It’s been exactly a week since I had my last-ever bowl at Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun on its closing night and, not to sound too melodramatic, but I’m still not quite over it.
After the news hit that mine and half of Manchester’s favourite late-night spot was sadly shutting down after four years of slinging bowls of broth, bao buns and plenty of beers, I literally messaged half of the contacts in my phone in shock — partly because I had dragged all of them there at least once.
Every one of them was just as taken aback as I was. Not only was it packed out almost every time we visited, with those spur-of-the-moment midnight trips becoming harder and harder to pull off, but the sheer quality of the food, booze, service and reputation made the announcement so much more unbelievable.
Unfortunately, no amount of local love, word of mouth, glowing reviews and awards can make up for the post-pandemic struggle so many businesses suffered, the ever-rising cost of goods and skyrocketing energy bills, all of which contributed to CBRB having to reluctantly close its doors.
l still remember my first visit so vividly that I would regularly regale friends, family, co-workers and even passing acquaintances about that life-changing night when urging them to try it for themselves — and yes, before you ask, I am fully aware of how saccharine and ridiculous I sound right now, and I don’t care.
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Not long after it opened back in 2018, I saw a post on Facebook showing this incredible-looking bowl of noodles, soup, meat and a bunch of toppings, many of which I wasn’t sure I could even identify. All I knew was it looked delicious and I wanted it, so I promised myself I would go at some point.
A few days later, after already slogging through a crap day and having to work late, I decided I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic on the way back and wait even longer to have my tea. The fact I was regularly putting off going home at that point certainly played a part, but the point is I decided to stay in town and eat out on my own, because why not?
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Wandering roughly in the direction of Northern Quarter, I stumbled across the sign and asked if they had any room. It was busy even for a random weeknight but, thankfully, the friendly woman with glasses and cool tatts sat me down on a little solo table and talked me through everything.
I ordered their signature tonkotsu, a beer recommended by the same nice lady and prepared to wait. Luckily, there was an England game on, so I set my phone up and got ready to bed in for a while. Before I’d barely had a sip or even seen a ball kicked, this steaming, inviting, colourful bowl was placed in front of me.
It was quite simply the best thing I had ever tasted. I devoured the whole thing in what might be a world record, ordered a bao and cocktail and ended up staying for hours, with the staff regularly passing to check if this lonely-looking bloke was having a good time. I was. The best time.
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Little did I know I’d come back a week later with a friend to try the Nagoya to find out that I was wrong: this was, in fact, the best thing I had ever tasted. I was in love from that moment on, going back as regularly as I could until I completed the menu, bringing friends along to watch their reactions. It never disappointed.
Every bowl
Before I knew it, Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun felt like a second home for me and mine. Not only did nights out regularly start to end there as other mates began to love it on the same level I did, but many living in different cities would agree to travel into town from different cities for a night out purely based on the promise that we could go there after.
I don’t think I’ve ever known a shared connection to a restaurant like that in my life, let alone my own singular obsession with this one dining experience that I’d already enjoyed countless times before, and I don’t think I ever will again — certainly not to this extent. It didn’t shut until 2am, for god’s sake! Where else can you get such an incredible meal at that time?
Credit: CBRB (via Instagram)
The only thing I can compare it to is those nights when you go out knowing full well you’re getting a Maccies on the way home; it’s equally as enjoyable as all the drinking, chatter, dancing and so on; everything tastes even more amazing because you’re drunk and it punctuates the end of what was, hopefully, a good night out and another memory created.
Yeah, it’s kind of like that but, you know, way better because you’re eating broths and meats that have been loving slaved over for hours instead of a lukewarm Chicken Legend and soggy fries whilst a couple are screaming at each other on Portland Street as they wait for a taxi they should have ordered hours ago. Plus, I often regret a Maccies when I’m sober but I have never, ever regretted a bowl from CBRB.
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Even the struggle to get in became part of the overall ritual for us: getting turned away at the first attempt, heading over the road to Castle Hotel for a couple of pints while we sat and hoped that a table freed up, then literally necking our drinks and sprinting out the door when one did.
I’m fairly certain the surrounding venues like Castle had just as much love for this place and the patterns of its punters too, as on our final visit on their very last night, we saw the staff heading out with free bowls for the staff working across the way at Lost Cat. It couldn’t have summed up these lot any better.
The last bowl
Speaking of which, we might as well start wrapping this big, blubbering mess of an article up and get to the point: that last night. That very last bowl of ramen.
After trying and failing to get in on the Saturday, we were gutted; we thought we’d missed our chance and wouldn’t get to say goodbye to the place that came to mean so much to us. Luckily, we were out for the Super Bowl on the Sunday (no, the irony is not lost on me) and thought we’d give it one last shot.
Walking in hours before we even intended to eat, we asked if there was a chance a table was going spare. The answer was obviously no but one of the staff said we could put our number down and, as had happened many times before, they’d call us if there was an opening. A few pints later, we got the call and literally celebrated at the table.
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The first.The last.
Sitting down for that final bowl of Nagoya, we couldn’t stress to the staff how much it meant to us to get that table and live out one of our favourite ways to spend an evening one last time. And, to no surprise whatsoever, this was the real super bowl on the night. It was absolutely delicious. Just as good as the first all those years ago.
In the time between my first and last bowl of ramen, I’ve had four different jobs, split up with a long-term partner, moved out; ran more miles than I can count, and aged considerably, both mentally and physically. Almost every photo we ever took there I look like a different person, because after god knows how many visits I am.
The more and more I think about it, the CBRB has literally been a place of pilgrimage in one of the most formative periods of my life. Given the way everyone was on that final Sunday — the staff hugging and cheersing one another, laughing and joking with people eating — it became abundantly clear that it was just as special to me as it was to so many others.
Food is can be a deeply emotive thing and I don’t think I’ve ever been moved by a meal like I was at 101-103 Oldham Street. I never had a bad bowl, bao or beer there, not once and although I’m sad I won’t be able to have it ever again, I’m so glad I stayed late and took a solo table that one night all those years ago.
I’m not writing this for any reason other than to say thank you to Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun. Thank you for every perfectly fluffy bao you rustled up for my long walk home, every inconceivably comforting bowl of broth, to every lovely member of staff that treated me more like a friend rather than a customer and, most importantly, for all of the amazing memories you gave me and my mates over the last few years.
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RIP, CBRB. I and so many other people will miss you dearly and they’ll no doubt continue to support the local girl gang wherever they go. I think I speak for everyone when I say we hope to see you return one day, bigger and better than ever.
Here’s to that last bowl. Just as good as the first.
Featured Image — Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun (via Instagram)
Eats
Stockport bar that took a chance on Underbanks announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
A bar owner who was called ‘mad’ for opening his business at The Underbanks in Stockport has announced he’s closing down for good.
The Cracked Actor was launched by actor Joe Patten back in 2019, long before the Underbanks was considered one of the coolest districts in Greater Manchester.
Joe said he ‘saw the beauty in those bricks’ and took a chance on the unit on Little Underbank, transforming it into a Victorian-inspired blues bar.
And although other operators told him he was ‘mad for opening anything on that street’, Joe proved everyone wrong, and The Cracked Actor became a real Stockport favourite.
Sadly, he has now announced that The Cracked Actor will be closing its doors in just a few weeks’ time.
Joe said that he wants the business to ‘go out at its height’, stressing that ‘it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor – it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of’.
He wants to focus his attention on other projects, like The Banshee and Holy Diver.
His full statement reads: “So Stockport, its taken a long old time to make this decision. But some things have to end on a high. And boy its been a whirlwind.
“The Cracked Actor was my first bar in Stockport and has always weathered the storm. Sadly, these days I have a lot going on. And some things take away from the attention I can pay to my little bar. I want to call time on The Cracked Actor and go out at its height. It’s odd as I have always defended this bar against everything it came up against in this climate. I thought I would always pass this bar down to my kids.
“But it feels the right time to call time. This bar got me on the map and its opened the doors to soo much more that came afterwards. We now have The Bansbee and Holy Diver and exciting opportunities are always pulling me away from where I started.
“I want to focus on whats next and make sure what I’m doing has my full attention. So it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor, it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of the day it opened.
“When I opened the bar 7 years ago every bar owner called me mad for opening anything on that street. Now its booming with bars that have come after wards. Some times you just gotta see the beauty in those bricks.
“I want to pay a massive thank you to my fiance Amy, whome without this bar would have closed 4 years ago. She took to it and saw how much it meant to me. And her Aiden and Oliver bought it back from a slump. Shes bought it back to all its glory and made it better than I ever could have,working endless hours.
“I want to thank all my customers many of of them who have been coming since day one Gary. TeJ & Gary, Boby Dylan, Simon and Ash, to name a few.
“We will be open for the next Two weeks to have a massive send of. And our final day to public will be Saturday 11th July. With a private send of on 12th.”
‘Rooted in India, made in Manchester’ – Punjabee Deli has big designs on the local food scene
Danny Jones
Launching a few months ago, this recently opened Indian deli, cafe, eatery and hangout concept is still in its infancy, but the brains behind this are not the new kids on the block here in Manchester: welcome to Punjabee.
Founded by Sapna Kumar, a familiar face on market stalls across Greater Manchester and across the North West, not to mention the owner of the well-known dessert brandVanilli’s, she’s one of the biggest characters you’ll ever meet.
And, you know what? Sometimes you have to be. This second-generation Indian-Mancunian is a would-be mother to many, as she considers lots of her loyal customers part of her extended family.
And now it’s time to put herself first for once. As she puts it, she’s no longer content just serving up everything for everyone else on a platter for free. Now she’s “ready to spice things up.”
No stranger to a soundbyte or a pithy tagline of her own – after all, she’s been working in this business for well over a decade now – the food speaks for itself, and as well for the vision of this place as she does.
Quite literally putting the bee in Punjabi (you’ve got to admire pun-game like that), this local-born mum of three and extremely dedicated indie trader is as much tied to her Manc soul as she is to herIndian heritage, and she’s all about bringing a ‘home to the plate’ approach.
Remember that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic eats that simple dish, and it takes him right back to his childhood and that feeling of being back in your kitchen/living room? That’s precisely the feeling she’s going for. In fact, we’d argue she’s already achieving it.
Many of her relatively small but equally hard-working crew are not only young people looking to get experience, but also existing hospitality staff who were left out of a job due to the ongoing cost of living crisis and obstacles facing the entirefood and drink sector.
But in the matter of just a few weeks, they’ve been trained up to help make authentic butter chicken, daals and pasandas that people take home for a truly hearty tea, samosas, pakoras, bhajis, Punjabi pasties, all of which are gradually drawing in more and more regulars each week, and so much more.
The mixed Indian snack selection alone is great value for money, and their stuffed lunch wrap for just a fiver is one of the best deals you’ll find anywhere in town on your dinner hour.
In fact, all the well-packed portions aren’t just well-presented in pristine air-tight packaging; they’re also super filling and satisfying, from the wide variety of homemade curries to the fruity lassis canned in-house. Everything is made in the prep kitchen around the corner, before being fridged next door.
You can tell how much experience this outfit has when it comes to catering and scaling up operations, as Sapna is also the baker behind Vanilli’s spin-off,Cake Bar Co., which she started during the pandemic on top of her other projects simply out of boredom.
The girl seemingly doesn’t sit still for even a second, at least not when she’s running these entrepreneurial arms, anyway.
Credit: The Manc Group
Her plans for thedeli and currently daytime-only eatery serve as yet more proof; the team are looking to deck out the space even further, with a bigger cabinet of wooden shelves to turn their already charming deli corner into an even fuller shop.
And then there’s a larger room downstairs of what used to be an old hairdresser’s: she’s keeping coy on that front for now, but let’s just say there’s a great bit of space to work with.
One thing we really appreciate is her acknowledging that going out for a meal, a drink, or even just a coffee is more expensive than ever.
With that in mind, she’s taken her mum’s sage advice and is keeping prices as low as possible, with the likes of the cheap bites at noon, chai for just £1 or totally FREE from 11:30am-2:30pm – an offer that is already starting to draw in steady crowds of meeting up even for a chinwag.
The stylish and colourful nook with bench-seating, cushions, coffee tables, decorated shelving and traditional jaali-style windows that simultaneously transports you elsewhere while making you feel like you’ve been invited into her front room for a brew and a bite to eat.
Let’s be honest, there are few better feelings than that kind of welcome.
Speaking to The Manc, she can never resist a good bit of wordplay, telling us: “We’re putting the chai [tea], back in community” – of which, like everything else, is all made completely in-house, by the way.
Whilst trying to restore that sense of kindness and compassion that she fears might be slowly slipping away, she also says she’s not scared of mixing up the market anymore, both literally and figuratively.
Once a mainstay of the Ancoats Makers’ Market among many others, not to mention the vendor we know to boast two stalls at Stockport’s monthlyFoodie Friday event, she started with a love for baking and made it into a successful passion project.
Now she’s turned making small little pots of curry for her peers on artisan stalls and farmers’ markets into her next venture, and she no longer feels like she’s here to compete: “I am the competition”, she says, “and I’m ready to stir the pot.”
You’d be forgiven for getting slight Heisenberg vibes for a second there, but trust, if you pop intoPunjabee and meet this vibrant, funny and extremely driven woman in person, you’ll see for yourself that she’s all about positivity, moving forward and maximising good vibes.
She’s even looking into karaoke and supper clubs, as well as extending the opening hours on Friday evenings, on top of already being open seven days a week.
Whether you’re stopping by for a cup of chai or taking out, you won’t be disappointed.
She still remembers playing ‘kerby’ out on the streets of Manchester and people gathering to eat their favourite scran, the sense of occasion people felt when paying a trip to the old Italian-style patisserie that they eventually took over.
Something that really stuck with us was this overarching idea that “through food we come together”, and she’s absolutely right.
We can’t wait to see how this place grows over the next year, and we sincerely recommend you come along to Radium Street and give it a try.
Lastly, we’ll sign off by telling you one final thing: translated into English, Sapna means ‘dream’, and this lady sure is thinking big.
Danny Jones -
19th February 2023 
