A small family-run Vietnamese restaurant in Ancoats has hit out at ‘blue tick’ influencers and others after being inundated with requests for free food in exchange for ‘exposure’.
The owners of Manchester restaurant Viet Shack shared an Instagram post where they publicly blasted ‘full & semi blue IG ticks, influencers, public figures and foodies’ for haranguing them and claimed they receive over 50 such messages a week.
The post then went on to call out an especially offensive message from a former Love Islander, who allegedly sent them ‘a follow up with an ☺️ emoji to remind us to re-read the previous DM stating that you came in 8th place’.
Owners barely pulled any punches as they wrote: “Bro, you came in on 11th and even Boohoo blocked yo ass for asking for free skinny jeans + velvet boxers. If that’s you, then we suggest to STOP READING RIGHT NOW!”
They did, however, blur out the blagger’s Instagram handle – but warned they wouldn’t be so kind next time.
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It serves a selection of famous loaded fries, alongside Vietnamese-style steak and fish fusion dishes.
Viet Shack first opened inside Arndale Market in 2015 before opening a restaurant in Ancoats in 2018. / Image; Viet Shack
The post continued: “Here it goes… From what we see, we definitely both do have some things in common. All that Gucci, LV & Prada stock you flex on your page, & some of our ingredients are definitely all from the Vietnamese market, but thats as much in common as we have!
“Please stop asking for “COLLABORATIONS” which was a word widely used by world saving, bare foot or flip flop wearing artists + philanthropists. But is now sadly a synonym used for GIVE ME FREE STUFF via social media.
“We are a small family business, that’s just spent most our savings this year on a new toilet that flushes properly, new chairs + marble tables.
The famous duck ‘quack’ fries at Viet Shack. / Image: Viet Shack
“The old IKEA ones dissolved almost as fast as Lindsay Lohan’s music career (yes, she released an album.. and yes, 1 track was actually decent, and yes that track is on our playlist… and so what? she was good in Mean Girls, and we all know y’all watched it recently on Netflix.)
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“In conclusion, STOP ASKING FOR FREE SH*T and just come help and support ya locals. Can’t you see there’s a crisis and there’s favourite spots closing down due to financial deficiencies?
“The next time anyone sends us one of these requests, we shall not be using the blurring tool so expertly.
“Ps, no offence to all other blue ticks, influencers, public figures, foodies or other Islanders that’s genuinely here just to eat and enjoy Lindsays Lohan’s music. We love you and promise to start buying really good toilet roll soon if we make enough money, instead of the extra vegan toilet rolls that may make you flinch a bit mid wipe.
“PPS, no doubt some are gonna come at us heated and offended…. In our defence, on paragraph 2 – we did say STOP READING NOW!”
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Viet Shack’s fans were quick to pile on in the comments, with one person writing: “Well said, and glad more independents are calling this behaviour out! Piggy backing on someone else’s hard graft is just rude and lazy IMHO … I’m not an influencer, just an ordinary person who enjoys good food and spreads the word like normal folk do. See you soon.”
Another person said: “This is up there with one of the best posts I’ve seen on Instagram! It’s so cringy watching these people expect free products, and more insulting to the rest of us that they honestly think we believe they ‘use’ and ‘love’ these products and brands! Well done for calling this out! Hopefully more will follow.”
A third added: “Amazing! I’m gonna eat here more just because of this post! … and the duck fries! Xx”
Feature image – Viet Shack
Eats
Inside Kouba, Deansgate Square’s stunning new Lebanese restaurant and shisha bar
Daisy Jackson
A stunning new Lebanese restaurant and shisha bar has opened at the foot of the Deansgate Square towers, with an iced latte tap, shisha bar, and all-day dining.
Kouba has taken over the former Salvi’s site in the glamorous neighbourhood, and just days after opening, it’s packed to the rafters.
The space has been transformed from family-style Italian restaurant into a Middle Eastern oasis.
Kouba operates as a three-in-one concept, doing coffees and brunches in the daytimes before transforming to a lively Lebanese restaurant by night.
It also has a sizeable terrace (blissfully weather-proof) which doubles up as a late-night shisha lounge, open into the early hours.
This newcomer to the city has already found fame online with moments like an indulgent iced salted brown butter oat latte, served from a tap (plus the whole menu of other iced drinks).
There’s also a sharing cheesecake for two that’s built before your eyes, and hot cookies with soft serve, alongside pastries from the award-winning La Chouquette bakery.
Brunch menu dishes will include signatures like the ‘Pocket Toast’, with fillings including smash burger, bacon and egg, and avocado and egg, alongside smoothies, juices and matchas.
As for the restaurant menu, there’ll be a full Lebanese food offering that includes hot and cold mezze, and Lebanese favourites like meshwi, lamb chops, and moussaka.
Click or swipe through the gallery below to see inside
Inside Kouba at Deansgate SquareThe iced latte tapThe private dining roomThe shisha loungeA full spread of foodThe coffee shop section of KoubaIced matcha and pastries from La ChouquetteDinner at KoubaCookies and soft serve
Kouba is now open and will be operational seven days a week from 8am-2am.
The new and improved Station Hotel is looking to become the undisputed home of sport in Alty
Danny Jones
The Station Hotel is no new name on the lips of Altrincham natives or those in and around Greater Manchester; chances are, plenty of you have either been or at least seen the late 19th-century pub after getting off the tram around the corner, but it’s been reborn following major renovations.
Not satisfied with a simple lick of paint or a new menu, Alty’s beloved Station looks, by and large, totally brand new, from the bar itself and every single piece of tiled floor to the brand new sports space.
There’s not only a shiny new glow coming from the soft-lit remodel; there’s now an added sense of warmth to The Station, and they’re looking to extend that welcoming feel not just to locals but the wider sporting community as well.
Having already been a go-to pre- and post-match pint spot for Manchester Storm and Alty FC, both of whom are seeing a huge surge in popularity of late, the team are looking to capitalise on those crowds and go one further.
As for catering to that audience, there’s no better example than the dedicated sports room, where, besides several of a dozen total screens, there are two fresh and premium standard pool tables, as well as one of the best examples of pub sports we’ve come across, maybe ever.
If you’re wondering what we’re on about, they’ve got actual interactive darts that don’t just give you some nice visuals, but that can be played head-to-head, against bots (yes, you can set the computer difficulty) and even online.
How does that work? Well, thanks to a built-in function on the display, you can literally face off against another player somewhere else in real-time.
So, say you happen to be throwing a few arrows in The Station comes the weekend, another punter happens to be at the oche in another Blind Tiger Inns venue – The Grosvenor over on Oxford Road in Manchester city centre, for instance – you can challenge them to a number of different games digitally.
Very cool.
Better still, the darts and the pool are completely free to use Monday to Friday right up until 7pm, and a mere £1.50 at the weekend. No wonder they had a busy opening night.
And then there’s all the deals on drinks: two for £12 on spritzes, £14 bottles of prosecco throughout the week until that same cut-off time, as well as £4 beers and large glasses of wine for as little as £6.
Be rude not to for those prices…
We especially love how the section of the pub where the old pool table and single darts board used to live is no longer the cold, almost cut-off section of the pub that used to be – it’s now one of the cosiest and most colourful parts, with a 360-padded seat, bright new mural, and one that opens out onto
Arguably the best bit, though, is one we’ll have to wait to see in its full glory just yet: the transformed patio area, with wall-to-wall bi-folding doors that will no doubt prove perfect for the summer and for when the World Cup rolls around.
Blind Tiger have, rather fittingly, played an absolute blinder with this one, and we expect the place to start a whole new chapter and fresh new reputation.
See you for a few scoops before a Storm game soon!
Georgina Pellant -
8th March 2023 
