Over on Oxford Road, Manchester curry house Zouk is creating a very special curry that takes an entire day to prepare.
A traditional dish, taken straight from the Indian subcontinent, Zouk’s lamb nihari is somewhat of a rarity.
It is not often seen on restaurant menus in the UK, due to the fact it takes so long to put together – and, according to brothers Tayub and Mudassar Amjad, their restaurant is the only place in Manchester you can get your hands on the highly sought-after dish.
Image: The Manc Eats
A special slow-cooked curry that originates from Lahore in Pakistan, its base alone takes six hours to put together using lamb bones – all before chefs start piling in chunks of premium lamb fillet, which are slow-cooked until soft, tender and simply falling apart in a thick and spicy sauce.
Always served with a spice tray of six ‘fixings’, alongside your curry you’ll typically find sliced fresh green chillies, fresh ginger, Zouk’s garam masala, fried onions, lemon wedges and fresh coriander – although, as it’s customary to personalise your fixings, you’re welcome to request alternatives.
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Image: The Manc Eats
This dish has a special place in Zouk’s founders’ hearts, being one of the first curries to have been put onto the restaurant’s menu when they opened their first site in Bradford.
Sixteen years later, it’s still there, and the stock is prepared pretty much daily – a testament to both its quality and popularity amongst diners.
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First founded in Bradford in 2006, Zouk has made its name combining street food found in the markets of Lahore with more traditional dishes from the Indian subcontinent.
Found where the edge of the city centre meets Manchester’s University district, this long standing curry house might still be a bit of a mooch from Rusholme’s legendary curry mile – but it’s very much up there with Manchester’s best.
Image: The Manc Eats
The lamb nihari is a classic example of the more traditional elements of the restaurant’s menu, whilst elsewhere you’ll find a grill and roast section and a sizeable ‘small plates’ menu that takes things in a more contemporary direction.
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Here, you can enjoy that same slow-cooked lamb nihari, pulled and stuffed into a freshly cooked naan bread with fresh lime and yoghurt, alongside the likes of Lahore wagyu sliders, butter chicken bao, prawn and pomegranate tacos and crispy okra chips.
The restaurant is also a popular choice for shisha, and has a gorgeous covered and heated outdoor terrace where you can drink, smoke and dine to your heart’s content.
To find out more and book a table, visit Zouk’s website here.
Eats
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 -
31st March 2022 
