Salt & Pepper
The absolute golden beacon of fried food in the Arndale Market, Salt & Pepper is pretty much always rammed but queuing and waiting for it is all part of the experience. Like a fine wine, food of this magnificence takes time, but once you’ve got your hands on it – you’ll be grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Until it’s all gone and you need to plan your next visit obviously.
Available from Arndale Market
www.instagram.com/saltpeppermcr
Parmogeddon
A true delicacy from the North East, the Parmo has achieved legendary status over the last few years, perhaps even trumping the humble kebab as the best post-night out meal of choice. Saving you about 60 quid on a train fare up there, Parmogeddon in Hatch serve up an absolutely delightful Parmo – and make sure you get the chips with garlic mayo too.
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/parmogeddon
Bread & Bowl
Conveniently located within legendary Northern Quarter boozer The Wheatsheaf, Bread & Bowl are renowned throughout the land for their huge dishes which come handily encased in a massive loaf of bread. Their Full English in a Loaf is the thing of legend, but personally I enjoy their Mac & Cheese in a Loaf more – mainly because I’m obsessed with the stuff and also because it’s outstanding alongside 2 pints of Stella and a Strongbow chaser.
Available from The Wheatsheaf
www.instagram.com/breadandbowlmcr
South Manny Flavas
Quite possibly the greatest addition to the Arndale Market in AGES, South Manny Flavas offer up an impressive range of fried chicken, loaded fries, wings and even plenty of vegan and veggie delights. Their chicken sandwiches are what dreams are made of – so get one of them – dripping in BBQ sauce – and a side of some of the best wings you’ll ever taste.
Available from Arndale Market
www.instagram.com/southmannyflavaz
Grandad’s Sausages
Producers and peddlers of quite possibly the best sausages that money can buy, Grandad’s Sausages over at Hatch have taken an old family recipe and made it into an absolute winner. You can opt for a variety of variations of sausage but you can’t go wrong with a classic – and their Coney Island hot dog is an absolute beauty.
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/grandads_sausages
What’s Your Beef
Heading to the Stretford Food Hall for a couple of weeks is What’s Your Beef, creators of some of the city’s best burgers and burger-related products. Recently they made a Croissant Burger which was truly majestic, and they’ve become so adept and knowledgeable at making them that you’ll be delighted by anything you order.
Available from Stretford Food Hall
www.instagram.com/whatsyourbeefburgers
Rey Del Cerdo
Tacos have become one of the city’s most popular dishes over the last year or so, with a whole host of taco street food vendors turning up recently, as well as a pretty decent offering in some of the city’s bars and restaurants. Rey Del Cerdo at Hatch offer up a small but impressive range of them, and they’ve pretty much mastered it – with their Baja Fish Taco being the best you’ll get this side of the Atlantic (probably).
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/reydelcerdo
Mezze Bar & Kitchen
Adopting the classic Ronseal approach, Mezze do exactly what the name suggests – and they do it brilliantly. They serve up a range of hot and cold mezze dishes, as well as very convenient platters – which are big enough to easily feed 4 of your bezzie mates. They also do some great flatbreads – with their Sucuk smoky beef sausage one a particular highlight.
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/mezzebarandkitchen
Doner Summer
A relatively new addition to the street food offering at YES, Donner Summer specialise in making 100% vegan Berlin-style kebabs and they’re perfect alongside a couple of pints outside in their new terrace out back. The EOTHO offer means you can get your chops around a Berlin Doner for less than a fiver!
Available at YES
www.instagram.com/donersummer
FUKU
Korean, Chinese and Japanese street food dishes here and FUKU have a delightful range of dishes on offer every day over at Hatch. If you’re a fan of anything ‘salt & pepper’ then you’ll be in heaven here and I must say that their Korean Fried Chicken is some of the best you’ll ever taste.
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/fuku.food.mcr
Heaven Steak
This is something you don’t see every day. A street food vendor that specialises in steak. A great idea if you ask me and something that’s so simple and so brilliant that you wonder how no-one has thought of it before. With EOTHO you can have yourself a succulent Beef Steak and Fries for just £4.50. Expect absolute scenes of delight down at GRUB this week.
Available from GRUB
www.instagram.com/heavensteak_
Viet Shack
Now a true Arndale Market institution, everyone should take a trip to the little serving hatch of Viet Shack at some point in their life – and order themselves some of those amazing loaded fries. You know the ones – the Quack Fries with shredded duck and all the trimmings. I’m dribbling just thinking about them.
Available from Arndale Market
www.instagram.com/vietshack
Herbivorous Vegan Street Food
Homemade vegan dishes by owners Robyn and Damian, Herbivorous is the place to go for innovative and unique dishes that are all 100% vegan. The menu is an eclectic mix of burgers, ‘wings’, loaded fries and more – all without the guilt of actually being made of meat.
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/herbivorousfood
Credit: @Infrafood
Pancho’s Burrito
It always amazes me the amount of people who seemingly disregard Panchos as the best Mexican offering in the entire city. Because, without a shadow of a doubt, it is. Nowhere else is more authentic, tasty or of such consistent high quality as Pancho’s in the Arndale Market – and if anyone says any different then they don’t know what they’re talking about. Sorry but it’s true.
Available from Arndale Market
www.instagram.com/panchos_burritos_arndale
Hanoi 75
One of Hatch’s most impressive features is a huge double decker bus, which has been decked out and transformed into a fully-functioning Vietnamese restaurant. Hanoi 75 offer up a range of exciting Vietnamese street food dishes – including Bao Buns, Loaded Fries and some truly exceptional noodle dishes.
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/thehanoi75
Wallace & Sons
Even though the name doesn’t portray it at all, Wallace & Sons specialise in Bao Buns – and they’re absolutely wonderful. You can opt for a little ‘taster’ board of three flavours of bao, or choose a full-sized one of them on its own. They do a Pork one which is divine and even their Vegan option (usually cauliflower) is well worth a try – even if you’re not vegan.
Available from GRUB
www.instagram.com/wallaceandsonscatering
Golden Nugget
Who doesn’t like nuggets?! Nobody – that’s who. In fact, over the course of this weekend I must have eaten around 40 of the little tasty buggers – and I feel great about it. Golden Nugget at Hatch do exactly that – little nuggets of pure joy – all served from a gold, shiny little trailer. Their Smoked Pork Nuggs need to be tried by all.
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/goldennugget.uk
Vaso Kitchen
During their last visit to the Stretford Food Hall I delighted in Vaso Kitchen’s Paneer Tikka Masala and Lamb Keema – both dishes that managed to get relatively high in my league table of best things I’ve ever eaten my life. Well, they’re back again in Stretford and you can get 50% off their outstanding Indian dishes.
Available from Stretford Food Hall
www.instagram.com/vasokitchenmcr
Pepperoni Playboy
You can’t go wrong with a couple of pints and a few slices of pizza, and Pepperoni Playboy in YES certainly do a good job with their pies. Large, cheesy and usually brimming with toppings, they’re a true slice of New York – and are delightfully cheap with 50% off.
Available at YES
www.instagram.com/pepperoniplayboypizza
KBOM
The perfect combination of Portuguese and Brazilian cuisines, KBOM is well worth a visit when down at Hatch – if only for their excellent Pichana a Brasileira – a perfectly seasoned steak with beans and rice which will instantly transport you to Ipanema beach if you squint hard enough. Oh yeah, and don’t forget the Pastel de Nata and tin of Guarana.
Available from Hatch
www.instagram.com/kbombarkitchen
Wholesome Junkies
The name says it all really. The grub here is wholesome, in the fact that it’s 100% vegan, and it’s ‘junk’ as in the positive connotation of the word – indicating that it’s naughty, tasty and no-fuss. A quick glance at their Instagram uncovers a treasure trove of burgers, loaded fries and huge platters – all without harming a single hair on a little animal’s head.
Available from Arndale Market
www.instagram.com/wholesomejunkies
