After much anticipation, a popular Leeds ramen spot has confirmed the date it will open in Manchester.
House of Fu will open their doors in Manchester on Friday 20 October 2023, serving up classic and inventive bowls of ramen, vibrant rice dishes and homemade gyoza, all paired with carefully selected cocktails, craft beer, sake and wines.
Located on Manchester’s Portland Street within the walls once occupied by the Architects Society, House of Fu is set to bring their modern ramen, rice bowls and small plates to Manchester from 11:30am every day.
The venue also boasts a late-night party spot, state-of-the-art karaoke rooms, and a private dining room, offering a brand-new feasting menu for parties of up to 30, alongside their everyday menu.
Ahead of the opening date, House of Fu will be holding a one night only soft launch with 50% off the entire bill for the lucky ones who catch a booking.
The story of House of Fu begins in 2014 as a smash hit pop-up at Belgrave Music Hall which was awarded ‘Best of the Best’ at that year’s British Street Food awards.
House of Fu is opening a new restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
House of Fu is opening a new restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
The brand then popped up at various venues and music festivals as the team continually developed the concept, testing out ideas collected on inspirational trips to New York, Tokyo, Portland and Los Angeles.
The first site opened in 2021 on Leeds’ The Headrow, going from strength to strength and gaining a loyal following for their innovative flavours and creative takes on Japanese favourites such as gyoza, katsu and tonkotsu broth.
Owners Simon Stevens and Ashley Kollakowski said of finding their ideal Manchester site: “Manchester is home to some of our favourite restaurants and shops and it’s been great getting to know the city a little more whilst looking for a home for House of Fu.
“There’s such an exciting food scene in Manchester and there seems to be more great openings announced every week, we’re really excited to be part of it.
“We’ve developed some incredible new dishes for the Manchester menu which we can’t wait to share with you alongside the obvious hits like our spicy tantanmen and the sleeper fave, the cucumber salad.’
Ben Iley, a long-time collaborator of the team who formerly ran the kitchen at Michelin-recommended restaurant, Ox Club, is the engine driving forward a creative kitchen team and will oversee Manchester operations.
Many years ago, after planning to visit Tokyo for one month, a trip which turned into 10 years, Ben worked at some of the country’s most popular restaurants including Aquavit, The Tokyo American Club and Fujimamas (where he met his wife, Masayo).
Ben cut his teeth working alongside world-renowned chefs including Marcus Samuelsson, Bill Granger, and most notably Ivan Orkin, the chef behind the internationally acclaimed Ivan Ramen.
Ben remarked: “Going for a bowl was the thing to do in Tokyo, it was almost a competition amongst friends to take the group to their newest find or introduce them to their favourite neighbourhood Ramen bar.
“It’s that excitement and love for a good bowl we want to bring to Manchester. Whilst the core menu will consist of some firm favourites, each week the kitchen team will be challenging their creativity, producing their own specials to serve up so our guests can enjoy something different and new every time they visit.
“We want House of Fu to be somewhere chefs want to train as much as they want to eat.”
House of Fu Manchester will support EatWellMCR, the local collective who are working towards the eradication of food poverty in Greater Manchester.
Eats
A much-loved Manc drinking spot is handing out FREE spritzes to Sounds of the City gig-goers
Danny Jones
Popular Manchester city centre drinking spot, Society, is handing out free spritzes to gig-goers heading to this year’s Sounds of the City festival.
The annual series of live music events returned at the start of the month, with Castlefield Bowl once again being turned into one of the best amphitheatres in the country – not that we’re biased, or anything.
And since we’re in a month packed with outdoor gigs (pretty sure there’s some local band on at Heaton Park), what better drink to help you get a bit loose before the party starts than a refreshing spritz in the sunshiiine?
Better yet, if you fancy copping a complimentary one, Society beer and food hall are handing out freebies for those going to Sounds of the City 2025.
As you can see, the deal is simple: turn up to the beautiful Society beer garden or equally lovely indoor space and show your ticket to the bar staff to get your hands on a free spritzer.
Now, there is a catch, as they’re only promising 100 free drinks in total across all seven concerts this July, and three of them have already been – which could be a blessing or a curse – and they’re available on a first come first serve basis from 4pm on each event date.
However, we’ll admit we were a little late to the news on this occasion, so there’s a chance plenty of others haven’t heard about the offer either, meaning you could still be able to sort yourself a free Sarti or Aperol Spritz (only 50 of each available).
Salivating.Sounds of the City is just a short walk from Society.Credit: The Manc Eats/Audio North
With 2025 season openers, Elbow, having kicked things off in true Manc style, as well as The Charlatans and Shed Seven having already played, the word may have gotten out, but it’s still worth a crack. Besides, Society is still a brilliant summery drinking spot regardless.
The deal is available across all remaining concert dates:
Wed, 9 July – The Black Keys, with support from Miles Kane
Thurs, 10 July – Bloc Party, with support from The Royston Club
Fri, 11 July – Rizzle Kicks, with support from Maverick Sabre and Abbie McCarthy
Sat, 12th July – Basement Jaxx, with support from Mike Skinner (DJ Set) and Storm Mollison
Oh, and if you’re wondering what SOTC 2025 has been like so far, the neighbouring balconies have been full as always, Castlefield Hotel has been packed, and we got Guy Garvey to wave at a train driver…
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Society (supplied)
Eats
The UK’s best kebab is coming to Manchester as legendary shawarma bar announces Deansgate site
Clementine Hall
A brand-new shawarma bar is set to open its doors in Manchester this summer.
If you’re ever across the Pennines over in sunny Leeds, then you will have most likely heard of SQEW – a modern Lebanese-inspired eatery that has established itself as a cult-favourite amongst locals.
And it’s not just those Yorkshire folk who think it’s great, SQEW has recently been scooping up the accolades including most recently, Deliveroo’s Best Kebab of 2025.
The rumour mill has been turning for quite some time now but luckily for us they are in fact true, SQEW will be bringing its bold, elevated take on the kebab to 75 Deansgate, taking over the former Rola Wala site.
Images: The Manc Group
From humble beginnings to national recognition, SQEW was founded in 2015 by passionate chef and founder Mitch Renshaw, who wanted to give the often-overlooked kebab the love it truly deserves.
What began as a single idea serving slow-cooked meats and house-made sauces quickly boomed into a local sensation, eventually landing a permanent home in 2021 on Leeds’ Boar Lane.
Customers can expect a menu rooted in Lebanese flavours with a modern twist, all served with good old fashioned northern hospitality.
Image: The Manc Group
Speaking about the expansion, Mitch Renshaw, Owner and Founder of SQEW, said: “Were absolutely thrilled to announce our move over the pennies. We’ve been searching for the perfect site since 2023, and when we came across 75 Deansgate we jumped at it. We have a few surprises up our sleeves for Manchester and can’t wait to reveal more.
Having spent the last few weeks in Manchester, I’m brimming ear to ear, the people, the culture, the operators, we just can’t wait to be part of it.”
The new site will feature an all-day shawarma bar concept with seating, takeaway, and delivery options – so you can get your SQEW fix however way you want it.
We’ll keep you updated with more details in the coming weeks, but you keep an eye on SQEW’s socials for more sneak peeks.
Georgina Pellant -
19th September 2023 
