Inside Harcourt, the new Hong Kong-style pub that’s just opened in Altrincham
Brought to the Trafford market town by Hong Kongers Priscilla So and Brian Hung, it's far from a traditional British boozer - but that only adds to its charm.
A new pub has opened up in Altrincham, serving carefully chosen craft beers and wines alongside small plates inspired by Hong Kong’s street food scene.
From numbing morsels of spicy Szechuan pepper chicken kidneys to salted egg yolks with chips and deep-fried crispy prawn toast, whilst we know the whole point of a pub is that you don’t actually have to order any food, if you’re coming here you’d be a fool not to give it a go.
Called Harcourt Pub, inside it feels more like a cool Northern Quarter bar than an old-school boozer per se, with a snazzy green-tiled bar backlit by neons and a mix of seating options: ranging from high bar stools to four-top tables and low-slung leather couches and coffee tables.
A huge floor-to-ceiling window opens out onto the street and, as we tuck into generous helpings of sesame-topped prawn toast and crispy-bottomed dumplings, we feel the intrigued eyes of passersby moving over our sizeable feast.
It’s only been open for three weeks, but the new pub certainly seems to be catching the attention of curious locals already. Having made the 30-minute tram ride down from town, it’s not hard to see why.
ADVERTISEMENT
Crispy sesame prawn toast with salted egg yolk at Harcourt Pub. / Image: The Manc Eats
A plate of spicy and crunchy smacked cucumbers at Harcourt Pub. / Image: The Manc Eats
Brought to the Trafford market town by married Hong Kongers Priscilla So and Brian Hung, Harcourt draws on its owner’s experience working in the craft beer industry and, as a result, carries a pretty impeccable beer selection.
The pair came to the UK about a year before opening the pub and had both worked in breweries and beer shops before leaving Hong Kong. Once in Manchester, Brian soon got a job as a barrel ageing manager at Cloudwater Brewery and it was here that he reconnected with his now-business partner Kyle Wong.
Hanging around in the brewery taproom one day, he happened to overhear some customers chatting in Cantonese and to his surprise it was Kyle. The pair already knew each other from home, as Brian had frequented a craft beer bottle shop of Kyle’s when still living in Hong Kong.
After a few drinks, they settled on the idea of opening up their own pub – and as they say, the rest is history. Kyle’s wife Fiona Chan oversees the kitchen, making the whole thing a real family affair.
ADVERTISEMENT
Our sizeable feast at Harcourt Pub. / Image: The Manc Eats
Spicy numbing chicken kidneys at Harcourt Pub. / Image: The Manc Eats
With fourteen different craft beers on tap and two casks to choose from, local Manchester breweries are well represented here with familiar names like Cloudwater, Wander Beyond, Track and Pomona Island sitting alongside the likes of Deya, Wild Beer and Left Handed Giant.
When it comes to their tap list, everything is on rotation except for one lager, the Cloudwater Helles, which Priscilla firmly insists is the best beer of that style they have ever tried.
It’s been a while since we’ve had it, but after she pours us off a quick taster we can’t help but agree. It really is quite special: subtly zesty and herby, pouring a lightly hazy light golden with hints of grass and fruit mixed in. And you’ve always got to have a lager on, you know, for the lads.
Scouring the beer menu, there are some exciting choices including a milk stout from Wild Beer and US Cream Ale from Stubborn Mule. In the end, though, we settle on a fruity rhubarb and raspberry sour from Pomona and Track’s Double Hazy IPA to go with our meal.
Alongside the dumplings, numbing kidneys, and crispy prawn toast, we opt for thinly-sliced spiced beef shin and a soft-boiled egg topped with outrageously delicious pickles. Dessert, meanwhile, comes in the form of Hong Kong-style French toast served with a choice of either condensed milk or Golden syrup.
After some umming and erring, we opt for the syrup – a choice that is quickly validated by the staff, who tell us that’s their favourite, too. Paired with a third of Wander Beyond’s 12% Pastry Stout, we’re in pudding heaven.
A nostalgic favourite of Hong Kongers everywhere, Harcourt’s version featured bite-size cubes of eggy bread filled with peanut butter, topped with cubes of melting butter, and then drizzled in sweet, sickly, syrupy goodness.
Pan-fried chicken and vegetable dumplings. / Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
It’s only the second time we’ve had it, but we completely get the hype. This is a must-try dish, for sure, and a dish that can typically be found on the menu in any Hong Kong greasy spoon-style cafe.
Now, there’s no denying that we Brits have a special relationship with the pub. In fact, we practically invented it. Having inherited the concept from the Romans, we’ve spent centuries honing it into a fine art.
That said, we certainly don’t have the monopoly on the concept anymore – so if you’re getting bored of Scampi Fries and pints of bitter we strongly recommend you give Harcourt Pub a try. You won’t regret it.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Food & Drink
A festival dedicated to cheese is coming to Manchester next week
Daisy Jackson
A cheese festival will be launching in Manchester next week, where you can samples cheese, eat cheesy specials from food vendors, and drink some great beers too.
The newly-announced Cheese Fest, which plans to be an annual festival, will bring together eight different cheesemakers, top local food traders, and a beloved Manchester brewery.
And what would cheese be without pickles? Holly Pickles, who runs Pickle Fest and Track’s Pickle Club, will be on hand with the perfect accompaniments.
Cheese Fest has been set up by The Crafty Cheeseman, and all for a very good cause, raising money to support the vital work of The Christie.
Jonathan Pearcey, aka The Crafty Cheeseman himself, was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer back in 2024, and has been receiving treatment at The Christie.
It’s not the first time he’s set up a fundraiser for the charity, but he’s hoping that Cheese Fest will grow bigger and bigger every year, with vendors all donating a portion of their takings to The Christie Charity.
As well as having the chance to sample, buy, and learn about different cheeses from eight producers, you can feast on cheese toasties from Fred’s, and pizzas from Slice Culture.
The event will be taking place next weekend at Track Brewery’s home near Manchester Piccadilly – so you’ll also have some of the city’s best beers on hand to pair with your cheese.
Jonathan said: “Okay, so, huge news. We are launching, in collaboration with the beautiful Track Brewery, a cheese festival in Manchester.
Slice Culture will have pizza specials for the Cheese FestivalTrack Brewery will host Cheese Fest
“Now as far as I’m aware there’s not been one before, or not for a long time, it’s something that I’ve been desperate to do, Track Brewery are the most wonderful people to be doing it with.
“We are doing it on the 22nd November, it’ll be 12 til 5, there’ll be cheese producers there to talk to you about the cheese, you’ll be able to taste their cheese, and more importantly, buy their cheese.
“There’ll be food vendors there doing awesome cheese specials, we will also have obviously all the extra bits you need with cheese – there’ll be someone doing pickles, there’ll be bread. You know, this is about celebrating the wonderful thing that is cheese.”
He added: “The biggest part of this for me is that we are doing it in collaboration with The Christie Charity. As a lot of you know, the journey I’m going through it’s The Christie who treats me, I’ve done previous things to raise money for charity and Track have been amazing getting behind me with this.
“I think it’s super important to try and support places like The Christie as much as we can, which is why all the vendors will be donating a portion of what we take to The Christie.”
Announcing the event online, The Crafty Cheeseman posted: “Please come down and support this cheesy event as where else can you eat and buy cheese whilst donating to charity.”
Cheese Fest will take place at Track Brewery on Sunday 22 November, from 12pm until 5pm.
Inside Chinatown’s enormous new three-storey restaurant, with futuristic karaoke booths
Daisy Jackson
A gigantic three-storey restaurant and karaoke bar has just opened its doors in Chinatown in Manchester.
Sovereign Clouds is the newest addition to one of the city’s most beloved and ever-evolving neighbourhoods, taking over a sizeable building on Faulkner Street that’s been vacant for 10 years.
Inside the 1,000 sq metre space, you’ll find a glittering restaurant adorned with marble and gold, where you can tuck into a massive menu of dim sum and traditional dishes.
One floor up and you’ll find yourself surrounded by live lobster tanks and the massive kitchen, alongside several flexible private dining spaces.
And up on the top floor are the most futuristic karaoke rooms in town, where you can customise lights, LED ceilings, and even sing through an autotune microphone.
Three roast meats from Sovereign CloudsDelicious dim sumAuthentic Chinese cooking from Sovereign CloudsBlack Gold Lava Buns with salted custard fillingThe massive Sovereign Clouds restaurant
On the menu you’ll find tonnes of steamed dim sum, stir fries, traditional claypot stews, roast meats, and loads more.
There’s seafood like stir-fried lobster with salted egg yolk, and traditional Cantonese steamed grouper; a whole section for abalone (advance orders only) including braised goose feet and fish maw; and a good selection of spicy Sichuan dishes.
The chefs here also have an impressive array of Chinese roast meats, like Peking crispy duck, pork belly, and char siu, as well as three roast meats with rice.
Futuristic karaoke roomsThe main restaurant at Sovereign CloudsFuturistic karaoke rooms
And that’s alongside ingredients you don’t find on a lot of menus in Manchester, like jellyfish, tripe, and century eggs.
It’s all led by Terry Ni, who has been behind the popular Dynasty Chinese and Thai takeaway in Timperley for more than a decade, and has spent years transforming this empty old building into one of Chinatown’s most glittering restaurants.
Come for dinner, stay for a turn on the karaoke upstairs, and tell everyone – Sovereign Clouds is a fantastic addition to Manchester.
Georgina Pellant -
10th February 2023 
