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Zizzi to create a huge new venue – will now become 202 Kitchen’s flagship hub.
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The vibrant interiors of 202 Kitchen quickly made it a favourite of social media savvy millennials and the launch of the new venue will take the concept to a new level.
Owners have invested £1 million into transforming the new space – creating over 100 hospitality jobs in the process.
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The venue is promising “deliciously indulgent food”, an atmosphere like no other, and an enclosed outdoor area designed for all weathers, set against the pink backdrop it’s become most known for.
The menu will showcase “colourful cultural foods”, such as mac’n’cheese, waffles, fried chicken, burgers, grilled seafood, and more.
202 Kitchen is moving into Leftbank / Credit: The Manc Group
Speaking ahead of the restaurant’s opening next month, Leon Beckford, Panikos Myrritis and John Sambo – founders of 202 Kitchen – said: “It’s such an amazing feeling to finally be able to reveal our launch date.
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“After the success of our temporary pop-up on Bridge Street last year, we’re coming back bigger and better, and believe us when we say we’ve taken the brand to the next level.
“We can’t wait to reveal what we have planned.
“From the moment you walk in, guests will understand exactly what 202 Kitchen is all about [as] customer experience is our number one priority and whether that be from the quality of the food and drinks or the service, everyone is going to be talking about 202.
“We are proud to have been the first to bring this concept to Manchester last year but appreciate that the hospitality landscape is constantly evolving [so] to provide a unique experience, we have evolved the concept to make sure we’re one step ahead in terms of ideas and concepts.”
Reservations are now open ahead of 202 Kitchen’s grand opening on Thursday 15 July, and you can make a booking here.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Eats
Siam Smiles, the authentic Thai cafe on a Manchester backstreet
Georgina Pellant
When Siam Smiles was still a little cafe in a Chinatown supermarket it received serious rave reviews. Since moving up to Deansgate Mews, however, it seems to have been forgotten about a little.
Most famously described as “the most exciting thing to happen since the days of the Hacienda” by Marina O’Loughlin in a 2014 review for The Guardian, owner May also made headlines for teaching herself to cook on Youtube after her chef left the business one month after opening.
National critics, like O’Loughin and others, were seemingly drawn in by the cafe’s novelty – not one review missed the opportunity to mention the supermarket, or tell you how the ingredients in the dishes were often the same as the ones on the shelves.
But since it has moved over to The Mews, an oft-forgotten back street within the Great Northern Warehouse complex, the reviews have gone suspiciously quiet – so we thought we’d pop in to see if it’s all still up to scratch.
Spoiler alert, it definitely is.
Stir fried chicken Pad Ka Paow with jasmine rice and a fried egg. / Image: The Manc Eats
Inside SIam Smiles on Deansgate Mews. / Image: The Manc Eats
Two years after that rave review from O’Loughlin, rising bills forced the cafe to close – but with a little help, May reopened in 2016 at the Great Northern Warehouse. It’s here that you’ll still find her cooking up a storm today.
With bills firmly on the rise once again, we thought we’d pop in to shine a light on this longstanding Mancunian gem and are happy to report her food hasn’t faltered one iota.
We went for stir fried chicken Pad Ka Paow with jasmine rice and a fried egg, and a steaming bowl of KuiiTiwe Moo Nam Tok with fresh egg noodles and roasted duck breast, with two glasses of Singha on the side.
A hearty portion of green papaya salad with dried shrimps. / Image: The Manc Eats
A steaming bowl of KuiiTiwe Moo Nam Tok with fresh egg noodles and roasted duck breast. / Image: The Manc Eats
We also couldn’t help but opt for a hearty portion of green papaya salad with dried shrimps, a dish that’s hard to find but something of a speciality here, as well as a second glass noodle salad with plump prawns and minced pork.
The dressings, always made by May herself, completely hit the spot with their balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet.
We strongly recommend you pop in and show Siam Smiles some love. It’s not all just about the shiny new restaurants, after all. We need to treasure the veterans too – and this is one we need to protect at all costs.
Find the cafe on Deansgate Mews Unit G Upper Level ,Great Northern, 253, Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
There’s a huge burger food fair happening in Manchester next weekend
Emily Sergeant
Burger lovers in Manchester should probably get themselves down to the city’s largest street food hub next weekend for a feast like no other.
That’s because GRUB is hosting its very-own burger food fair.
Perhaps it’s not the first city you’d think of when it comes to burgers, but Manchester is absolutely chocked full of an endless list of eateries and food traders serving up some of the most impressive patties you’ll quite possibly ever see in your life.
Whether you’re a meat lover, chicken fanatic, veggie or vegan/plant-based, there truly is something for everyone to tuck into in our city.
And a handful of those finest food traders are coming together all under one roof for the GRUB Burger Food Fair – which is taking over Manchester’s biggest street food venue and events space next weekend from Friday 30 September – Sunday 2 October, and is promising to bring “wall to wall burgers” to the hungry masses.
The Cheetham Hill-based venues’s annual celebration of all things burgers returns for 2022, with traders bringing a special menu inspired by their own take on the humble burger, as well as a whole range of different sides, snacks, and all-American desserts to go along with it.
BON Street Food, Spicy Baby, Thief Street Grill & Waffle, Charlie Mac’s, and The Cookie Smith are some of the traders you can expect on Friday and Saturday.
And then, as is the tradition at GRUB, everything that is served up on the Sunday of the three-day event will be completely “plant-powered”.
GRUB Burger Food Fair is taking over from Friday 30 September – Sunday 2 October / Credit: Thief Street Grill & Waffle | BON Street Food
Vegan vendors Boneless Brigade, and Dohlightful just some of the names lined-up to take part.
GRUB Burger Food Fair is free to attend, and will kick-off from 4pm each day of the three-day event, with no need to book any tickets in advance.
It has to be said though, that GRUB’s themed food fairs are always very well attended, so for that reason, the venue recommends that any large groups planning on heading down next weekend should book a table here.
Emily Sergeant -
17th June 2021 
