Local gem and one of Greater Manchester’s very best food spots, The Thirsty Korean, has sadly announced it is closing its much-loved Chorlton restaurant.
Confirming the closure of the Manchester Road spot via Instagram on Thursday evening, owner Eunji Noh revealed that the quaint and cult-favourite Korean location is coming to the end of its lease after five years and will soon be moving on.
Having first opened the original restaurant up to Chorlton residents back in 2019, Eunji detailed that the team now have just two and half months left before they will have to find new premises, urging diners to come in whilst they still can.
However, as she explained in the lengthy social media post, “It will be the long goodbye but hopefully it will be a new start [for] us in the future.”
The local legend said that running the relatively small site but always busy operation “has never been easy but I had lots of fun and great memories with you all lovely people.”
She goes on to say that “the next venue has not been decided”, with there still plenty of questions as to when and where they will set up shop once again, “but for sure, it will be soon and you will know about our news if you keep following The Thirsty Korean“.
Known for incredible and authentic Korean food, not to mention at great value for money – part of the reason they’ve always been so popular — regardless of their time in southwest Manc suburb ticking down, their reputation has only grown bigger and better.
They were also chosen by Sacha Lord as one of the first dining establishments to be celebrated ans supported on behalf of Greater Manchester’s hospitality scene, with the Night Time Economy Adviser paying everyone’s bill there for one night only.
As reiterated throughout the, she signed off by simply saying: “I love you, loved you lots and will love you. Hope to see you soon and let’s celebrate our beautiful and cheerful end of The Thirsty Korean!
“Please stay with us and don’t forget about us. Find me and I will be here with big arms opened to hug you all.”
We sincerely hope to see Thirsty Korean back on their feet and flourishing in a brand new space sooner rather than later — it’s far too good to disappear completely.
Sadly, it’s been a week filled with news like this, as iconic NQ venue Black Dog Ballroom was one of multiple venues that confirmed they will be shutting down.
Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time
Daisy Jackson
An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.
Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.
If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.
This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.
Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.
To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.
They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.
Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.
They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.
Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”
Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.
Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas
Daisy Jackson
Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.
What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.
But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.
Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.
But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.
Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.
The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’sTraditional Roman pizzasLucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton
Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.
Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.
Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.
You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.
Danny Jones -
12th January 2024 
