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.
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.
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?
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.
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.