Oishi-Q
Hulme St, Manchester M1 5GL
Popular with students, this yakitori joint imbues a rather soulless unit off Oxford Road (the main university drag) with the warmth of Japanese comfort food. It’s not a complex proposition: yakitori skewers come laden with, for example, chicken meatballs, quail eggs or enoki mushrooms wrapped in pancetta (order three of the sticks and you get rice thrown in). There’s also a small list of snacks served alongside steaming donburi bowls. Bubbly-crisp, deep-fried chicken karaage arrives strewn with red chilli and accompanied by lime and Kewpie mayo, while salmon teriyaki donburi comes with a perfectly soft-boiled egg and spears of steamed asparagus. Service is basic but sunny, and seating is on communal benches. Helped by the student hubbub, the vibe here is a mix of old and new: a wall-mounted TV screen and constant radio soundtrack contrasting with the traditional drapes that screen off the open kitchen.
Mei Dim
45-47 Faulkner St, Manchester M1 4EE
The food at Mei Dim always tastes freshly prepared and quite often the same dish can taste different on any given day. For example, the hot and sour soup never tastes the same twice; the ingredients depend entirely upon what the chef can get his hands on at the time of preparation; one thing is consistent though, it is always amazingly good. Other delightful dishes on the menu include the traditional Chinese roast meats of duck, char siu, crispy belly pork and soy chicken, all expertly roasted. The salt and pepper squid is out of this world; coated in batter, it is crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Mei Dim also offer a huge selection of Dim Sum, from popular items for the western palate such as spring rolls, har kau and siu mai to more obscure offerings like chickens feet, tripe and Vietnamese dishes. There is something for every taste on the menu.
Thaikhun
17, 3 Hardman St, Manchester M3 3HF
Bursting at the seams with hand-picked Thai bric-a-brac, authentic Thai street food and Thai inspired cocktails, every Thaikhun takes you on a journey across the world to Khao San Road. Recipes are authentic Thai street food dishes found across the country and interiors are all hand-picked and transported straight from our Bangkok bazaar. The recipes come from real Thai street markets, without adulteration. Most of chefs are Thai themselves, training other chefs with their expert skills. All ingredients come from trustworthy suppliers, who bring the best of Bangkok to Britain. You won’t find better Thai food anywhere else in the UK.
SHORYU RAMEN
1 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 1RG
A taste of authentic Hakata cuisine has arrived in Manchester with the arrival of Shoryu Ramen to Piccadilly Gardens. The 55 cover restaurant, which is Shoryu Ramen’s first outside of London and seventh restaurant site in total, offers its Manchester locals the restaurant's signature Hakata tonkotsu ramen, Shoryu buns, and Gekkeikan Royal Warrant Sake, for the chance to experience real flavours, real dishes, and authentic ramen right on their doorstop. As well as ramen, the Shoryu menu also includes Japanese staples such as ‘Shoryu Buns’ – similar to the now well known ‘Hirata buns’. These fluffy, steamed buns are handmade daily and Shoryu offers a selection of six fillings including BBQ pork.
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