A new Vietnamese-style restaurant is due to open in the former Blackhouse Grill site later this autumn.
Called Namii Kitchen & Cocktails, it will take over the space in Manchester city centre this autumn – opening just behind Piccadilly Gardens bus station on New York Street.
Now Namii is moving in, bringing the building back to life after over a year of it sitting empty.
Featuring authentic pan Asian cuisine with a heavy Vietnamese influence, the new Manchester restaurant will serve traditional favourites such as Vietnam’s national dish, Pho, Bahn Mi and summer rolls.
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Opening for breakfast and brunch from 10am daily, its mid-morning offering will also include Asian twists on brunch classics like an Eggs Royale with a honeyed miso dressing.
Namii Kitchen & Cocktails features authentic pan Asian cuisine with a heavy Vietnamese influence / Credit: Namii
On the drinks side of things, Namii is promising to deliver an innovative cocktail menu inspired by Vietnamese mythology and folklore.
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One drink called The Horse of Iron combines Roku gin, ginkgo kernel and wasabi syrup – drawing on an ancient legend that tells of a horse belonging to Saint Giong that spit fire from its mouth to defeat invaders, then flew away into the sky.
The restaurant and bar will also offer an extensive wine and sake selection alongside its signature cocktail menu, as well as teaming up for monthly residencies with respected spirit and wine brands.
Namii Kitchen & Cocktails will host four ticketed events each month as part of the residencies from sensory tastings to tasting menus with paired drinks.
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Entertainment-wise, guests can look forward to a variety of live music and DJ’s every Friday and Saturday evening throughout the holiday period, as well as a planned scotch whisky event that is due to take place in January.
The venue has been working to eliminate packaging waste and overall reduce its carbon footprint, collaborating with brands including ecoSPIRITS to ensure that sustainability is at the core of its drinks menu.
The restaurant has revealed its opening date on social media as Saturday, 6 November 2021 / Credit: Namii
Owner and Managing Director Terence Lee, said of the opening: “We can’t wait to open our doors in Manchester.
“The city has established itself as one of the UK’s most exciting food destinations over the past decade and we’re thrilled to be able to add to the line-up.”
Sales and Marketing Manager John Clossick added: “Namii Kitchen & Cocktails is a new, bold concept, blending authentic Vietnamese food, flavours and technique with modern service, style and setting.
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“Food is the centre of so many social occasions, and we want the restaurant to be somewhere friends can get together and catch up over a great dining experience.”
The restaurant has revealed its opening date on social media as Satuday, 6 November 2021 – announcing that bookings are open now.
To keep up with news about Namii ahead of its opening, you can follow the restaurant on Instagram here or email the team directly.
Featured Image – Namii
News
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 -
25th October 2021 
