Hong Thai – a firm favourite of all the traders in the Arndale Market – has finally found a new home after a devastating fire shuttered its first Manchester location.
The beloved Thai business now has its very own bricks and mortar restaurant just a short walk away from its original spot in town.
Now based on Oldham Road, a strip often referred to as Little Vietnam, Hong Thai is back with a vengeance and ready to open on Friday.
Their cosy new restaurant has been decorated in sunny yellow and colourful wall art, matching the sunny welcome that all diners are greeted with.
While it’s a brand new location, they’re sticking to the winning formula that gained them so many loyal fans in the Arndale.
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That means huge portions at low prices, warm-hearted service, and vibrant dishes that will warm you from the inside out.
Thai and Hong Kong dishes and snacks start from just £3.50, and absolutely nothing on the menu will cost you more than £12.
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Lilly and the team at Hong ThaiHong Thai’s new home in Manchester is on Oldham Road
House favourites include their menu of hearty Thai curries, always packing just the right amount of heat and singing with fresh flavours.
Hong Kong beef buns have a satisfyingly crisp base from their meeting with the frying pan, but are soft and juicy inside.
There are classic stir-fries like a crispy chilli chicken, coated in a sticky orange sauce, and a Thai green curry packed with perfectly-cooked veggies.
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A highlight is the Khao Soi, a northern Thai take on a laksa – it’s a gigantic bowl loaded to the brim with a coconut curry sauce, chicken balls, prawns, tofu and egg noodles.
Vegetable dumplingsThai green curryTricolour coconut and red bean iceKhao Soi from Hong ThaiSoft beef buns
Posting about their new home in Manchester, Hong Thai wrote: “After a long six months of plenty of hard work, sweat and tears we are finally happy to announce that Hong Thai is back!
“Our doors open to the public on Friday 24th May. We know the anticipation has been high so we will do nothing other than fulfill our customers expectations.
“With a new-improved menu with our classics still making a feature, we are ready to serve up our heartwarming customers.
“Our new home is located in Ancoats, 140 Oldham Road. Across the road from Wing Yip Supermarket. Just a 6 minute walk from Shudehill Bus Station.”
Drake-backed Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in the Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
The cult LA-born fried chicken brand backed by Drake is expanding in Manchester once again, this time with a brand-new site at the Trafford Centre.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open its latest location inside the huge shopping centre, bringing its signature Nashville-style heat to The Orient food hall.
Already causing a stir with its first Manchester site at the Printworks, the fast-growing US chain has built a reputation for long queues and a chicken spice level so extreme you have to sign a waiver to eat it (The Reaper is not for the faint of heart).
And now hoardings have appeared at the bottom of The Orient at The Trafford Centre, joining Five Guys, Shake Shack, and Slim Chickens.
The new Trafford Centre restaurant is expected to follow the same winning formula, serving up its famous hot chicken tenders and sliders, available in seven spice levels and served on a slice of bread to soak up all the spice levels.
Fans can also expect a menu packed with loaded fries, creamy mac and cheese, kale slaw, and indulgent top-loaded shakes, alongside refreshing slushers to cool things down after the heat kicks in.
Born in a Los Angeles car park back in 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken has exploded in popularity in recent years, with Drake becoming a high-profile investor as the brand rapidly expanded across the US and into the UK.
The Trafford Centre opening marks another major step in the brand’s UK growth, following successful launches in London, Birmingham, and Manchester city centre, and signals that the fried chicken heavyweight is only just getting started.
If the scenes at previous openings are anything to go by, Mancunians can expect queues, hype, and plenty of spice when the doors finally open.
Popular Manchester brunch spot Bruncho teases what’s to come with new Northern Quarter cafe
Daisy Jackson
Bruncho has shared a glimpse of what’s to come when it officially opens the doors to its new Northern Quarter cafe.
The brunch spot has had queues down the street since launching on Deansgate, with enough popularity to warrant it opening a second location.
Bruncho is moving into the old Feel Good Club, a huge unit in Hilton House that’s been left empty since the cafe’s shock closure.
And as the clock ticks down to Bruncho’s launch into the Northern Quarter, they’ve shared an exclusive look inside at their very big plans.
The team have now confirmed that the new venue will have a salad bar and vegetarian buffet, as well as coffee raves with DJs at select hours.
New CGIs of the space also show a drastic change from the site’s days as Feel Good Club, filling the giant cafe with wooden tables, hanging pendant lights, plants, and soft textures.
Bruncho is known for its brunch dishes that have a real knack for going viral on social media, including New York-style breakfast rolls in croissant bread; fresh coconut water and matcha served in the coconut; and its absolutely stacked French toasts.
A glimpse inside Bruncho Northern QuarterBruncho will have a vegetarian buffet when it opens in the Northern QuarterHow Bruncho Northern Quarter will look
It’s consistently packed out at its original location on Deansgate, and now it’s taking over a 4,378 sq ft unit in the Northern Quarter too, set to open this June.
Omer Umut Mutlu, owner of Bruncho, said: “Manchester has shown Bruncho so much love, and expanding into the Northern Quarter feels like the natural next step for us.
“Hilton House gives us the space to elevate what we do – more covers, more events, and a new home for the kind of food and atmosphere people will make the journey for.
“We’re excited to bring something fresh to the neighbourhood, with the opening scheduled for June 2026.”
Daisy Jackson -
23rd May 2024 
