There’s a new addition to Ancoats (sort of) and another member of Manchester’s ever-growing ramen scene.
The kitchen at Mule, a stylish coffee shop on Blossom Street, usually churns out quality brunch dishes.
But now, come nightfall, the offering switches entirely, with steaming bowls of ramen and Japanese small plates flying out of the tiny space.
With Lucky Ramen at the helm, Mule can give Ancoats locals a more late-night haunt.
Mule in Ancoats is now home to Lucky Ramen. Credit: Mule
The space itself is seriously intimate, with room for only a dozen diners plus a couple more seats to perch on at the bar, just like all the best ramen joints in Japan.
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Mule pitches itself closer to California than Manchester – its website says it’s a ‘transportive desert-bar’, and it’s not far wrong.
The cafe/bar/restaurant feels more mid-century Palm Springs than post-industrial, soaked-in-drizzle Manchester, thanks to its cacti, its limestone-washed walls, its raw wood details and its sand-coloured marble bar.
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Lucky Ramen at Mule in Ancoats. Credit: Supplied
When we pop in for dinner, there’s rain lashing against the huge windows (naturally), but when the sun does shine there’s a huge terrace outside that quadruples the capacity of the tiny inside.
So while it’s certainly cosy when every table is taken, it in no way feels cluttered or claustrophobic.
It would be easy to sit here all day and night, ploughing through the cocktail list, which is mostly short and strong – margaritas, negronis and cosmos rule here.
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A sour cherry margarita at Lucky Ramen. Credit: The Manc Group
Lucky Ramen brings giant bowls of hand-rolled noodles and five different broths, each one painstakingly made over the course of eight hours.
The ramen bowls are loaded with the likes of crispy karaage chicken, stir-fried soboro pork, char-siu and soft shell crab, with roasted king oyster mushrooms and tofu for vegans.
Jammy-yolked ajitama eggs, their whites tanned by their soy sauce marinade, float on top of everything.
There are plenty of sides and small plates too, like edamame beans covered in a moreish salt and chilli seasoning, pork and prawn gyoza, and Japanese fried chicken with yuzu mayo.
Family behind Salvi’s launch new concept, weeks after iconic restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Just weeks after the closure of its iconic, 16-year-old Italian restaurant in the Corn Exchange, the family behind Salvi’s have revealed a brand-new concept.
And this time, the reins are being handed over to the next generation.
Salvi’s founder Maurizio Cecco has helped to shape Amò, but it’s all the brainchild of his daughter, Sienna.
Sienna will run the business out of a unit up on Deansgate Mews, serving fresh pasta dishes, pizza sandwiches, tubs of tiramisu, and two-for-£10 spritzes.
The deli aspect of the original Salvi’s has been carried over to Amò too – you’ll find shelves almost to the ceiling filled with Italian pasta, wine, olive oils, pistachio spreads, and more.
Sienna has grown up in restaurants, with her parents launching Salvi’s when she was just two years old.
She said she wants the space to be a livelier, fresher version of the Italian restaurant that has been so loved by Mancs for so many years.
Sienna outside AmòFresh pasta dishesInside Amò by Salvi’sTheir viral frozen crema di caffeLemon granitaInside Amò by Salvi’sTiramisu pots
Amò, which is Neapolitan slang for ‘my love’, will have loads of fresh Italian dishes, including arancini, gnocchi, and hearty pasta plates.
At lunchtimes, guests can order from a £10 lunch menu, with dishes changing daily depending on the best produce the kitchen can get – it could be a pizza sandwich with proscuitto and tomato, a spicy pasta, or a gnocchi bake, always served with your choice of soft drink.
With its position on Deansgate Mews, Amò basks in the sunshine at lunchtimes.
And while it’s definitely a different concept to the original Salvi’s, Amò looks set to carry the family’s Italian food legacy into its next generation.
Award-winning Didsbury bakery La Chouquette reveals incredible new site
Daisy Jackson
La Chouquette is one of Greater Manchester’s top bakeries – an award-winner, with queues down the street every weekend for its authentic French pastries and loaves.
And now they’re ready for a new chapter, revealing a major expansion today.
Owners Catrina and Flo have painstakingly expanded the bakery into the unit next door, creating what feels like a true French bakery.
And in the midst of this huge renovation project, they’ve welcomed a tiny new baby boy – quite the summer for the couple.
Catrina and Flo launched La Chouquette in lockdown, and in a time where people could only get their hospitality fix from takeaways, immediately became one of the most popular spots in the region.
Their success has been so great, you’ll still consistently find queues down the street every weekend, for their top sellers like their authentic almond croissants.
Then in October 2024, they grew the business and launched Piqniq, a new deli in Didsbury village, serving freshly-baked baguette sandwiches, breakfast butties, toasties, tiramisu pots and their legendary pastries.
The new-look La Chouquette features beautiful details like mosaic floors, rich blue walls, wooden shelves, and brass light fixtures.
La Chouquette’s best-selling almond croissantsInside the stunning new La Chouquette in DidbsuryNew savoury bakesThe chausson aux pommesThe counter stuffed with artisan French bakesChocolate chip cookies and cinnamon buns
The huge new counter displays more pastries and breads than ever before, like a hearty chausson aux pommes filled with apples that will be perfect for autumn, plus seasonal treats like a rhubarb creme brulee pastry, and homemade quiche.
Speaking at the grand relaunch today, Catrina said: “The layout has changed, it looks so much more chic, it looks like a traditional French bakery. We’re really excited about it.”
As for what’s on the counter, Flo reassured fans that their beloved almond and pistachio croissants remain, but with some new savoury editions, like a truffle croque monsieur made with croissant dough.
La Choquette has reopened today, and will be open seven days a week from 7am until 5pm.
Daisy Jackson -
8th April 2022 
