Tampopo is something of a Manchester institution at this point – it’s been serving up vibrant and flavourful food from across South East Asia since 1997.
Over the last almost-three decades, the brand has brought everything from noodles and curries to street food and loaded fries to the city.
Tampopo has sprawled to new locations from its original spot on Albert Square, with other restaurants in Greater Manchester at the Corn Exchange and the Trafford Centre (as well as a couple of spots in London).
While the menu is ever-evolving, some things at Tampopo have never changed – fun, bright interiors, authentic ingredients, and dishes that pack a proper punch.
The restaurant has recently launched a brand new menu – called ‘Same same but different’ in a playful nod to the well-known Thai expression – that’s bringing back some classic dishes with a twist.
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Signature dishes include Yamato fillet steak, served medium rare and simply with fresh garlic, black pepper and sake; and Thai fried whole sea bream with fresh mango, Thai basil and oyster sauce.
Yamato fillet steakPad Thai with noodlesThai fried whole sea bream
There are familiar favourites from South East Asia like their take on pad Thai, where the silky noodles are encased in a thin omelette; Japanese chicken katsu; and a sharing platter piled with chicken satay, sticky wings, corn fritters, Bali pork belly, and kimchi and cucumber salad. Oh yes – and loaded curry fries to die for.
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Tampopo has a decent list of Asian small plates too, like a delicious and fresh Szechuan Soy pork belly served thinly sliced with cucumber, soy, garlic, chilli oil and spring onion.
Tampopo even does brunch, including a Thai-style omelette, bubble waffles with honey, chicken and bacon, a crispy avocado stack, bacon and egg roti, and a protein filled Bang Bang steak and eggs.
The independently-owned restaurant spent a year researching these new dishes, including research trips to Hong Kong, all to bring these modern Asian flavours to Manchester.
David Fox, Tampopo Co-Founder said: “The new Tampopo menu has been over 12 months in the making. It allows guests to interact with the menu in a way that is new and unique for us.
“Our small and large plate options make it easier to graze, share, taste more, stay longer. This is how many people like to eat in the East – food is at the heart of every interaction.
“We’ve taken inspiration from restaurants in some of the most exciting global cities in the world like Hong Kong and Bangkok.
“There’s an expression in Thailand ‘same same but different’ which is what this menu is – we’ve kept all the things everyone loves, it’s the same Tampopo but you can also experience us in a completely different way with this menu.
“We’ve worked hard to keep the prices affordable and to listen to the feedback of guests – this menu reflects the tastes of people in Manchester.
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“As an adopted Mancunian I feel that Manchester is a city that has its arms wide open – to new people and flavours and so we think this new menu will be welcomed.”
The new Tampopo menu is available now at its restaurants on Albert Square, The Corn Exchange, and The Trafford Centre. See more HERE.
New state-of-the-art modern wellness and recovery destination opens in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s wellness landscape has just changed… for the better.
Brysk has arrived in our city, unveiling a premium, design led studio dedicated to recovery, performance, and preventative health.
Opening its doors just off St Peter’s Square, offering what it calls a ‘technology-led approach’ to everyday health, Brysk is all about helping people stay ahead of stress, poor sleep, inflammation, skin concerns, and low energy.
Designed as a wellness studio rather than a spa or clinic, Brysk aims to bridge the gap between premium comfort and clinical level care, and is currently the only place in Manchester to provide a full suite of modern recovery and wellness services under one roof – including the city centre’s only hard-shelled hyperbaric oxygen chamber delivering 1.8 ATA sessions.
Whole body and localised cryotherapy treatments are also available, alongside red light therapy and compression therapy.
Manchester was chosen for Brysk’s launch due to the city’s strong wellness and fitness culture.
Tailored for everyday people, not just amateur and elite athletes, Brysk supports busy professionals, parents, and shift workers, as well as those managing menopause symptoms, skin concerns, chronic inflammation, or recovering from injury.
The studio is also set to host a weekly run club, wellness events, and group recovery sessions now that it’s open to the public, while corporate wellness mornings and private group bookings are also available in Thursdays and Saturdays, supported by Proflex Therapy – the studio’s physiotherapy partner.
Brysk is a new modern wellness and recovery destination in Manchester / Credit: Supplied
Brysk owners, father and son team Chris and Nathan, say their aiming to become Manchester’s go-to destination for cryotherapy and modern wellness, building a culture where recovery and preventative health are viewed not as a luxury, but as essential to everyday life.
All services on offer are delivered through structured safety-led protocols, backed by sports science and nutrition knowledge.
Single sessions, tailored service packages, and flexible credit-based memberships are all on offer, meaning clients are able to integrate recovery and preventative health into their routines in a way that suits their lifestyle.
Brysk is now open off St Ann’s Square in Manchester city centre, and you can find out more and book any treatments here.
Featured Image – Supplied
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JD and Nike are hiding free pairs of Air Max shoes in InPost lockers at the Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
JD are celebrating the return of the Nike Air Max 95 ‘OG Neon’ with a major giveaway, hiding pairs of the limited trainers inside InPost lockers at the Trafford Centre.
There’ll be a chance for Mancs to unlock exclusive prizes, including those iconic shoes, plus Air Max 95 jackets, pants, and t-shirts.
JD started teasing the drop of the Neons last week, with a video of a stock room filled with Air Max boxes and a crew packing.
Then details started dropping too, with Liverpool grime star Kasst 8 revealing himself as the sender.
In the campaign, the unapologetically Northern artist appears stationed on JD x Nike Air Max branded lockers, firing off texts reading ‘I’ll be there soon’, ‘SHIPPED OUT’, and ‘Check your InPost’.
And now JD has revealed its major competition with Nike, giving you the chance to bag a pair of Air Max 95 OG Neons.
Special Air Max branded InPost lockers will be stationed in-store at JD at the Trafford Centre (and at Liverpool One), each one stuffed with Air Max shoes and apparel.
To be in with a chance of unlocking a locker, you just need to submit your details HERE.
Then select winners will be chosen from a random draw and sent a unique code, which you can take to your chosen locker and reveal what you’ve won.
The Air Max 95 OG Neons are an iconic shoe designed by Sergio Lozano, with a human anatomy-inspired design that includes ribcage laces and vibrant neon accents against grey gradients.
JD have been teasing the launch of this campaign, with the Air Max 90 and 95 Neons dropping in-store and online on Thursday 5 March.
If you missed last year’s Air Max OG Neon drop, JD’s throwing you a lifeline.
Enter before 9am on Tuesday 3 March HERE for your chance to unlock – winners will be picked at random and contacted this week to collect at JD Manchester Trafford Centre.
Daisy Jackson -
25th October 2024 
