With everyone seemingly getting pinged to isolate by track and trace right now, it’s hard to keep on top of who’s open and who’s been forced to close again.
That said, we can pretty much assure you that all of these venues are raring to go this week and well worth a visit.
Notably, it seems like fried chicken is having a bit of a moment again – not that it ever went out of fashion (we all love good fried chicken, let’s be honest).
Chorlton welcomes a new spot called ZaxxFried opposite Morrison’s – run by a chap who’s reportedly spent his whole life watching his dad perfect the trade in Liverpool.
And in town, city centre favourite Kong’s Chicken Shop continues the hype from its new home on the waterside at KAMPUS (more on that later).
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MIF’s Festival Square has arrived in Cathedral Gardens with a huge roster of street food treats / Video: Eat Well MCR
Elsewhere, in non-chicken related news, down at Cathedral Gardens Manchester International Festival is now in full swing, with a host of street food traders in tow.
Working in partnership with Eat Well MCR, some of the region’s finest chefs are appearing here over the next fortnight – with the likes of Eddie Shepherd, Lorcán Kan (Things Palace / formerly WTLGI) and Joseph Otway (Higher Ground) all popping up with various delights.
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There’s also a new vegan spot to be discovered here, too.
Keep reading to discover more on that, as well as our other top picks for the week, below.
10p from every brew sold at Kim’s Kitchen goes to Venture Arts, a local charity helping people with learning disabilities reach their full potential through visual arts and culture / Image: Kim’s Kitchen
Proper Curry Goat at a real Hulme institution
Formerly known as Kim By The Sea, the newly revamped and rebranded Kim’s Kitchen is a must – whether you’re from Hulme or not.
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A real love letter to its residents and neighbouring community, the food here is a mix of pub grub, proper northern dishes and more exotic global flavours like curry goat which reflect the area’s cultural diversity.
Look up to spot the artistic soundproofing on its ceiling, designed to resemble a birds-eye view of the old Hulme Crescents, and stay for the event programming – which draws in local artists from neighbouring arts hub NIAMOS for a mix of musical and spoken word entertainment.
Kim’s Kitchen is open now. Find it at 49 Old Birley St, Hulme, M15 5RF.
One of the treats on offer from new spot Stellar vegan, available at MIF’s Festival Square / Image: Eatmcr
A new vegan pop-up at MIF’s Festival Square
Plant-based chef Dan Hope (of Firebird Hope) and Laura Oates are popping up at MIF with a new vegan offering called Stellar.
Founded by fellow chef Jason Andrew Wood, the new plant-based pop-up will be on Cathedral Gardens serving barbacoa sandwiches, falafel and mushroom burgers for just £8 – plus yuba sandos and fried tofu burgers.
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Find Stellar Vegan at MIF’s Festival Square on Cathedral Gardens until July 18.
New opening The Firehouse will feature a ‘wall of wine’ and wood-fired small plates / Image: Ramona
Detroit pizza in a former Warehouse depot
The team behind Detroit pizza spot Ramona is currently on track to complete the renovation of a former warehouse depot next door.
They’ll be moving their famed slices into the new unit this Thursday, ahead of planned second opening The Firehouse later this month – which will focus on wood-fired small plates and wild spirits like mezcal and cachaça.
The MOT station opens this Thursday 8 July – bookings being taken now via Ramona.
Kong’s ultimate chicken sandwich is served on a potato brioche with chipotle slaw, Kong’s chunky burger sauce, iceberg, pickles and a game-changing layer of crispy chicken skin crackling / Image: The Manc Eats
The fittest chicken sandwiches to grace the streets of Manchester
These hench chicken sandwiches from Kong’s Chicken Shop are the brainchild of CBRB bar manager Tom Potts and include an extra game-changing layer of fried chicken skin, or chicken ‘crackling’.
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Using chicken thigh for the ultimate sandwich, this is brined for three hours, rolled in a secret spice mix then double-dredged for a crispier texture.
Kong’s also does wings, available dry or wet, and tater tots – all perfect to help keep you going as you work your way through the craft beers, natural wines and cocktails available at KAMPUS as part of Common’s (A Kind Of) Summer Beer Thing.
Find Kong’s Chicken Shop at KAMPUS as part of (A Kind Of) Summer Beer Thing until 1st August.
Didsbury favourite Rustik has confirmed its will sadly be closing this month
Danny Jones
West Didsbury favourite Rustik has sadly announced it will be closing for food after a decade at the end of this month.
The beloved Burton cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but now the independent Irish eatery has confirmed that the business will be shutting down permanently in less than a fortnight.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
Unsurprisingly, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution.
Posting across all of their accounts, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single one of you who walked through our doors and supported us along the way. We poured everything we had — our time, our energy, our lives into making Rustik a space for everyone. And what a ride it’s been.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
“To our amazing staff, past and present: thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and the love you brought every single day. You helped build something truly special, and we’ll never be able to thank you enough.
“To the incredible musicians who filled our space with life — keep doing what you do. The noise complaints? 100% worth the unforgettable nights.”
The team go on to detail that the official closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, reiterating that it is “business running as usual until then” and urging fans to “come down, grab your last Rustik fix, and raise a glass with us one final time.”
Signing off with an emotional farewell, they add: “Lastly, a message close to our hearts: please support your local cafes, bars, and independents. Hospitality is tough right now, and they need your support more than ever.
“Thank you for the most incredible decade of our lives. It’s over and out from us.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted to see Rustik go and know how much it meant not only to the Burton Road community, but also to the Didsbury community, Chorlton and many other Greater Manchester natives.
A ‘saucy’ new Korean fried chicken restaurant is opening in the Gay Village
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new Korean fried chicken restaurant and cocktail bar is set to open on Canal Street this week.
CLUK is promising some big deals and amazing giveaways to celebrate its launch in Manchester, including free food and prize draws.
The newcomer in the heart of the city will specialise in Korean-style crispy fried chicken, but also warming ramen bowls, and salt & pepper classics.
Signature dishes will include Korean cheese-powder fried chicken, and Cheese Volcano Chicken.
CLUK will also serve dishes like kimchi cheese loaded fries, salt & pepper chicken, and huge sharing platters.
You can customise your Korean fried chicken order by size, choosing between wings and boneless and picking a flavour out of honey garlic, sweet and spicy, honey mustard, and honey and sour.
They promise it’ll all be ‘saucy, crunchy, and seriously addictive’.
That’s all washed down with ice-cold beers and creative cocktails, like martinis, spritzes and sours.
CLUK is now open in the Gay Village in ManchesterA spread of CLUK dishesInside CLUK ManchesterFried chicken with Korean cheese powderInside CLUK Manchester
The CLUK team are hoping to create a fun late-night dining option for this buzzing corner of the city centre.
To celebrate its launch on Thursday 18 September, CLUK have announced a whole heap of promotions.
This includes free chicken bao for the first 50 guests to visit during the first five days.
Over the two week launch period, visitors can spin the wheel whenever you spend £12 – spend £24 and spin twice.
And there are big prizes available – the top prize is a £100 gift card or £50 cash, with other prizes including free drinks, food and a £3 voucher as a consolation prize.
Plus, anyone who buys a gift card and tops it up with £100 will receive a free beer or cider.
When those two weeks are up, CLUK will run a £1,000 prize draw.
Georgina Pellant -
5th July 2021 
