Disorder: The Northern Quarter’s new Joy Division-themed bar and restaurant

A new bar and restaurant inspired by Joy Division is set to open in the Northern Quarter this Friday.

Disorder will be spread over two floors, taking over the former Walrus / Man With Fish site, and according to the team takes inspiration from the city, its industrial past, vast music scene and ‘modern-day spirit of Mancunians’.

The ground floor has been transformed into an eatery specialising in Asian-inspired street food, as well as a vast array of lagers and sour beers (Sours) from around the world, including KCBC shipped over from Brooklyn, Schöfferhofer, Mikkeler, Verdant and many more, as well as Manchester brewed Cloudwater.

The Disorder food concept, created by experienced Stockport head chef Bryan Barber, takes inspiration from izakaya bars in Japan, which are small, family-run venues which offer drinks and a small menu of dishes designed to complement the drinks. Izakaya literally translates as “stay drink place” and this style of cooking is designed for bargoers to graze on over a longer period of time.

All dishes on the menu have a backbone of an Asian twist. Manc-hi is based on a Japanese Menchi sando, which has black pudding added as a nod to the North West. The KFPB is a sando with fried chicken, lemongrass peanut satay sauce and a spiced berry jam, a savoury riff on the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Bryan will be cooking a significant amount of the menu on a konro grill, which is a traditional Japanese grill where food is prepared on a ceramic pot over charcoal. He will also be making all gyoza on the menu by hand and has incorporated unique twists such as mustard, sage and apple into a pork five spice gyoza.

The lower floor will regularly play host to live music and will have a speakeasy, dive bar feel with a drinks menu and back bar that will ‘rival those on a world-class stage.’

Manchester street artist Akse P19 has produced a new Ian Curtis mural for the bar, after his Northern Quarter piece was controversially painted over not too long ago.