El Gato Negro founder Simon Shaw has teased a first glimpse of the menu for his new opening Habas – a Middle Eastern restaurant set to launch in Manchester this summer.
Housed in the former wine cellar of the historic Manchester Club building just off King Street, the hotly-anticipated venue is tipped to welcome its first customers in June.
Habas will focus predominantly on small plates, and given how this concept has enjoyed huge success at multi-award-winning sister sites El Gato Negro and Canto (the latter was recently awarded a Michelin Plate), we know this is something Shaw does very, very well.
From tomato filo cigars to spiced lamb ‘jackets’, some intriguing creations have been revealed today – stirring excitement for this summer’s opening.
Feta cheese, wilted spinach and sunblush tomato filo cigars
Small plates so far include a homemade garlic and herb flatbread with hummus and zhug, Middle Eastern raw slaw with pomegranate molasses, bata harra (spicy fried potatoes with dill sour cream) and beetroot hummus with Greek yoghurt and dill.
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Feta cheese, wilted spinach and sunblush tomato filo cigars have also piqued our interest piqued, along with the spiced lamb ‘jackets’ (fried potato skins filled with spiced lamb, served with mint yoghurt).
Alongside a generous small plate selection, the menu will also feature some larger dishes and feasting platters.
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Beetroot hummus with Greek yoghurt and dill
Speaking on the new opening, Shaw said: “Back in the late 90’s you’d have struggled to have found Middle Eastern restaurants outside of London. Even there, they existed largely to feed the local community, people from Middle Eastern countries and living in London, it was almost regional to them.
“Times have changed and there’s a whole new wave of Middle Eastern & Mediterranean cuisine coming through.
“It’s an amazing style of food, simplistic but with a real depth of flavour that blows you away. It’s what excited me about it as a chef and I think it will have really broad appeal.”
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He’s not wrong. This year alone has seen the emergence of some successful Middle Eastern pop-ups in the city, most recently Evelyn’s Pitta Shop – which saw their head chef Phil Cardy cooking up traditional Israeli pittas and babkas over the last lockdown.
Middle Eastern raw slaw with pomegranate molasses
From what we understand, the new menu at Habas Shaw is very much leaning into the fusion side of things – its ingredient selections making connections with the Spanish food, Syrian lentils and spiced aubergine dishes of El Gato Negro.
“Middle Eastern cuisine has many influences and Habas is a fusion of all,” added Shaw.
Describing the menu as “a real labour of love,” Shaw adds that he can’t wait to unveil it in its entirety.
“There’s something for everyone, whether you’re dining as a table of two, six or twenty. It’s a really inclusive style of dining.”
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Bookings for Habas are due to become available in the coming days.
To be amongst the first to hear when reservations go live, you can sign up to the restaurant and bar’s newsletter on the Habas website.
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Castlefield is being transformed into Gotham amidst more Hollywood filming in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
Castlefield, with its iconic viaduct and cobbled streets, is once again being used for big-budget filming as the latest Batman/DC Universe title, Clayface, looks to be setting up in the eye-catching Manc corner.
Whether it’s football kit reveals and brand shoots, BBC dramas or the next upcoming Netflix series, production crews can’t get enough of Castlefield, it would seem.
For those who hadn’t heard, work on the new Clayface movie revolving around the cult favourite Batman villain is well underway, and the North West has been used as the backdrop on multiple ocassions this month already.
You can see early glimpses of the set being put together down below.
Come on, how cool is it that we get to stumble on stuff like this right on our doorstep so often?
Speaking to The Manc, a source detailed that the set is being assembled today (Tuesday, 16 September) ahead of a single day of principal photography on what we can only assume is more Clayface filming sometime tomorrow.
While she could not confirm with us directly, she said, “If you’re a comic book nerd and look at the posters, you’ll be able to figure it out.” We’ve certainly been studying all the easter eggs already.
It might not quite be as dark and gritty as Gotham City, but this particular part of Manchester has been used in TV and film – especially period dramas – many times for good reason.
The Victorian-era steel structure, dark red brick and overall industrial aesthetic work so well when it comes to creating a believable and cinematic world.
Besides perhaps the most famous instance of Peaky Blinders shooting in these parts, you can add multiple music videos, several Manchester United and Man City shirt launches, and so many more that we’re starting to lose track.
As for Clayface, this isn’t even the first time the upcoming DC ‘body-horror’ flick has popped up in Greater Manchester.
Last week saw the equally striking Art Deco facade of the old The Plaza Super Cinema in Stockport turned into a fictional movie premiere to stunning effect:
Speaking of, another childhood favourite is filming here in Manchester right now, too.
Besides perhaps the most famous instance of Peaky Blinders shooting in these parts, the new Narnia adaptation by Greta Gerwig may just be one of the biggest projects that has ever landed underneath the familiar ‘birdcage’.
ln fact, it just so happens that there are actually multiple noteworthy small and silver screen works fighting over the Castlefield shooting schedule at the moment…
Manchester City staff member sacked after wearing Man United shirt to shift
Danny Jones
Man City have divided a fair few supporters after they sacked a barman for wearing a United shirt to their shift during the Manchester derby.
Although it’s not exactly surprising, the decision has ruffled plenty of feathers on both sides, as well as among neutral fans.
The Blues emerged victorious in the 197th clash between the two local rivals, winning 3-0 on an evening that paid tribute to the late, great Ricky Hatton, but another backstory looming over the fixture that caught the attention of football fans online was the City staff member who lost his job.
Working on concessions inside the Etihad Stadium before the game, the barman was made known to the official MCFC Matchday Support channel on X, who quickly confirmed he had been let go before the game even began.
In the since-deleted post, the home fan who reported the worker wrote: “Absolute joke – letting one of the bar staff in block 315 wear a United shirt on Derby Day.”
Although many City fans applauded the fast action by the club on the day, it’s fair to say that sacking him so soon that he didn’t even last until kick-off has rubbed many others the wrong way.
One Liverpool fan commented: “I hate United way more than City, but to sack him from a job because of an item of clothing is crazy. So, so poor from Manchester City, this. It’s just football lads, he’s not wearing a political or derogatory symbol. It’s literally a football team…”
Another neutral added: “Getting a minimum wage worker sacked for having a bit of fun instead of just winding him up is the absolute sad state this country is in.”
Even the ‘Out Of Context Football Manager‘ parody account chipped in, writing: “The guy’s been sacked for this. All he needed was a formal warning. I get he’s taking the p*ss – but losing a salary he might really need over this?!
While many have been even more outspoken in their response, as you can see, many supporters – be they Red or otherwise – have come up with arguably the perfect solution:
Manchester City are yet to comment on the backlash, apart from the initial confirmation that the still-anonymous staff member has been released from his position, but as for Man United, simply sticking him on the kiosks in the Stretford End could prove to be a very easy bit of positive PR.
Besides the growing frustration around the fanbase, as Ruben Amorim has yet to turn things around at Old Trafford (pressure was growing even before the derby day defeat), the Red Devils could no doubt do with some positive press for a change.
In fact, it was only earlier this year that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and the wider INEOS Sports administration sanctioned a second round of redundancies at United, with approximately 450 individuals losing their jobs.
That being said, although some have labelled the sacking of the now ex-City barman as “absolutely horrendous behaviour” for Man City, many jumped to quip back that “[United are] more likely to sack more bar staff, not hire them”, as well as simultaneously taking aim at their significant transfer spending.
Georgina Pellant -
6th May 2021 
