Eats

New ‘love letter to Manchester’ Japanese tapas bar to open in prominent city centre location

It will spread over two floors, with Asian-inspired street food on one and live music on the other.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 13th December 2022

A new bar and restaurant is set to open in one of the city centre’s most prominent locations, taking over the old Walrus site on High Street.

Disorder promises to be ‘a love letter to Manchester’, featuring a mural of Ian Curtis and a menu of Asian fusion food with a local twist.

The Northern Quarter bar comes from two college friends from Stockport, James Stewart and Sam Koropisz.

The space will take its inspiration from Manchester itself and will spread over two floors.

Disorder’s ground floor will be a restaurant serving Asian-inspired street food and a huge range of lagers and sour beers from around the world – including Mikkler, Verdant, Schöfferhofer and Cloudwater.

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Then on the lower floor it’ll be live music from bands, DJs, rap artists and bar, with a speakeasy dive bar feel.

Jame Stewart and Sam Koropisz outside new bar Disorder. Credit: Edward Jones

The whole space will undergo a massive makeover from its past days, first as Walrus, then briefly as Man With The Fish.

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Huge bifold doors will be added to the front, opening out onto High Street, while cosy Chesterfield sofas will provide space for lounging inside.

Akse-P19 will paint a mural on one wall that will feature the late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis – the bar’s name is also inspired by the band, matching the first track on Unknown Pleasures.

The menu will feature items like Japanese sandos made with black pudding, and cocktails including an Asian-inspired Japanese slipper.

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James, operations director, said: “I have over 10 years experience working in hospitality,
opening many bars for different people and I’m now realising my ambition of opening my own.

“Our love letter to Manchester pays homage to the past, but is in no way a retro or a theme bar and is
taking the bar scene in the city a step forward.

“Nowhere else will have our unique twist on Japanese tapas and we’re creating a lot of cocktails bespoke.

“We will have a number of unique beers and spirits on offer, something to cater for all tastes. Everyone who loves Manchester is welcome!”

Sam, partner in Disorder, added: “James and I bonded over our love of Manchester and discovering new bars. James and I discussed the idea of opening a bar as far back as 2017.

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“Since then, Disorder has been our passion and we’ve put so much thought and consideration into every element and ensuring it works together as a whole – we can’t wait to open our doors and invite the city in.

“It will be the perfect way to end dry January and celebrate with us at the end of January 2023.”

Disorder is currently recruiting for managers, bartenders and kitchen staff.

It’s set to open on High Street in late January 2023 – you can follow them on Instagram @disordermcr for updates.

Featured image: Edward Jones

Eats

Inside the new Simpson’s-themed cafe that has opened in Manchester city centre

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

A new cafe with food and decor inspired by The Simpson’s has opened in Manchester city centre, and it’s already proving quite the mecca for fans of the satirical American cartoon.

Called Desert Island Dumplings, the new cafe – which sells a range of non-traditional vegan dumplings, salt and pepper chips, hash browns, and naughty noodles – can be found on the top floor of Affleck’s in the Northern Quarter.

Bursting with The Simpson’s memorabilia, the team has really nailed the theme here with a giant chalk blackboard reading: “I will not eat too many dumplings” over and over again.

This continues with retro school desks, a painted ‘blue sky’ ceiling, a Simpson’s scarf, and a Bart-shaped gaming monitor hooked up to an old Play Station and Game Cube (complete with the original Simpson’s Road Rage game and The Sims).

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

The cafe even boasts a larger-than-life mural of Homer disappearing into a hedge, taken from a 1994 episode of the show where Homer attempts to befriend his neighbour Flanders.

Speaking on the inspiration behind The Simpson’s theme, owner Lucy Linford told The Manc that one day a customer brought in a The Simpson’s scarf and ‘it just grew from there’.

She said: “Some people are a bit confused and I guess it is a bit weird, but it started because I do love The Simpsons and I do watch it a lot.

“The Simpsons thing just, like, evolved. Some guy came to Ancoats with that scarf to give me, and then we had that hanging up, and then it just came bit by bit.

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

“If anyone asks it’s kind of like, I wanted to open a cafe that I’d go to and I’d want to go to a cafe that had Simpson’s stuff, so I made that happen.”

As well as featured plenty of The Simpson’s memorabilia on its walls, the cafe also boasts a host of Simpsons-inspired dishes.

On its menu, you’ll find the likes of non-traditional dumplings in flavours like cheeseburger, salt and pepper chick’n and overnight blueberry oat, alongside the likes of drunken noodles, salt and pepper chips and salt and pepper hash browns.

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

Read more: A restaurant dedicated to garlic bread has opened in Manchester city centre

There are a bunch of Simpson’s-themed menu items, ranging from steamed hams to an array of combo boxes inspired by different characters in the show including ‘The Lisa’s Lunch Special’. ‘The Homer’s home Early Mega Box’, ‘The It’s All Coming Up Millhouse Special’ and ‘The moe Syzslak Mystery Mega Box.’

As for drinks, these are limited to soft drinks with favourites like Ribena and Coke available alongside delicious Columbian filter coffee, various teas and mugs of hot chocolate.

Read more: Walkers is opening a string of crisp butty cafes across the UK

To find out more about Desert Island Dumplings and plan your visit, make sure to follow the team on Instagram here.

Featured image – The Manc Eats

Eats

Walkers is opening a string of crisp butty cafes across the UK

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

We all love a crisp butty here in the UK. Or, at least 98% of us do, according to research conducted by Walkers.

There’s simply no denying how those crunchy slices of potato – be they deep-fried, air-fried or baked – add a lift to even the most humdrum sarnie.

So when we heard the news that Walkers is opening a host of crisp butty cafes across the UK we were pretty gassed, to say the least.

Locations are yet to be confirmed, with each shop set to run a unique menu of crisp-filled sandwiches alongside their own regionally-inspired offerings, reports The Hoot.

Loaded up with the likes of Quavers, Wotsits and Monster Munch, the new UK cafes will serve up the very best crunchy sandwiches created in collaboration with Max Halley, the guru behind the famous London sandwich shop Max’s.

Whilst most of the sandwich combinations are still being kept under wraps, we have heard talk of a fish finger Monster Munch hybrid with added chipotle mayo, Pic De Gallo and cabbage on focaccia, aka the ‘‘Might Monster Muncher’.

The decision to open the new UK crisp sandwich shops is inspired by Walker’s own research after the company discovered a whopping 98% of adults strongly believe that crisps make their sandwiches better.

Read more: A restaurant dedicated to garlic bread has opened in Manchester city centre

Philippa Pennington at Walkers said: “Last year the residents of Sandwich voted “Crisp In” as the winning combination, but this year we’re widening the debate to showcase the wide range of crisp and sandwich combinations – from classic Walkers crisps through to Wotsits and Monster Munch.

Read more: The landmark pub with Lemn Sissay poem painted on the side has been demolished

“With Walkers Sandwich Shops located across the UK, we’re calling on people to head to their nearest shop, taste the sandwiches and have their say online by sharing their favourite combination from the menu, or favourite crisps to enjoy in a sandwich.”

Featured image – Wikimedia Commons

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