With Halloween lurking just around the corner, no doubt plenty of Manchester’s bars and restaurants are getting into the spooky spirit this week with some special creations.
From DGHNT‘s bloody eyeball donuts that ‘burst’ raspberry jam in your mouth, to these similar-looking concoctions at Tib Street’s Siop Shop (not to mention ghosts filled with Diplomat rum chocolate crème and vegan pumpkin spiced donuts), there are some great one-offs kicking about in the name of All Hallows Eve.
The Halloween specials at Siop Shop also feature a bloodied eye, alongside ghosts filled with Diplomat rum chocolate crème, vegan pumpkin spiced donuts and a classic bone glaze / Image: Siop Shop
The guide is not all Halloween-themed this week, though. There’s simply too much going on to focus purely on specials.
Over in Withington a new burger and wings takeaway has opened with a menu that’s entirely plant-based (we dare you to tell the difference), whilst in the Northern Quarter we’ve got not one but two new bars to shout about.
Keep reading to discover the best new openings and eats in Manchester this week.
Bloody eyeball donuts that ‘burst’ with raspberry jam
Artisan doughnut baker DGHNT has created a brilliant set of new themed creations in honour of Halloween, including bloody eyeball treats filled with raspberry jam that ‘burst’ in your mouth.
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Baker Sulin is also selling creepy-crawly chocolate oreo spider donuts alongside some that have been mummified with icing at Mackie Mayor this weekend, over 30 and 31 October. All vanilla flavoured, donuts will be on sale individually or can be pre-ordered in boxes of four.
A neon-soaked, Blade Runner-inspired underground bar beneath District
Hidden beneath District on Oldham Street, this new bar comes from the same team – bringing its distinct, new wave Thai experience underground.
From the smells of char that waft from the kitchen to the futuristic, synth-wave soundtrack and red and blue neons slicing through the darkness, it’s not just an experience. It’s an experience with some truly brilliant new drinks.
All eight drinks on the menu draw inspiration from Thai cuisine, utilising some unique ingredients like fish sauce, beef fat-washed rum, tomato, turmeric and grilled bananas.
Pork belly and crackling from Kong’s new roast concept at Northern Monk Refectory / Image: Kong’s Meat & Three
A new ‘meat and three’ concept from the team behind *that* fried chicken roast dinner
Kong’s chicken shop, not content with launching just one viral roast dinner, has now branched out with a whole new roast concept that they are calling Meat & Three.
Simply choose your roast meat from options like red wine braised short rib, crispy pork belly, half a chicken or sweet potato pickled walnut nut roast, then add on three sides of your choice to create your perfect plate.
Think curried potato salad with chive and crumb, three-cheese macaroni, collard greens, house slaw, mini hash browns, corn on the cob, and fresh flatbreads. Plates are priced from £12 with three sides, or you can purchase sides separately at £3.50 a pop.
Find Meat & Three at Northern Monk Refectory Wednesday to Sunday from 12 – 10 pm.
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Order to your door, pop in and browse, and even opt to drink at the shop itself at one of its tables – either inside or out. / Image: Ad Hoc
A new wine and beer shop where you can sit down and drink inside
Selling premium selections only, the Ad Hoc wine and beer shop on Edge Street has tables inside and out – giving you the option to sit down and pop a bottle in the store.
Run by the very friendly and knowledgeable Miles Burke and Charlie Heyes, it’s well worth having a chat to discover new, unheard-of bottles that can taste just like your favourites but cost half the price.
Bottles range from £10 to £100 and are all handpicked from independent wineries with an organic and biodynamic focus. There are also some top-quality beers and spirits to be discovered on the shelves too.
A new burger and wings takeaway spot in Withington that’s entirely meat-free
Known for plant-based street food dishes, Herbivorous has made a big name for itself as a brand that’s always on the go – but now owners Robyn and Damian have opened their first permanent location in Withington.
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Must-tries include The Big Kahuna Burger and fried chick’n, as well as Herbivorous’s first-ever twist on a lamb kebab, the Tandoori ‘Lamb’ Kofta Flatbread, which has made a special return to the menu in honour of the new opening.
How a cult classic game helped create the sound of Blossoms’ new album
Danny Jones
More specifically, their soundtracks, as in a recent chat with the Blossoms boys, we found out that their upcoming album was at least partly influenced by a beloved PlayStation 2 classic from 2006.
This is just more proof that you really can find inspiration in just about anything.
Yes, even if only in part, an old video game that many of you may have played back in the day is somehow connected to the latest and technically still yet to be announced release.
We’ve heard of groups such as The 1975 trying to make an album that sounds “as if John Hughes had directed a movie about our lives”, and Red Rum Club leaning further into the growing Western aesthetic with almost every outing, but we never thought we’d hear of a record born out of a love for Bully…
The lads actually touched on that whole ‘still TBC’ when we spoke to them at their studio in Stockport, joking not just about divorce but how they’re baffled by the whole ‘are they working on new music?’ speculation in the media. “Well, yeah, we’re a band – that’s what we do for a living”, as they put it.
But back to the point at hand: lead guitarist Dewhurt’s affection for Bully, a cult favourite PS2 title released by Rockstar Games – the same people behind Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Red Dead Redemption – and the score behind it, essentially served as a seed for the feel of their newest work.
As he explained above, before being expanded on by frontman and primary lyricist Tom Odgen, they were fortunate enough to be in possession of the details for one half of a duo they both admire: Young Gun Silver Fox, a.k.a. British artist Andy Platts and US multi-talented instrumentalist, Shawn Lee.
Lee also just so happens to be the composer of the original Bully video game soundtrack.
Ultimately, this all came about because Josh contacted him over email simply to praise the game’s music (sure, when he was a teenager, we promise), and only took them until the last year or so to put two and two together. Small world, eh?
Oh, the nostalgia.
It has since occurred to us that we’ve come across him before, too.
For us, it was when playing the first Tales From The Borderlands (a spin-off of the popular action role-playing looter-shooter series that has since been turned into a Hollywood movie), which features his song ‘Kiss The Sky’ and ALSO enjoyed in our late teens.
It still continues to baffle us how things can come full circle like this.
As it turns out, his music appears in various pieces of pop culture, and with Tom professing his love for the funky, bass-forward 80s vibes of Lee and his partner Platts’ stuff, he was then roped in as part of the production team on the hypotheticalBlossoms LP number six. Not that we know anything about that…
What has now come out of all this is the previously alluded to lead single entitled ‘Joke About Divorce’, the music video for which dropped last month.
‘Joke About Divorce’ our new single is out now! We love this record, we recorded it live to tape at Tilehouse Studios with Shawn Lee producing. The second we got the mix back it felt like an instant Blossoms classic (if we do say so ourselves)!
We’re still not sure whether or not this is just the first finished song from the project, the opener or indeed even a title track; all we know is it’s another catchy creation from the Stopfordians.
But yeah, in a roundabout way, somehow that ‘problematic’ game that our parents and teachers complained about when we were kids, either by sheer chance, serendipity or perhaps the divine will of the audio gods, appears to have served as a kind of sonic sapling for a fresh era of the local outfit.
Sadly, we have very little else to offer you in terms of information regarding the ‘as yet confirmed’ next studio release from the Blossoms, but we can tell you we’re very much looking forward to hearing what comes next – especially live.
In case you missed it, they’re headlining this year’s edition of NBHD Weekender music festival at the end of the month; you can see the rest of the lineup down below.
Featured Images — Rockstar Games/Audio North/Press shot (via Go! Entertainment)
Feature
Inside Tyga, as a Manchester favourite changes its stripes for a new era
Danny Jones
We recently had the pleasure of visiting Tyga, Manchester city centre’s latest Indian restaurant, which has taken the place of former local favourite, Asha’s.
The Peter Street spot had always been a great place for a curry and progressive takes on the nation’s staples, often pulling inspiration from the Rajasthan region, but now the unit is the start of a new chapter.
In truth, the food was always pretty damn good here – often truly great, even – as we found out the last time we reviewed it; however, it’s clear that there’s been a greater honing of the concept.
Put simply, Tyga is trying to elevate what the team already did so well, whilst adding an extra layer of fine-dining refinement.
@the.manc Peter Streets Indian spot Tyga, has had a serious glow-up, bringing a more refined, fine-dining take on Indian cuisine while keeping all the bold flavours at the heart of it. The 24-hour slow-simmered lamb shank is an absolute must, as is the butter chicken which just melts in your mouth. 😍 It’s not just about the food here though, with an extensive cocktail list that brings theatre to the table, they’re the perfect accompaniment to your table full of scran. It’s the perfect spot for date night, celebrations, or when you just want to seriously impress someone over dinner. 🍸 Get it booked. 📍 47 Peter Street, M2 3NG #themanc#tygamanchester#manchesterfoodie#manchestercurry#wheretoeatinmanchester♬ original sound – The Manc
You hear sentences like a ‘contemporary twist on cuisine’ and ‘modern approaches to classics’ recycled quite a lot, and we get it: it can be a great way to get across that you’re trying to push culinary tradition(s) forward, but it often feels a bit of a throwaway term that’s used far too much.
That being said, while there’s definitely a feeling of familiarity to this recently refreshed foodie lineup, this is one of the times and places where it actually seems like that phrase means something.
While the building and stunning venue itself might have stayed largely the same, bar some knick-knacks being swapped for a few different tiger-based decorations, the authentic clay-pot lamb, ‘Tyga’ prawns, salmon tikka, and Vepudu spiced stir fry show some real innovation.
A lot of these might be rooted in a kind of food we know very well here in Britain, but these latest iterations in recipes and experimentation with their components result in some very cool creations.
The ember wings were smoky and moorish in a way that we’ve not had in a restaurant like this before, and the lamb chops alone were worth ordering by the wheelbarrow full.
Small plates have also been thrown into the mix more seamlessly this time around, too, as have some of the Indo-Chinese options that feel less like a footnote now and, instead, like a continuation of the tweaking and trying out new things seen throughout the rest of the offerings.
Even the vegetarian/vegan section of the menu has been lifted in certain aspects, too, with previously popular dishes being brought back better and more beautifully presented than ever.
Before we forget, a special shout-out goes to those beetroot dill patties.
Speaking of presentation, although they might have simplified some stuff (such as the okra fries that simply need to be dumped on the table and be devoured in seconds by gannets like us), as mentioned, plenty of other bits have been levelled up.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that they’ve just been voted alongside some fellow standout spots by the Asian Catering Federation.
They’ve never shied away from a bit of pageantry, and nothing has changed in that respect.
Everything from the plating to even giving you a rotating water jug that revolves on a single point and never spills has a bit of flair, without being too much or straying into gimmicky territory.
Most importantly of all, whether you want a classy room for your next date night, somewhere intimate the next time you go out for tea with your partner, or still fancy a more banquet-style feast for you and your mates in the form of the updated ‘Maharaja’s Grand Platter’, Tyga can turn its paw to any occasion.
Georgina Pellant -
25th October 2021 
