Popular Leeds ramen spot House of Fu has just opened up its second restaurant in Manchester city centre and now we know exactly why this place gets so much love.
Popping up in the perfect location along Portland Street, the Yorkshire favourite has taken over a stunning two-storey venue that combines that classic few-frills, red-brick Manc industrial look with a bright orange and white colour scheme, neon signage, graphic tees more.
Feeling not only like a modern noodle bar but genuinely giving off the vibe of a place you can drink at, House of Fu has brought along a stellar reputation from years of serving slurpers in Leeds to 0161 in style and we’ve been excited about seeing if it lives up to the hype forever since it was announced.
We’ll cut straight to the point: it did not disappoint — in fact, we left not only with full bellies but drowsy smiles and we prepared for the impending food coma. So worth it.
Trying a total of three different bowls of lip-smacking soup and noodles — the classic tonkotsu, the ‘Spicy Fu’ and the kimchi and cheese ramen — as well as a California super bowl (which certainly lived up to its name — we’re not joking when we tell you we could literally drink gallons of all these broths.
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With plenty of spice, great texture in the noods, a brilliant range of meat and veggie toppings, as well some really ace sides such as kakuni pork belly, whipped tofu, cripsy cauliflower and more.
We also treated ourselves to a few cheeky drinks from their wide selection of cocktails, all of which can be enjoyed during happy hour from 4-6pm where you can get two for £13.
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Speaking of making menus, there’s also the ‘Fu Style’ set menu, which promises a main and sharing portion of their sides from just £22, £28 if you want one of their frozen cocktails like the perfectly sour and sherbet-filled lemon drop, £30 if you want some extra gyozas and £35 if you want to finish off with some plum sake.
House of Fu’s Manchester location opens in style. (Credit: The Manc Group)
There honestly wasn’t a single thing we didn’t like about this place, from the food and service to the design and even cool merch that we’ll definitely be going far — we’ve been looking for a t-shirt that actively advertises our love for noodles and broth for ages.
They’ve even got a private dining room and karaoke booths downstairs because what’s better than polishing off a massive bowl of ramen and then having a bit of a drunken sing-song afterwards?
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House of Fu‘s new Manchester venue is open to the public from this Friday, 20 October onwards and we can assure you we’ll be spending a lot of time in here.
Manchester’s first banana pudding bar has opened in the city centre
Clementine Hall
Make sure to save room for pudding…because one of the city’s most-talked about dessert brands has found a new home.
Buttercup launched last summer, creating little pots of the hit US dessert made famous by the iconic Magnolia Bakery.
Each dessert features vanilla custard whipped with cream, soft sponge, and fresh banana, which you can then customise with rotating flavours and toppings.
And after a brief disappearance from the Manchester foodie scene, Buttercup is back with a bang with their beautiful new home on Deansgate.
Images: The Manc Group
And when we say beautiful, we really mean it.
Glossy burgundy tiles, butter yellow walls and sleek chrome furniture make up the space beneath the huge arched window, and there’s even a few seats for you to enjoy your pud and watch the world go by.
Open daily from 10am til 10pm, the menu includes three puddings on rotation ready to scoop.
Images: The Manc Group
Choose from the classic banana, indulgent tiramisu and an ever-changing seasonal special, alongside a wall of toppings for you to customise your own pud.
Each recipe has been perfected in-house and the proof really is in the banana pudding…because it tastes just as good as it looks.
Since launching, Buttercup has served around 50,000 puddings, hosted sell-out pop-ups across the city, collaborated with some huge brands, and built a loyal following around its signature build-your-own pudding bar.
Image: The Manc Group
With this new standalone space, you’ll of course be able to indulge in its signature banana pudding, as well as breakfast yoghurt bowls, coffee and matcha.
Officially opening tomorrow Saturday 26 September, the first 50 customers will get a free topping and sauce with the purchase of any pudding, plus a free lip gloss from Manchester-born beauty brand REFY.
‘Remember to support genuine independents’ – Manchester’s rotisserie chicken bistro Tartuffe announces closure
Emily Sergeant
Rotisserie chicken bistro Tartuffe has called final orders on its time at popular city centre hangout, Side Street.
Serving some of the best rotisserie chicken in Manchester – ‘sexy chicken’, if you will – Tartuffe first landed at Side Street inside the ABC Building back in the later summer of 2024, and quickly became known and loved by critics and customers alike for not just their rotisserie options, but also their stylish bar snacks and standout sides.
But despite being a roaring success these past two years, Tartuffe took to social media this week to announce the end of the ‘longest pop-up ever’, with its final service being tomorrow (25 September).
Tartuffe will be leaving Side Street this Friday / Credit: The Manc Group
Announcing its closure on Instagram, Tartuffe wrote: “That’s right, our time at Side Street has come to an end and our final service here is this Friday.
“It’s been an incredible two and a half years cooking for the wonderful people of Manchester and we’re hugely thankful to everyone who’s been to see us whilst we’ve been here.
“Another big thanks to the staff at Side Street who we’ve loved working with. We’ve made some great friends and worked with some absolutely brilliant people.
Danny Jones -
18th October 2023 
