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.
Huge Manchester street food event postponed amid severe weather
Daisy Jackson
A big food festival that was set to take place in Manchester this weekend has been postponed due to the severe storm warning.
GRUB at The Club, which is set to celebrate 11 years of the street food heavyweights, was meant to be taking place at Fairfield Social club this weekend.
The brilliant GRUB team had planned two nights of great food and DJs to celebrate their birthday, with free birthday cake for the first 50 people through the door on Friday night.
But as Manchester is battered by basically more rain than we’ve seen all summer, organisers have made the decision to postpone the event for now.
Remember when it felt like Manchester would always be sunny, dry and warm? Those days are over, my friend.
There’s a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms today, then a forecast that features a bit more rain than we’d like for a bank holiday.
GRUB have said that this severe storm forecast has made it ‘impossible’ for the event to go ahead as planned, as they prioritise the safety and enjoyment of everyone on site.
They’ve said that the event will be rearranged to take place in September, with the exact date announced very soon.
GRUB posted: “Due to the severe storm forecast this week we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone the event. The safety and enjoyment of our guests, traders and team always comes first and this weekend’s weather makes it impossible for us to go ahead as planned.
“We’re gutted. This one meant a lot to us and we know it did to you too. But GRUB At The Club is not cancelled! It’s coming back in September and we cannot wait to do this properly. Keep your eyes peeled for the new date announcement coming very soon
“The launch of FSC’s brand new pizza menu is also being pushed back. But not for long! That one’s coming very soon and trust us, it’ll be worth the wait.
“Thank you for your understanding and sorry for any inconvenience caused. We’ll see you soon.”
Keep an eye on GRUB’s Instagram for the rescheduled dates.
Award-winning cocktail bar in Manchester announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
Red Light, a Manchester cocktail bar that’s been named as one of the best in the UK, has announced its shock closure.
The beautiful bar on the cobbled Little David Street has said that ‘this Pride will be our last’, with the doors set to close for good on Sunday.
Red Light opened its doors at Kampus in 2023, an inclusive space with great drinks, events, and DJs.
The bar was the brainchild of Deana Ferguson, an adopted Manc originally hailing from Belfast, who created a cosy, welcoming space with a fantastic martini.
But now, the Red Light team have announced that they have just days remaining in their home.
They wrote that ‘sustained financial headwinds’ are partly to blame, along with the challenges presented by operating a late-night venue in a residential area.
Red Light in Manchester has announced its closureThe beautiful bar is on Little David Street at Kampus in Manchester
In a heartbreaking statement, Red Light wrote: “For so many years, this bar has been more than a place to drink. It has been a home, a dance floor, a refuge, and a place where people could find friendship, freedom, love, and themselves.
“We are immensely proud of the community that has grown within these walls, and grateful to every person who has been part of it.”
The statement went on to thank the DJs, performers, neighbours and friends who ‘made this bar what it was’.
Red Light added: “We want our final Pride to celebrate everything we have created together. Come raise a glass, fill the dance floor, and help us give this place the joyful, unapologetically queer farewell it deserves.
“We hope to see you over the weekend, for one last Pride together.”
Danny Jones -
18th October 2023 
