Northern Quarter favourite Tokyo Ramen has finally opened its doors again after more than a year of closure.
The restaurant shut at the beginning of the pandemic and hasn’t reopened since – until now, that is.
Tokyo Ramen kept Manchester ticking over with homemade ramen kits during the successive lockdowns, but now the venue is back bigger and better than before.
And there’s nothing quite like having the real thing in the restaurant.
Fans will be pleased to hear that as well as the return of some old favourites, the team have also spent the period of closure coming up with some brand new menu additions to tempt you back through their doors (as if their return wasn’t enough of a pull on its own).
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We’ve got our eyes on a fried chicken ramen bowl that looks absolutely peng, which features Tokyo’s signature chicken bone broth, tan tan tare, Koji fried chicken, kale, a seasoned egg, lime and fermented chilli oil – but there are some other very nice looking options to be found here, too.
New menu additions like the veggie gyozas sit alongside a choice of four different ramen bowls; which include tempting choices like the Sio Ramen (chicken bone broth, sio tare, torched pork belly, seasoned egg, dashi oil and nori) and Shoyu Ramen (chicken bone broth, shoyu tare, torched pork belly, mustard greens, seasoned egg, spring onion oil and nori).
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For veggies, there’s also a bowl of Kinoko Ramen consisting of mushroom dashi, miso-mustard tare, roast tomato, tonkatsu pickled shitake, crispy enoki and a seasoned egg with mayu oil.
Tokyo Ramen has reopened after more than 17 months of closureVegetable gyzoa is one of the new menu additions at Tokyo Ramen, which has reopened its doors for the first time in over a year
The team behind the restaurant have also given the interior a little bit of a refresh ready to welcome customers back in full force – and given the rainy weather this weekend, we’re sure there’ll be a queue back outside just like the old days before we know it.
Heed our warning and get down as soon as possible. With the recent temporary closure of neighbouring ramen rival CBRB, Tokyo’s definitely the place to be getting your slurp on in the Northern Quarter right now.
Feature image – The Manc Eats.
Eats
You can now have dinner in the actual dressing rooms at Co-op Live
Daisy Jackson
Co-op Live has now launched exclusive backstage dining experiences – which means you could be having dinner inside the very dressing rooms that have hosted music megastars.
These new groundbreaking new Backstage Private Dining experiences feature menus curated by Simon Rimmer.
This will be the first time that the arena’s most exclusive artist areas have been open to guests.
There’ll be 10 selected dates from May 2026, where ticket-holders can eat dinner in dressing rooms that were previously occupied by the likes of Lady Gaga and Bruce Springsteen.
Guests will be able to choose from several packages, from intimate receptions and private three-course dinners inside the dressing rooms, to lavish extras like a Bentley chauffeur-driven arrival, live entertainment, and extended backstage access.
The most premium package will also offer access to Co-op Live’s adidas Originals recording studio.
Proceeds from the Backstage Private Dining will go towards supporting Co-op Live’s official charity partner, the Co-op Foundation, which tackles inequality and supports communities across the UK.
Chef Simon Rimmer commented: “Having worked with Co-op Live for some time, it’s incredibly exciting to now be involved with this unique series of Backstage Private Dining.
“It’s a rare opportunity to further combine the world-class music venue with exceptional food, and I can’t wait to showcase how these experiences can come to life together, creating truly unforgettable evenings for our guests.”
Becci Thomson, Chief Commercial Officer at Co-op Live, said: “From day one, our ambition has been to challenge expectations of what an arena can deliver, and we’re now delighted to introduce a new dimension of premium hospitality at Co-op Live.
“This collaboration unlocks new creative potential within the venue, offering experiences that have not previously been possible. It reflects our commitment to innovation and meaningful impact within the communities we support.”
Designed and delivered in partnership with Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC), Founder and CEO Liz Taylor said: “Opportunities like this are rare. Co-op Live is a venue built for scale, spectacle and ambition — and that’s exactly how we are approaching these events.
“Whether it’s an intimate milestone celebration or a brand hosting at the highest level, these will be immersive, one-night-only experiences designed to deliver real impact. We are proud to have been chosen to help shape this next chapter, bringing creativity, precision and bold thinking to a space that demands nothing less.”
Salford industrial estate bakery with incredible cinnamon rolls to open new site
Daisy Jackson
Mayya Bakery, a local ‘hidden gem’ with incredible cinnamon rolls, is set to open a brand-new bakery that will make it significantly less hidden.
Until now, Mayya has been quietly trading from an industrial estate in Salford, where it’s built a great reputation for its bakes despite an off-the-beaten-track-location and relatively little social media fanfare.
It opened its doors in 2024, operated by former primary school teacher Meli and her husband, dentist Oguz.
This is an artisan bakery with a real Turkish flare, with plenty of comfort food like freshly made gözleme (or gozzies for short) and bigger dishes if you fancy sitting in.
Their counters are stuffed with sweet bakes, like their perfect cinnamon rolls, plus loaves, babka, cookies, and homemade cheesecake.
For bigger dishes, you’ll find breakfast dishes like Turkish eggs, Simit (a traditional sesame bagel) breakfasts, and menemen.
The counters at Mayya Bakery’s current locationIncredible cheesecake at Mayya BakerySigns on Chapel Street Salford for the new Mayya Bakery
And now Mayya Bakery has revealed plans to open a new location in a much more prominent spot in town, with signs appearing in the windows of a unit on Chapel Street.
The sign reads: “Everything is homemade – including this picture.”
It also quips: “They called us hidden gem… not hidden anymore.”
Mayya will open on Chapel Street soon – keep an eye on our food and drink Instagram page The Manc Eats for the latest.
Georgina Pellant -
6th August 2021 
