Eats

Hello Oriental opens new ‘seriously affordable’ Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre

The popular Manchester city centre gem is venturing out to the suburbs.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 30th January 2025

Manchester gem Hello Oriental is finally opening its new Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre this weekend.

The renowned East Asian street food hub has already taken Manchester city centre by storm since opening its original venue at Circle Square, just off Oxford Road, back in February 2022, and been has receiving rave reviews ever since – with critics notably calling the experience “a lot of fun” and “seriously affordable”.

But now, the Manchester-founded brand has chosen the Trafford Centre as the first UK shopping centre location to bring its trademark street food dining concept to.

There’ll be more than 100 delicious dishes for customers to choose from when the new site opens in the Upper Orient this Saturday.

Hello Oriental has opened a new Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre / Credit: The Manc Group

Hello Oriental owners and childhood best friends, Ricky Yip and Azim Kourah, say they have selected some of the most popular dishes from the Manchester city centre site’s extensive menu for the new Trafford Centre restaurant.

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This means diners at the Trafford Centre can enjoy traditional dishes from across East Asia – including a wide range of Dim Sum, hearty main dishes like Taiwanese pork belly with rice, traditional favourites like beef Ho fun, and loads of different Cantonese roast meats.

There’ll also be a wide selection of street food available, like Korean fried chicken, loaded katsu chicken fries, and three varieties of sticky chicken wings.

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There’s also plenty for the little Mancs to tuck into too, as there’ll be a full kid’s menu available at the new Trafford Centre site, with options for both those with “adventurous” junior palates, to those who prefer “more familiar” tastes.

“We’re so excited to open in the Trafford Centre and give shoppers the chance to try our dishes from across East Asia,” commented co-owner, Ricky Yip, ahead of the new opening.

“Many of the dishes on the menu were enjoyed by Azim and I growing up, cooked by my family, or served in family restaurants, and it’s wonderful to see other families come to Hello Oriental to enjoy these flavours.”

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Hello Oriental will be opening at the Trafford Centre this Saturday (1 February), with thousands of prizes to give away to celebrate Lunar New Year.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

Eats

Altrincham restaurant pays touching tribute to beloved regular after tragic passing

Danny Jones Danny Jones Damo restaurant Altrincham tribute regular customer Haroon death

Altrincham restaurant Damò has paid a truly touching but heartbreaking tribute to one of their dearest customers, Haroon Choudry, after learning of his tragic passing last week.

The Italian eatery is a highly-rated spot that is adored among the Alty community and it seems there’s just as much affection being poured out following the recent death of one of their regulars.

Announcing the news on social media, Damò said that they recently learned of the news that their familiar and popular local face, not to mention beyond loyal patron Haroon had sadly passed away following a sudden heart attack.

He was just 56. This really is a tear-jerker but it’s nevertheless beautiful to read.

Entitling the post simply, ‘GOODBYE H’, the emotional farewell message begins, “Never in my life did I think I’d be writing this…

After explaining that someone walked into the restaurant on Saturday morning to inform them of the awful news, co-owner Amro Faisal went on to add: “I didn’t understand. How? He was just here the day before, and the day before that. He was always here.”

Confessing that it made a busy weekend service more difficult, he revealed how a call with his wife was particularly moving as she simply repeated, “He loved you so much, guys! He loved you so much!” – a moment they have described as unforgettable as it was moving.

As they detailed at length, ‘H’ would visit Damò at least three to four times a week, enjoying “his usual single espresso with a glass of water—he didn’t even have to ask; it just came with my coffee.”

“We’d sit, chat, laugh… sometimes I’d forget I was even working”, Amro continued. “He was passionate about cars, especially vintage cars.

“Some days, we’d just sit at the bar table, watching outside on Ashley Road, talking about cars and engines. He could go on for hours, completely in his element, sharing stories and knowledge.”

It’s clear Haroon was just as big a part of the Damò family as the staff. (Credit: DAMO Altrincham via Facebook)

Equally beloved by friends, family and other regulars, he often ate with his wife and two daughters – of which he was always “so proud” – or best mates Bob and Darren, and was constantly singing the restaurant’s praises to everyone he knew. Put simply, they summed him up as a “lovely person.”

The restaurant opened back in the summer of 2023 and has quickly grown a loyal following in the Trafford market town, but none more so than Haroon. Fast forward to February 2025 and members of the Damò team sadly found themselves at the well-respected local GP’s funeral. Just awful.

Still struggling to find the words, the restaurant said: “And now he’s gone. Just like that […] Still in shock. Still heartbroken. He wasn’t just a customer, not even just a regular—he was our Friend. And he left too soon. We had so many things still to do, so many more coffees to share.

The lasting image is one of him last Wednesday evening, 13 February, eating their Tagliatelle Duck Ragu dish. They signed off the post the only way they knew how, adding, “Rest easy, Haroon. You’ll be missed more than words can say.

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You only have to look in the comments beneath any of their social posts to see how much he meant to others either, with one person writing: “Like many others, I was very fortunate to know H for more than 20 years and make many great ‘car’ memories with him.

“Softly spoken, with a dry wit, a devoted and very proud husband, Dad, son and great friend, he’ll be deeply missed by so many.”

Our thoughts go out to Haroon’s friends, family and everyone’s lives he touched. Rest in peace.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — DAMO Altrincham (via Instagram)/Facebook

Eats

Popular Manchester name shuts huge six-month-old restaurant with immediate effect

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Unagi in Salford Quays. Credit: The Manc Group

A popular name on Greater Manchester’s restaurant scene has announced the immediate closure of one of its most well-known sites.

Unagi has suddenly shut the doors to its huge, beautiful Salford Quays restaurant that has been open for only six months.

Touted as the biggest sushi bar in the north, the brand’s latest location has closed down with immediate effect.

Unagi Media City was the futuristic sushi and Asian restaurant that was the business’s fifth site in Greater Manchester.

It was a stunning space filled with neon and paper lanterns, with an open kitchen to watch the masters at work.

On the menu were pan-Asian snacks, street food, and the brilliant sushi platters that have been the foundation to Unagi’s empire.

Unagi has expanded rapidly in recent years with locations now in Altrincham, Wilmslow, Cheetham Hill and West Didsbury.

Unagi in Cheetham Hill
Unagi in Cheetham Hill
A Manc's Guide to Altrincham - Unagi
Unagi in Altirncham
Unagi in Salford Quays. Credit: The Manc Group
Unagi in Salford Quays
Credit: The Manc Group

In a statement shared online, the restaurant shared that unfortunately the end has already come for its newest location in Salford Quays, so that they can focus on their other thriving restaurants.

They wrote that they would aim to ‘redeploy’ as many staff as possible to other roles in the business, thanking their ‘amazing team’

They wrote: “Dear friends, sadly, we must announce that we won’t be extending our stay in Salford Quays and will be closing Unagi Media City with immediate effect.

“It’s been a tough decision but it will enable us to focus on our thriving Unagi’s in Altrincham, Wilmslow, Didsbury and Cheetham Hill and get rolling on some exciting new openings in Manchester later this year.

“We will redeploy as many of our amazing team as we can and want to thank everyone for all their efforts and incredible service.

“A huge thank you to all our wonderful team and every guest we have welcomed. Onward we roll!”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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