A new Korean corn dog restaurant has opened its doors in Manchester today, bringing a taste of one of London’s viral favourites to the north for the very first time.
New opening Bunsik has taken over a 2,000-square-foot site on Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens as it launches its first site outside of the capital.
The corn dog connoisseurs already have three popular branches in Chinatown, Embankment and Camden, with the new northern outpost marking the start of a new age for corn dog lovers.
Sweet and savoury, chewy and crispy, Korean corn dogs are believed to have been around since the 1980s in Korea and have since gained notoriety in Taiwan, Japan, China, the US, and now, Manchester.
For the uninitiated, a Korean corn dog is made from either sausage, cheese, or a combination of the two.
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It is then skewered, dipped in batter and rolled in breadcrumbs; topped with potato, diced french fries, crushed ramen noodles, or crispy rice before hitting the fryer to be cooked up to a perfect golden brown.
The well-loved Eastern snack has officially arrived in the north west serving a wide selection of its infamous corndogs.
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Image: Bunsik
Image: Bunsik
Championing the humble corn dog, Bunsik’s menu features an array of different corn dogs to suit every taste.
Menu items worth looking out for include the Original Corn Dog (premium chicken sausage with crispy outside), Half and Half (a combination of chicken sausage and mozzarella cheese) and the Beef Corn Dog (premium beef sausage with crispy outside).
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find Korean staples like Kimbap ((cooked rice, vegetables, fishcake, and meat rolled in gim – dried sheets of seaweed – and served in bite-sized slices), Ddukbokki (cylindrical ricecakes cooked in a spicy sauce) and Korean Fried Chicken.
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The new Manchester site is also serving up Bingsu, a frozen treat similar to ice cream made from frozen cream or milk. This type of Korean shave ice is created when frozen milk or cream is grated or shaved using a knife to create a fluffy, snow-like dessert.
Bingus toppings range from chopped fruit and condensed milk to fruit syrup and red beans.
Fans of bubble tea, meanwhile, can order a selection of popular choices as well as a number of Bunsik house favourites, including Strawberry Bubble Tea, Chocolate Bubble Tea and Matcha Latte Bubble Tea.
Featured image – Bunsik
Eats
Inside Voyeur, a mysterious new post-punk 80s-inspired cocktail bar
Daisy Jackson
A brand new cocktail bar is set to open in Manchester this week, with dark and mysterious interiors, 80s inspiration, and a raunchy theme.
Voyeur is opening in the heart of the Northern Quarter, and here it’s all about modern drinks in a post-punk 80s setting.
The walls are decorated with beautiful voyeurism photography from the 80s, including artists like David Hockney, Nick Taggart, and Malerie Marder.
Even the menus celebrate the artistic side of voyeurism, with drinks presented within a book of photography.
Those drinks include creative twists on drinks dating back more than a century, from the Kaleidescope of Lies (a two-in one cocktail inspired by a pina colada, with a strawberry daiquiri foam top) to The Voyeur (made with coriander-infused tequila for a savoury punch).
There’ll be monthly themed specials, kicking off with The Breakfast Club, where seasonal drinks take inspiration from Lucky Charms cereal, chai latte and an acai bowl.
Cocktails inspired by The Breakfast Club at VoyeurCocktails at Voyeur in the Northern QuarterInside Voyeur, a new Manchester cocktail barInside Voyeur, a new Manchester cocktail barVoyeur on Oldham StreetThe cocktail menu is presented as a photography book
The dark space is lit by marble table lamps and a glittering green disco ball (and not much else), perfect for an evening spent sipping cocktails into the early hours.
Between Thursdays and Sundays, Voyeur will have DJs spinning vinyls.
Voyeur is opening this week on Oldham Street and will be open from 5pm to 2am between Tuesday and Sunday.
A brand-new dessert, ice-cream and doughnut shop in a former Manc food spot
Thomas Melia
Sweet lovers and dessert connoisseurs alike, a brand-new dessert, ice-cream and doughnut shop is opening in Manchester city centre this month.
Titled ‘Baby Mayhem’, this sweet-filled shop has been teasing its arrival for the past month with videos showcasing everything from new instalments to their graffiti-style logo.
This brand-new opening will be located on Radium Street, not too far away from Chinese superstar Wing Yip and fellow sweet treat specialists, Flat Baker, right in the heart of Ancoats.
The interior has been given a very nice and bright facelift too, going from an all white four-walled site to a bold and distinctive baby pink-covered site.
Manchester seems to have quite the sweet tooth at the moment, as it was only last month that our Northern Quarter was christened by cake gods, Get Baked.
As for this new dessert shop, they’re starting from scratch, with a temporary wooden window frame with their branding spray-painted onto it fitted ahead of their soft launch later this week.
Baby Mayhem is taking up residence in the much-loved Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria shop, and it really is out with the old, in with the new, as the familiar neon ‘No Lasagne’ sign has been traded for a sweeter read of ‘Fresh Donuts’.
It may be Yank spelling, but this still feels Manc through and through.
Case and point: all their signage, stamps and stencils have been done by local laser cutting service and neighbours, Drawn By The Light – also on Radium Street.
Enough salt, let’s have a serious amount of sugar. (Credit: Baby Mayhem via Instagram)
Baby Mayhem are taking sweet treats to the complete extreme, serving up everyone’s beloved combo of coffees and cakes, while also creating our soon-to-be-favourite indulgence: doughnut sandwiches. 10/10, no notes – genius.
There really are no complaints here; what’s not to love?
Baby Mayhem is taking up residence in the former Lazy Tony’s site, 23 Radium Street in Ancoats, and will be serving up their sweet treats for all to try from this Saturday, 26 April.
Georgina Pellant -
7th July 2023 
