“If you’re not hungover at least one day of the weekend, you’re a boring person,” jokes Eunji Noh with a joyfully infectious giggle as she takes our order.
It’s early still, but at 5 o’clock on a wet Friday afternoon spent stomping around Chorlton I’m more than ready for a drink and speedily order a pint.
Ok, honestly it’s not my first, but it seems that Eunji and I are on the same page. My date, however, has already had enough. She asks me if it’s ok if she orders a Coke.
When I say yes, of course, Eunji laughs, then explains – saying I’m a good friend, and that all of hers would have flat-out refused to allow her to have a soft drink on a night out.
Considering this place is called The Thirsty Korean, I guess we should have both known what we were getting into.
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Straddling the line between bar and restaurant, drinking is, evidenltly, highly encouraged here – but the dishes are also substantial and well-worth coming in for on their own (if you can swerve the peer pressure, that is.)
Eyeing the menu eagerly, and almost instantly deciding that I want all of the kimchi, we opt for a pot on the side as well as one of Eunji’s spicy, thin fermented cabbage pancakes.
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Served with a dipping sauce littered with tiny sesame seeds, it’s hot, spicy, crispy, a little sweet, sour, and a little salty at once. Chunky slices of cabbage keep coming to the fore. It’s stunning.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Perfect washed down with a pint of beer, after some enthusiastic slicing and dipping we move onto the main attraction: beef noodles and fried chicken.
The chapaguri noodles are relatively simple to make, famously comprised of two different packets of instant noodles – slightly sweet jjapaghetti and spicy neoguri – then topped with steak and, in Chorlton, a sprinkle of spring onion.
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Internaionally renowned thanks to their appearance in the four-time-Oscar-winning South Korean film Parasite, which took home Best Picturem Best International Film and Best Director in 2020, I couldn’t resist opting for a portion despite wondering if they had been a bit overhyped at the time. How wrong I was.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Stir fried in a black bean sauce with hefty chunks of sirloin on top, it’s simple but effective with a mild spice.
As for the KFC? It’s a perfectly crisp and casual end to a rainy afternoon, served with a sweet and sticky chilli dipping sauce on the side.
Quite a few people, prior to my visit said that if you want to eat like a true Korean then this is the place to go.
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Its walls are decorated with Korean film posters, post cards and photographs of friends, whilst the furniture has something of a hodge-podge, thrown-together feel about it that merely adds to the bar’s charm.
The real highlight, food (and soju) aside, though, has to be Eunji herself – a bonafide bubble of positivity, with a friendly, jokey way about her that just makes you feel instantly at home.
If there was any doubt about her happy radiance, it was my trip to the ladies that really sealed the deal.
It’s not something you’d usually put in a food review, going to the bathroom, but this has to be mentioned.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The walls, inside, are plastered with inspirational quotes dating back to 2019 and stretching all the way through the pandemic – a difficult time for many eateries, The Thirsy Korean included.
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En masse, they are overwhelming, especially after a few drinks, a long day and a belly full of fried chicken, kimchi and noodles.
One, dated to June 2019, reads: “You don’t inspire others by being perfect. You inspire others by how you deal with your imperfections.”
Another says: “Stop trying to make everyone happy. You’re not tequila.”
All signed ‘Your friend EJ”, it’s hard not to feel a bit emotional as we make our departure. Yes, part of that might be the drink, but even on our way out I find myself making plans to come back – just to bask in Eunji’s warmth.
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It’s easy to see why Chorltonites rave about this place so much, and after a visit I’m definitely joining their ranks.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Eats
First look inside Social Osteria, Stockport’s buzzy new Italian restaurant
Lydia Mastrolonardo
That’s right Stopfordians – we’re gaining yet another brand new addition to our town’s blooming food and drink scene, as Social Osteria opens its doors at Weir Mill.
It’s safe to say we’re in good hands, with the geniuses behind The Social Trattoria, named best Trattoria at the Italian Awards UK 2025, being the ones to bring this new taste of Italy to South Manchester.
Just because we are no longer experiencing the weather to match an Italian summer, doesn’t mean we can’t continue eating like we’re there.
Social Osteria can now be found overlooking the River Mersey, as a beautiful 2,000 sq ft space within the buzzing new canalside development, fully equipped with the classic exposed red brickwork, vaulted ceilings and even the restored original kiln.
As you approach the restaurant, you are greeted by a sunken courtyard and riverside seating, making for the perfect alfresco dining spot, when the warmer weather finally rolls back around.
With the meaning of Osteria being an Italian tavern, for locals to gather and enjoy each other’s company, good wine and honest, flavourful food – the team have stayed true to the name. You can expect dim, ambient lighting, an open kitchen, fresh small plates, flavourful 48-hour pizzas, and traditional pasta.
Vibrant dishes at Social Osteria in Stockport. Credit: The Manc Group
This glamorous new restaurant is promising a spectacular menu, from cacio e pepe butter beans to guanciale topped pizzas and their very own slow-cooked beef shin and pork shoulder paccheri ragu, you know we’re in the right place.
With Italian food running in the family, the team’s cooking practices are rooted in traditional methods, passed down through the generations and then presented to us, with the freshest of ingredients.
It suits Capital&Centric, who’ve taken the same approach to Weir Mill itself – embracing the character of the historic mill whilst transforming it into a vibrant community, for generations to come.
Inside Social Osteria at Weir Mill. Credit: The Manc Group
Set below Stockport’s iconic viaduct, the £60m neighbourhood is now home to 253 apartments alongside bustling cafés, wine bars and stunning restaurants akin to Social Osteria, accompanied by plenty of outdoor seating, green spaces, and riverside viewpoints.
Where Osteria Social now calls home is part of Stockport’s £1 billion Town Centre West masterplan, adding to the town’s growing reputation as one of the best locations to live in the UK.
Social Osteria will officially open Thursday 22 October, at Weir Mill. Be sure to book your tables early as we fear this one might get a little booked up.
Traitors star and comedian Joe Lycett is putting cash behind the bar at two Manchester pubs
Daisy Jackson
Comedian Joe Lycett is putting money behind the bar at two Manchester pubs this week, as he continues to encourage people to get out and support their local boozers.
The TV favourite – who is also currently one of the stars on The Traitors – announced the news as he bid farewell to his fictional TV pub The Lycett Arms.
On the show, he said: “There are 45,000 pubs in the UK – go and give them some love.”
Joe Lycett then proceeded to list 30 brilliant pubs up and down the country, including two in Manchester, and announced that the drinks are on him this week.
He told audiences: “[This] Friday I’ll be putting a little bit of money behind the bar in all the pubs you’ve just seen. I hope you can have a drink on me.”
The pubs he picked out in Manchester are the iconic old boozer The Peveril of the Peak, and the excellent pub and comedy venue The Old Monkey.
The Peveril of the Peak on Great Bridgewater Street is a real icon in the city centre, with its green tiled exterior and its cosy interiors.
Until recently, it was run by legendary local landlady Nancy Swanick, who died in July at the age of 96.
The Peveril of the Peak pub in ManchesterInside The Pev
Commenting on Joe Lycett’s post about his pub offer, they wrote: “You are all more than welcome at The Pev. Give me a shout and I will sort you out with a pie, Joe.”
The Old Monkey, meanwhile, is famed for its comedy nights run by Trapdoor Comedy Club, and for its open mic sessions, as well as award-winning beers.
The Portland Street pub has also very kindly agreed to match Joe Lycett’s donation, which means double the budget for pints for Mancs.
Georgina Pellant -
28th July 2023 
