Food news ft. new openings The Clink, Gary Usher’s Kala & Brewski

It’s a busy week in food news with a wealth of new openings announced for 2019. First off, we have an exciting new social enterprise in the form of The Clink cafe. Secondly, Gary Usher, owner of successful Didsbury bistro, Hispi, has his sights set on Manchester for the sixth restaurant in his portfolio. There’s something new for the Chinese Hot Pot lovers among us at Charles Street’s One Plus, and Annyeong bring more Korean barbecue to Manchester (not that we’re complaining). Chorlton bar Brewski will launch in the city centre after their Poutine place in the suburb went down a storm. For more new openings and reviews, click here.

The Clink: A new social enterprise restaurant for Canada House in April 2018
A new branch of The Clink will be run by ex-offenders and the homeless, with the initiative helping to train and rehabilitate its staff, so that they can go an and find employment elsewhere. The Clink charity already has restaurants at HMP Styal, HMP Cardiff and HMP Brixton, providing inmates with experience front of house and in the kitchen. This venture will be their first outside of a prison. The Canada House cafe, opening in April, will provide fresh seasonal dishes, with the menu changing regularly, so that staff get a chance to try out different skills in the kitchen.
Opening mid-April. Canada House, 3 Chepstow Street, Manchester, M1 5FW, www.theclinkcharity.org

Gary Usher to open new bistros on King Street and in Merseyside
Crowd-funding guru and restaurateur Gary Usher is opening two new restaurants in the North-West. The first will be launching in Merseyside, while the second will be on King Street in Manchester. The rush of new openings will bring Usher’s fast-growing empire of small bistro-style restaurants to six, and will be his second venture in Greater Manchester. Didsbury’s Hispi has grown a legion of fans for its fresh and innovative cooking. Turned away by the bank at the start of his career, Usher’s restaurants have usually launched through crowd-funding campaigns, a testament to the quality of the cooking. The King Street restaurant is rumoured to be called Kala, but little is known yet, so watch this space for more information.
Opening date and location TBA. Follow @StickyWalnut and @garyusher81 for up to the minute details.

Now open: One Plus Chinese Hot Pot on Charles Street
If you’ve not had Chinese Hot Pot, now is your chance, with a brand new Hot Pot restaurant, One Plus, opening on Charles Street. The premise is simple, each person has their own soup base – you can chose a meat, spicy or vegetarian broth base. The pot is kept warm, meanwhile, you pick the ingredients to stir into your broth from the conveyor in the middle (much like a sushi bar). There’s a selection of foods to cook in your pot – sliced meats, mushrooms, whole prawns and lettuce leaves. Or punt for some traditional ingredients you might not have tried before, like small balls of fish roe, lotus root, and tripe. Mix a dipping sauce using an oil base and adding in vinegar, and a peanut sauce. All very DIY, but heaps of fun.
Now open, One Plus, 42 Charles Street, Manchester, M1 7DB. Tel: 0161 273 2888

Coming soon: Brewski to bring poutine & raclette to city centre
Chorlton’s Brewski bar will be opening a second site in the city centre. Serving the popular Canadian delicacy, Poutine, a dish of chips, gravy and cheese curds, the new bar will launch on the site of the now-closed 1847 vegetarian restaurant on Mosely Street. Alongside their trademark poutine dishes, the new Brewski bar will have whole load more cheesy eats on the menu, including raclette and mac and cheese. There will be beers on tap and Canadian and American craft ales in the fridge to pair perfectly with Brewski’s comforting classics.
Opening in 2018, Chapel Walks, Manchester, M2 1HN.

Now open: Annyeong Korean BBQ in Chapel Walks
The owners of Ban di Bul, have opened up a second Korean barbecue on the site of the old Grinch bar. The new restaurant, called Annyeong, serves traditional Korean BBQ, with the flames in the middle of the table, and all meat cooked in front of you. Once the meat or veg is done, dip it in peanut sauce and wrap in lettuce before eating. They also serve Korean bi bim bap, dumplings, and a choice of Korean beers and plum wines.
Now open: Annyeong, Tudor House, Half Moon Chambers, Chapel Walks, Manchester, M2 1HN. Tel: 0161 832 2491, www.anneyeong.co.uk

In short:

Tim Horton’s on Oxford Road: A branch of the popular Canadian coffee and donut chain launches this week on Oxford Road.
Opening Sat 17 Mar: Tim Horton’s, Unit 7, Wilmslow Park, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M13 0JN, www.timhortons.co.uk

Yakumama pop-up at Ancoats General Store: Ancoats General Store host their weekly ‘Scrancoats’ event, and this week Yakamuma will be popping up on Thursday from 12-8pm, serving up some Latin American street food.
Thu 15 Mar, Ancoats General Store, 57 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester, M4 5AB. Tel: 0161 123 4567, www.ancoatsgs.co.uk

St Patrick’s Day at the Parlour Chorlton: The parlour in Chorlton host a Brooklyn Brewery weekender to celebrate Saint Paddy’s Day. There will be four Brooklyn Beers, a menu of Irish inspired food, and offers on Irish whisky.
The Parlour, 60 Beech Road, Manchester M21 9EG. Tel: 0161 881 4871, www.theparlour.info

Mary-Ellen McTague for Real Junk Food: The acclaimed chef will be appearing at two of Real Junk Food’s fine-dining weekenders. Using only ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste, all food is free, with a pay-what-you-want policy and all proceeds going to charity.
Sat 17 & Sat 24 Mar. Real Junk Food Manchester Restaurant, 85 Oxford Sreet, Manchester, M1 6EQ. www.eventbrite.co.uk