Noodle heads, rejoice because legendary late-night spot Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun is coming back to the Manchester hospitality scene — well, for one night only, at least.
Over a year on from its shock closure, the much-loved Manc ramen restaurant and bar often referred to simply as CBRB has delighted its die-hard followers, lovers of Japanese cuisine and fans of late-night scran all over the region by staging a special and exclusive return.
Named as the next noodle experts set to take over the kitchens at fellow industry favourites New Wave Ramen over on Tib Lane as part of their crossover series, this being the third edition so far this year, foodies will once again be able to taste some of the best broths to ever grace the game.
You best believe you can sign us up for as many bowls of the Nagoya as we’re allowed and there’ll probably be tears of joy left in it once we’re done.
With New Wave being packed out for the previous two takeovers by Matsudai Ramen and most recently Kanada-Ya — two brands that have received plenty of praise around the UK — it’s hard to understate just how big a deal it is to have one of our own and most celebrated coming back.
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Rumblings of something happening with the ‘Girl Gang’ who served up some of the very best if not the best ramen in Manchester started after CBRB posted nothing but a plain black screen to their Instagram story after pretty much complete silence since they sadly closed their doors on 12 February 2023.
Having only really made noise to announce that their “OG”, former chef and bar manager turned chef-owner Tom Potts would be taking over the Oldham Street venue to open the first brick-and-mortar Kong’s Kitchen fried chicken concept, it’s been dark mode ever since — but no longer.
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As for New Wave, when they too opened up their own standalone site, we were delighted to hear that one of the chefs had come directly from Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun, so they were already doing their bit to help keep the spirit alive and choosing them for the next takeover just makes sense.
Set to take over New Wave for Easter Sunday on 31 March, both teams are obviously expecting an extremely high demand for bookings, so you best be quick if you want to secure an exclusive table and take one last slurp of the good stuff so many used to enjoy into the early hours — you can do so HERE.
Speaking in a statement, New Wave Ramen summed up the limited-time-only event with their mission statement: “Native Produce, Japanese Soul; and visitors can expect nothing short of that during the CBRB takeover. Guests can once again experience the dishes they became so loved for including the spicy Nagoya, soft shell crab Kare ramen and the vegan Tantanmen.
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“This particular collaboration, as part of a series of takeovers at New Wave means both former CBRB patrons and newcomers can enjoy the nostalgia and esteemed dishes respectively, whilst experiencing the excellent service in a relaxed space New Wave prides itself on.” What a way to close out the month.
Now, we’re not going to get carried away and get ahead of ourselves but let’s just say we’re very happy to be hearing Girl Gang’s return and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that moments like this might one day mean we get them back full-time.
In the meantime, if you want to know exactly how much this place means to this particular ramen-obsessed writer, you can always read this — and good luck to those going for a table, we sincerely hope you land one.
Students can join a Wagamama ramen-building workshop for just £5 this week
Daisy Jackson
Students will be able to take part in a build-your-own ramen workshop this week, led by everyone’s favourite pan-Asian restaurant group, Wagamama.
The workshops will cost just £5 (all of which will go to a brilliant cause), and will include the time spent creating your perfect meal, the actual food, plus drinks and sides.
Wagamama has teamed up with mental health charity SHOUT to host this cosy ramen-making workshop.
Students will be invited to join Wagamama chefs in the kitchen, selecting their own broth, protein and veggies, with perfectly-cooked noodles, before sitting down at the restaurant’s benches to slurp up their creations with fellow students.
There’ll also be toppings and garnishes including kimchi, tea-stained eggs, chilli oil, spring onions and more.
With merch to take home too, and steaming bowls of the best-ever autumn dish, this is a one-off event you won’t want to miss.
Students can join a Wagamama ramen-building workshop for just £5 this week. Credit: Supplied
Each £5 ticket includes your food and two drinks, plus a variety of the new Wagamama winter sides and sharers.
All money raised will be donated to SHOUT to support the vital services they provide.
A representative from SHOUT will also be in attendance to talk about student wellbeing and the services available from the charity.
Wagamama says: “At Wagamama, we believe having a conversation is one of the most powerful ways you can support someone struggling with their mental health. Whether it’s a quick check-in via text or an open conversation over a bowl of steaming ramen. no chat is too big or too small to make an impact.
Students can join a Wagamama ramen-building workshop with SHOUT this week. Credit: Supplied
“This ethos is one we share with SHOUT, a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone in the UK who needs someone to talk to. After huge demand during Covid, SHOUT’s service has become increasingly essential + today SHOUT is more highly in demand than ever before.”
The Japanese and pan-Asian restaurant is donating £40,000 to SHOUT this year, plus providing perks and rewards for their team of volunteers, and hosting events in their spaces.
The Wagamama ramen-building workshop will take place at the St Peter’s Square restaurant on Thursday 7 November between 2pm and 4pm. You can get your tickets HERE.
Manchester restaurants to add an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
A handful of local restaurants will be adding an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness.
People in Greater Manchester are once again able to give back while they dine at some of the best restaurants the region has to offer in the run up to Christmas, as the successful StreetSmart fundraising initiative is back for another year.
This year, 13 fantastic restaurants have come together to support local homeless charities as the campaign launched last Friday (1 November).
Manchester independents such as Mana, Climat, 20 Stories, and Tariff and Dale are among those taking part in the campaign this year, alongside several city centre branches chains such as Tampopo, Banyan, BOX, Manahatta, and San Carlo.
StreetSmart works by each participating restaurant adding an extra £1 to every bill they deliver throughout November and December, with all of the money raised going directly to local homeless organisations, thanks to StreetSmart’s official sponsorship from LandAid.
The funds raised by StreetSmart in Greater Manchester this year will support the crucial work of organisations such as CentrePoint, and Akt – a charity supporting LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 into safe homes, employment, education, or training.
In 2023, Manchester restaurants alone raised a whopping £25,000 for these life-changing services in the local community.
Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas / Credit: Supplied | Rifqi Ali Ridho (via Unsplash)
“Many of us want to help the vulnerable people in our community during the festive period, and StreetSmart provides an easy way to do this,” explained Glenn Pougnet, who is the Director of StreetSmart.
“We’re grateful to see so many local restaurants stepping forward to help our city’s homeless.
“It’s amazing to witness the kindness that our community has to offer, and see the tangible impact of our efforts and funding in the community.
“This year, we’re proud to be taking another step towards the eradication of homelessness, and look forward to seeing even more restaurants getting involved over the Christmas period.”
Danny Jones -
20th March 2024 
