Times are tough right now, which means that we’re all looking for a bargain more than ever.
Our trusty supermarket meal deals have been hiked up, and one high street coffee shop has even had the audacity to price up half a ham sandwich at £2. Outrageous. So, we figured, it was time to hunt down some new cheap lunch options.
For fans of sushi, we’ve got an absolute gem. In Manchester’s Chinatown, there’s a specialist sushi restaurant where you can get quality lunchtime plates for just £1.50 a pop.
Formerly known as Wasabi, it has been a fixture in the city for as long as we can remember. At least a decade, probably more.
Currently in the process of rebranding to Wazuzhi, it has one of the most affordable lunch deals in town – with generous portions of maki, nigiri, and uramaki all available from its conveyor belt for £2 or less.
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Available Monday to Friday between the hours of 12-3pm at both the Chinatown and Printworks restaurants, simply arrive at the desk and say you want the lunch deal, then wait to be seated.
Once you’re at the sushi carousel, you’re at liberty to pick up as many dishes as you like. Each contain typically, 2-4 pieces of sushi each, with grey plates priced at £1.50 each and orange plates at £2.
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Wasabi, soy sauce, pickled ginger and togarashi are all included free of charge, although we did have to ask our server – it’s not all just laid out for you on the table.
Choices are vast, with an almost overwhelming number of options rolling past at eye level on the seemingly never-ending sushi carousel.
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For £1.50 you can enjoy octopus, cuttlefish, spicy tuna, tamago, prawn and salmon nigiri, spicy tuna and tuna and sweetcorn gunkan, and a huge array of maki stuffed with the likes of chicken, salmon crabstick, California una, smoked salmon and soft cheese, asparagus, daikon and cucumber.
At that price, you can also tuck into big portions of edamame beans, and inari tofu pockets, whilst for £2 you can enjoy the likes of prawn tempura maki, mackerel saba nigiri, duck katsu maki, breaded prawn nigiri, salmon avocado maki, arctic clam nigiri, seared salmon nigiri and wakama gunkan.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
It’s worth noting that after 3pm the prices do go up – with grey plates increasing to £2 and orange plates to £2.50.
We snuck in at 2.50pm, though, and managed to get everything at the cheaper price, so don’t be too worried if you’re running up against that 3pm deadline.
There’s no need to book, simply walk in – and if you fancy an extra treat on your way out, there’s a dedicated dessert room upstairs to explore too.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
First Look: Matcha Made and The Trafford Centre makes for a perfect marriage
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester’s newest matcha spot just dropped, and we know it’s an easy pun, but it really does feel like a match made in heaven.
Just picture the scene: there’s a big birthday or holiday coming up, so you’ve arrived at The Trafford Centre early to get in a full day of shopping, eating and being generally leisurely – but you need an early caffeine fix and maybe some light, fluffy yet still filling pastry to keep you going.
There are very few places better to start this kind of day than at Matcha Made, who’ve just opened up in the North West’s massive and most famous shopping mall.
Fronted by a lovely lineup of smiling staff who couldn’t do enough for you and are more than happy to give you advice or simply plug their own recommendations, we can see ourselves coming back here for the service alone.
They’ve arrived in the big leisure complex just in time for February half-term, too, meaning any parents needing an alternative caffeine hit can fuel up right here.
Specialising in the Japanese and super healthy green tea craze that currently has the UK in a chokehold, only directly out of a tap – almost like a zen twist of draught beer taps – the art is not only in how green the raw matcha itself tastes but in the flavours and finishing touches.
This stylish pastel green hatch might not be the only place to get your matcha on in The Trafford Centre, but it might just be the best already.
It was immediately apparent that the staff had a clear favourite: the Biscoff foam version, but they said their simple but sweet and satisfying strawberry one has also proved to be one of the most popular.
There’s plenty of fruity options to choose from; they’ve got their own take on the fellow contemporary trend of banana pudding for anyone looking for a fix, and even ume plum, or you can just go for a straight-up coffee or hot chocolate as well.
So yeah, even if your partner isn’t quite ready to admit they’re a secret ‘matcha girlie’, then they can spend a little bit more time lying to themselves over this side of the menu.
Whether you want it topped with cream, shavings or a light dusting of cocoa powder, you can make this little drink just about as decorative as you like.
Besides being more reasonably priced than we were expecting, given the ongoing matcha boom, you’ve also got the big bonus of a fridge stocked with bakes from local favourite La Chouqette. Sold.
Manchester’s tiny new tiramisu hatch Layr speaks out after receiving influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s tiny new tiramisu hatch has spoken out after receiving a recent influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages and reviews.
Having only opened its doors – or should we say, shutters – at the end of last month (29 January) over in Acoats, Layr is one of Manchester’s newest independent businesses that is selling purely tiramisu, with a menu of three different flavours, each served in individually portioned pots.
Here you can expect classic tiramisu where sponge is soaked in espresso, then layered with vanilla marscapone and cocoa dust.
These freshly-made, alcohol-free and Halal desserts have gone down an absolute treat with residents and visitors to the city alike since opening, but unfortunately, it hasn’t been completely smooth sailing for founder Moona who has admitted over the weekend that they have been receiving a number of ‘hostile’ hate comments and reviews that don’t reflect the service they are providing.
The statement comes after the business teamed up with The Couture Club and influencer Farron Clark for a Valentine’s collaboration over the weekend.
Layr said in its Instagram statement: “As a small independent business, we can’t stay silent when things aren’t right. It’s hard to share, but it has to be said.
“With a heavy heart, we need to address something that’s been happening behind the scenes. Over the past few days, we’ve noticed a pattern that’s been difficult to process. Hostile hate-messages, comments, and reviews. A number of one-star reviews have appeared that don’t feel reflective of real customer experiences… with some of our genuine customer photos have been screenshotted and reposted elsewhere.
Layr has spoken out after receiving an influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages / Credit: The Manc Group
“As a small, new independent business, we take all feedback on board. However instances that appear not to be genuine are disheartening to see.”
They then shared a couple of screenshot images of reviews and comments they were referring to, before adding that: “The industry is already a challenge without these instances. We all need each other’s support and I hope we all succeed in what we set out to achieve.”
The statement concluded: “Let’s spread love… not hate.”
Georgina Pellant -
12th October 2022 
