Rola Wala, an Indian street food brand that’s been a cult favourite since launching 2016, is expanding to Manchester.
The restaurant has secured a site on Deansgate, where it will serve its legendary foot-long naan wraps all the way through to 3am.
Founded by Mark Wright (no, not that one) as a street food stall in London, it quickly expanded to open its first restaurant in Leeds‘ Trinity Kitchen that same year.
It’s now built up a huge following thanks to its filling rice bowls, curries and wraps, and is branching out to our city at last.
One the menu you’ll see build-your-own naan rolls (Rola Wala literally translates to ‘man that rolls’ in Hindi), filled with authentically spiced Indian fillings.
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There are also healthy and heart lunches like naan tikka tacos and rice bowls.
The brand’s ‘buy-one-give-one’ incentive means that they donate one meal to a hungry child in the developing world for every naan roll sold – so far, that’s totally 850,000 meals delivered by Rola Wala.
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Rola Wala is set to launch in November and will have late-night opening hours until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as selling food through Deliveroo.
Rola Wala is opening on Deansgate in Manchester. Credit: SuppliedRola Wala is opening on Deansgate in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Every order is made fresh in front of you from dishes made from scratch daily – choose from a regular or a foot-long naan, then pick between fillings that include 10-hour slow-cooked Nagaland pulled lamb, chicken tikka, and loads of different veggie and vegan options.
Then pile on fresh salads and garnishes, and your choice of five different freshly-made chutneys, from ‘no-chill and mild’ to extra spicy.
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Meals start from just £5.95 and the majority come in at less than 500 calories.
Rola Wala even has Hollywood credentials, appearing in Burnt, starring Bradley Cooper.
Rita Ora and Saturday Kitchen dubbed it ‘London’s Best Wrap’, and it even made a cameo appearance on Jamie Oliver’s Friday Night Feasts.
To celebrate the opening, Rola Wala are giving residents in Manchester the chance to win a year’s worth of free Rola Wala and get access to a free meal on the launch day. To enter and claim you simply need to download the Rola Wala app and sign up before 8 November.
Irish Festival Village returns to Manchester with live music, fry-up pizzas and loads of Guinness
Daisy Jackson
A huge Irish Festival Village has returned to Manchester city centre today to kick off the St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Over the coming 10 days, there’ll be live Irish music, street food, retail stalls and – of course – plenty of Guinness flowing.
The main event is now open at St Ann’s Square, where a gigantic marquee festooned in green, white and orange has been installed.
Inside here, the bar is being run by the O’Shea’s team, and the stage will host loads of live music and great craic.
Outside you’ll find Birchwood Pizza, who have got a menu of pizzas inspired by the Emerald Isle.
Pizzas include the What’s the Craic (a fry-up pizza with white pudding and Dubliner sausage) to The Black Stuff (black pudding, rosemary potato and streaky pudding).
The Irish Festival Village has opened as part of the wider Manchester Irish Festival celebrations across Greater Manchester.
The Irish Festival Village is back in ManchesterIrish pizzas at the Festival Village on St Ann’s SquareYou can shop Irish treats outside
There’ll also be a Saint Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday 16 March, which will weave its way from the Irish World Heritage Centre all the way onto Deansgate.
The parade will showcase and champion local groups and organisations such as GAA clubs, Irish dance classes, marching bands, and pipe bands, along with a strong representation of the 32 counties in Ireland.
And it handily winds up around King Street, just beside the Irish Festival Village.
The gathering spot will be open from Friday 7 March all the way through to St Patrick’s Day itself – find out more HERE.
There’s a bakery in Manchester where you can decorate your own adorable tiny bento cake
Daisy Jackson
We’ve found a wholesome activity that’ll suit even the most cack-handed of bakers – a workshop where you can decorate your own miniature bento cake.
This Manchester activity has shot to the top of our list of our favourite things to do locally, perfect for a hen do, a birthday, a mate date or a date date.
Bento cakes, or lunchbox cakes, have all the elaborate decorations of a full celebration cake but made miniature, for a treat that doesn’t have to be shared out to dozens of people.
From swirls of buttercream frosting to pretty piped love hearts to cursive writing atop your cake, there are loads of decorations you can add to your own creation.
At Vanilla Ice Cakes in Chorlton, you’ll sit under the expert eye of owner Fiza, a master baker who’s been in the game for more than a decade.
She’ll guide you (and sometimes step in to help you) as you fumble your way through decorating your own cake.
As you arrive for your workshop you’re presented with two adorable vanilla sponge cakes, a classic base for a proper Victoria sponge or a more elaborate celebration cake.
Other cakes at Vanilla Ice CakesYou can mix up your own buttercream icingMaster baker Fiza at work at the bento cake workshopThe bento cake workshop space in ManchesterOne of our creations at the bento cake workshop in Chorlton, Manchester
Each class includes hot drinks, plus a plate full of Vanilla Ice Cakes’ delicious brownie bites.
From here, you’re taught the basics of piping, building a buttercream ‘dam’ before spooning in a filling of choice – jam, Nutella or Lotus Biscoff.
After applying a crumb coat (Great British Bake Off fans will already be on the right page here), the real fun begins.
Fiza will help you to whip up a smooth buttercream in whichever colour you wish, before letting you run riot with a piping bag.
You’ll practice swirls, rosettes, hearts, and even writing in icing ahead of decorating your actual cake.
You can see how we got on below, then book your own spot HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
16th October 2023 
