A new Korean corn dog restaurant has opened its doors in Manchester today, bringing a taste of one of London’s viral favourites to the north for the very first time.
New opening Bunsik has taken over a 2,000-square-foot site on Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens as it launches its first site outside of the capital.
The corn dog connoisseurs already have three popular branches in Chinatown, Embankment and Camden, with the new northern outpost marking the start of a new age for corn dog lovers.
Sweet and savoury, chewy and crispy, Korean corn dogs are believed to have been around since the 1980s in Korea and have since gained notoriety in Taiwan, Japan, China, the US, and now, Manchester.
For the uninitiated, a Korean corn dog is made from either sausage, cheese, or a combination of the two.
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It is then skewered, dipped in batter and rolled in breadcrumbs; topped with potato, diced french fries, crushed ramen noodles, or crispy rice before hitting the fryer to be cooked up to a perfect golden brown.
The well-loved Eastern snack has officially arrived in the north west serving a wide selection of its infamous corndogs.
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Image: Bunsik
Image: Bunsik
Championing the humble corn dog, Bunsik’s menu features an array of different corn dogs to suit every taste.
Menu items worth looking out for include the Original Corn Dog (premium chicken sausage with crispy outside), Half and Half (a combination of chicken sausage and mozzarella cheese) and the Beef Corn Dog (premium beef sausage with crispy outside).
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find Korean staples like Kimbap ((cooked rice, vegetables, fishcake, and meat rolled in gim – dried sheets of seaweed – and served in bite-sized slices), Ddukbokki (cylindrical ricecakes cooked in a spicy sauce) and Korean Fried Chicken.
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The new Manchester site is also serving up Bingsu, a frozen treat similar to ice cream made from frozen cream or milk. This type of Korean shave ice is created when frozen milk or cream is grated or shaved using a knife to create a fluffy, snow-like dessert.
Bingus toppings range from chopped fruit and condensed milk to fruit syrup and red beans.
Fans of bubble tea, meanwhile, can order a selection of popular choices as well as a number of Bunsik house favourites, including Strawberry Bubble Tea, Chocolate Bubble Tea and Matcha Latte Bubble Tea.
Featured image – Bunsik
Eats
One of the UK’s best bars is coming to Manchester for one night only
Daisy Jackson
There’s another excellent hospitality collaboration on the horizon as one of the UK’s best bars pops up in Manchester.
Below Stairs is coming here on a little holiday from their native Leeds, taking over the bar at Stray at Mackie Mayor.
The very special evening of drinking next week will be the second instalment of their collaboration, with Stray popping up in the subterranean South Parade bar in Leeds earlier this week, The Hoot Leeds reports.
Below Stairs was named Sustainable Bar of the Year at the Top 50 Cocktail Bars awards, and placed 27th overall.
They were beaten in Leeds only by Tabula Rasa, which made it to the 16th spot.
On the menu for their trip to Stray they’ll have some of their most popular concoctions.
The Below Stairs menu will include the Coco Mez – mezcal, sweet pepper, basil, cocoa butter and bubbles.
Dashi, a cocktail that’s part of the Below Stairs x Stray collabCorn & Silk, a cocktail that’s part of the Below Stairs x Stray collab
They’ll also serve a delicious Corn & Silk, made with Jack Daniels Old No. 7, Mellow Corn, Cereal Milk, BS Cornsilk and Meadowsweet Liqueur, Grand Josiene, and Oat Creme Fraiché.
A Dashi cocktail will be made with Somerset 3yr Old Cider Brandy, Pea Pod Vodka, Shiitake Dashi, Velvet Falernum, Sake, Bobbys Gin, Coconut, and Mushroom Leaf.
And there’ll be a fruity cocktail made with Ford’s Gin, with The Duchess also featuring Cambusier Raspberry Liqueur, Apricot, Duchess De Bourgogne, Angostura Bitter, and Lime Leaf.
Below Stairs will be behind the bar at Stray on Thursday 20 June from 6pm.
Blinker – The award-winning cocktail bar in Manchester serving retro Breville toasties
Daisy Jackson
When the top cocktail bars in the UK were named earlier this year, Manchester absolutely shone.
Not only did our city scoop up the very top spot thanks to Schofield’s, but we also had another top 10 entry with the brilliant Blinker.
Blinker is a very proper cocktail bar, with table service, branded paper placemats, and some of the most skilfully-made drinks in the entire country.
It features an entire menu of martinis, plus another of old fashioneds, while the rest of the cocktail offering changes seasonally to champion local ingredients.
But alongside all those excellent drinks you’ll find a genius, very retro snack – a menu of Breville toasties.
Because what could possibly pair better with a martini than a gooey cheese toastie?
This is not one of those trendy grilled cheeses you find on street markets everywhere, and there’s not a scrap of sourdough to be found – it’s a proper nostalgic sarnie flattened in a Breville toastie maker so that your snack comes out all scored and lined with grill marks.
Having said that, they are a little more elevated than the toasties you were whipping up in your student halls.
Blinker cacio e pepe toastieA braised beef and red onion toastie at Blinker in Manchester
Tucked away in the very back of the menu you’ll find Blinker’s list of (very affordable) toasted sandwiches.
One such toastie on the menu at Blinker is inspired by Italian pasta classic cacio e pepe.
This posh sandwich features a three-cheese blend and masses of black pepper, then is served piping hot with a shower of Cora Linn cheese on top.
There’s also a braised beef toastie with caramelised red onion, and another with goats cheese, apricot jam and dried rosemary.
Inside Blinker ManchesterInside Blinker Manchester
The most impressive thing is that its menu is priced in line with that at Frankie’s Toasties, a notoriously cheap novelty spot on Portland Street that makes toasties with your more nostalgic (read: cheap and cheerful) fillings.
With this snack menu, Blinker has tapped in to what the people really want after a couple of drinks – loads of cheese slapped between white bread.
And when it comes to sandwiches, sometimes the old-school ones are the best.