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
Didsbury favourite Rustik has confirmed its will sadly be closing this month
Danny Jones
West Didsbury favourite Rustik has sadly announced it will be closing for food after a decade at the end of this month.
The beloved Burton cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but now the independent Irish eatery has confirmed that the business will be shutting down permanently in less than a fortnight.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
Unsurprisingly, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution.
Posting across all of their accounts, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single one of you who walked through our doors and supported us along the way. We poured everything we had — our time, our energy, our lives into making Rustik a space for everyone. And what a ride it’s been.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
“To our amazing staff, past and present: thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and the love you brought every single day. You helped build something truly special, and we’ll never be able to thank you enough.
“To the incredible musicians who filled our space with life — keep doing what you do. The noise complaints? 100% worth the unforgettable nights.”
The team go on to detail that the official closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, reiterating that it is “business running as usual until then” and urging fans to “come down, grab your last Rustik fix, and raise a glass with us one final time.”
Signing off with an emotional farewell, they add: “Lastly, a message close to our hearts: please support your local cafes, bars, and independents. Hospitality is tough right now, and they need your support more than ever.
“Thank you for the most incredible decade of our lives. It’s over and out from us.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted to see Rustik go and know how much it meant not only to the Burton Road community, but also to the Didsbury community, Chorlton and many other Greater Manchester natives.
A ‘saucy’ new Korean fried chicken restaurant is opening in the Gay Village
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new Korean fried chicken restaurant and cocktail bar is set to open on Canal Street this week.
CLUK is promising some big deals and amazing giveaways to celebrate its launch in Manchester, including free food and prize draws.
The newcomer in the heart of the city will specialise in Korean-style crispy fried chicken, but also warming ramen bowls, and salt & pepper classics.
Signature dishes will include Korean cheese-powder fried chicken, and Cheese Volcano Chicken.
CLUK will also serve dishes like kimchi cheese loaded fries, salt & pepper chicken, and huge sharing platters.
You can customise your Korean fried chicken order by size, choosing between wings and boneless and picking a flavour out of honey garlic, sweet and spicy, honey mustard, and honey and sour.
They promise it’ll all be ‘saucy, crunchy, and seriously addictive’.
That’s all washed down with ice-cold beers and creative cocktails, like martinis, spritzes and sours.
CLUK is now open in the Gay Village in ManchesterA spread of CLUK dishesInside CLUK ManchesterFried chicken with Korean cheese powderInside CLUK Manchester
The CLUK team are hoping to create a fun late-night dining option for this buzzing corner of the city centre.
To celebrate its launch on Thursday 18 September, CLUK have announced a whole heap of promotions.
This includes free chicken bao for the first 50 guests to visit during the first five days.
Over the two week launch period, visitors can spin the wheel whenever you spend £12 – spend £24 and spin twice.
And there are big prizes available – the top prize is a £100 gift card or £50 cash, with other prizes including free drinks, food and a £3 voucher as a consolation prize.
Plus, anyone who buys a gift card and tops it up with £100 will receive a free beer or cider.
When those two weeks are up, CLUK will run a £1,000 prize draw.
Georgina Pellant -
7th July 2023 
