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.
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.
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.
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
Hotel Chocolat to open viral chocolate Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Hotel Chocolat is set to open a Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester city centre, and it’ll be absolute paradise for chocolate lovers.
The popular chocolate shop, which has stores across the UK selling delicious chocolate bars, boxes and more, is now preparing to branch out in town.
Hotel Chocolat then hit a new level of fame with its Velvetiser, an invention that creates velvety smooth hot drinks at the touch of a button.
They’ve been so popular, Hotel Chocolat is now opening Velvetiser Cafes across the UK – and Manchester is up next.
If it follows in the footsteps of the Meadowhall cafe in Sheffield, visitors will be able to customise their perfect hot chocolate from thousands of combinations.
There are 18 flavours, different milks, and a whole variety of toppings available.
Then you drink can be served hot, over ice, or as a choc shake.
Colourful hoardings for the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe have now appeared on Cross Street, just next door to the new Joe & The Juice.
A planning application has also been lodged with Manchester City Council.
Drake-backed fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The huge LA-based fried chicken brand backed by Drake is heading to Manchester for the very first time this summer.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open in the Printworks this August – the first UK branch outside of London and Birmingham.
The cult chicken brand has said that its new venue will feature an ‘industrial design inspired by Manchester’s rave scene’ (if we had a pound every time a new venue used that design style, we’d be as rich as Drake…).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is famed for its signature Nashville-style hot chicken, which is served in seven different spice levels from No Spice to Reaper.
Expect sliders, tenders, ‘next-level’ top-loaded shakes and slushes.
It’s grown so quickly that in 2021, it caught the eye of none other than rapper Drake, who is a ‘significant investor’ in the brand.
The fried chicken spot will be moving into the large corner unit at Printworks, which has previously been Busaba Thai, and Floripa, with 139 covers.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is coming to Manchester
Inside, it will feature towering ceilings, exposed steelwork, and laser lights, claiming to be a ‘full-on sensory trip, where music, light and fried chicken will come together to create a high-voltage experience’.
There will also be custom graffiti inspired by L.A.-based street artists Splatterhaus and Dehm.
Dave’s Hot Chicken still has hour-long queues down in London, several months after opening on Shaftesbury Avenue – next up will be a Birmingham branch in July before Manchester opens later this summer.
And this is just the start of a nationwide expansion.
Jim Attwood, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “Printworks Manchester is the ideal setting for our next UK site – right at the heart of one of the country’s most exciting cities.
“The new restaurant pays homage to Manchester’s legendary warehouse rave scene, with an industrial-inspired design and bold, high-energy atmosphere to match our signature flavours.
“We can’t wait to bring something fresh to this iconic venue and its vibrant mix of entertainment, food and culture.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken will open at Printworks Manchester on 8 August.
Georgina Pellant -
7th July 2023 
