{"id":1329,"date":"2020-10-21T10:01:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-21T10:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/?p=1329"},"modified":"2020-11-25T13:52:54","modified_gmt":"2020-11-25T13:52:54","slug":"welcome-to-namchester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome To Namchester"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1329\" class=\"elementor elementor-1329\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-section-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1b75106 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1b75106\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7052fdce\" data-id=\"7052fdce\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-192c63e7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"192c63e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i>&#8220;Vietnam. It grabs you and doesn\u2019t let you go. Once you love it, you love it forever.&#8221; &#8211; Anthony Bourdain<\/i><\/p><p>The late, great Anthony Bourdain was seldom wrong when it came to identifying cuisines and cultures that simply demanded the attention of the masses. And his repeated, passionate championing of Vietnam is one that has been echoed with increasing fervour across Manchester over the last few years.<\/p><p>Anyone who has paid even the slightest bit of attention to the city\u2019s burgeoning street food scene will now be instantly familiar with crisp, crunchy B\u00e1nh M\u00ed, translucent summer rolls and beds of sticky rice piled high with fragrant salads, saliva inducing BBQ meats and a drizzling of fish oil, chillies and crispy shallots. Furthermore, countless instagrams have been populated with picturesque Pho bowls and papaya salads, each more effervescent than the last.<\/p><p>Pho, the national dish of Vietnam, with it&#8217;s glacial clear, bone broth, usually of beef, chicken or oxtail (with seafood and vegetarian variants also popular) drawing you in like a siren, all furiously flavoured scents and hypnotic colours, now inspires debate across countless tables up and down the city, with almost everyone you ask having a differing opinion on which establishment offers up the best bowl. Rather wonderfully, each place will provide a recipe with a slight deviation from everywhere else, given that they will typically be family inspired, passed down through generations. Ask for the ingredients and never expect to be answered with a complete list. The only sore spot for us when it comes to Pho in Manchester is that, unlike in it&#8217;s homeland, we don&#8217;t seem to have any breakfast availability for it. Yet.<\/p><p>Such a delicious, meteoric rise of Southeast Asian flavour enveloping Manchester has been a most welcome addition to the city over the last decade, with bowls of beef bone broth warming many a drizzly Mancunian day, leaving us lapping for more.<\/p><p>Fortunately, with the city\u2019s various Vietnamese establishments becoming more prominent, successful and diverse, it\u2019s become evident than Pho is no fad, with cafes, restaurants and market stalls populating the city from Palatine Road to Chinatown and beyond\u2026<\/p><p><div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-1329 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/attachment\/3aacba08-6454-49b4-931e-acafec77b8ad\/#main'><img width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/3aacba08-6454-49b4-931e-acafec77b8ad-768x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/3aacba08-6454-49b4-931e-acafec77b8ad-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/3aacba08-6454-49b4-931e-acafec77b8ad-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/3aacba08-6454-49b4-931e-acafec77b8ad-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/3aacba08-6454-49b4-931e-acafec77b8ad-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/3aacba08-6454-49b4-931e-acafec77b8ad.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/attachment\/2379dd77-161c-42e0-bc82-2fb68313dc57\/#main'><img width=\"759\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2379dd77-161c-42e0-bc82-2fb68313dc57-759x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2379dd77-161c-42e0-bc82-2fb68313dc57-759x1024.jpg 759w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2379dd77-161c-42e0-bc82-2fb68313dc57-600x809.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2379dd77-161c-42e0-bc82-2fb68313dc57-222x300.jpg 222w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2379dd77-161c-42e0-bc82-2fb68313dc57-768x1036.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2379dd77-161c-42e0-bc82-2fb68313dc57-1139x1536.jpg 1139w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2379dd77-161c-42e0-bc82-2fb68313dc57.jpg 1186w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 759px) 100vw, 759px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/attachment\/b8fda3a3-5e81-4b0a-ac1c-7ff88700beab\/#main'><img width=\"767\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/b8fda3a3-5e81-4b0a-ac1c-7ff88700beab-767x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/b8fda3a3-5e81-4b0a-ac1c-7ff88700beab-767x1024.jpg 767w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/b8fda3a3-5e81-4b0a-ac1c-7ff88700beab-600x801.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/b8fda3a3-5e81-4b0a-ac1c-7ff88700beab-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/b8fda3a3-5e81-4b0a-ac1c-7ff88700beab-768x1025.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/b8fda3a3-5e81-4b0a-ac1c-7ff88700beab-1151x1536.jpg 1151w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/b8fda3a3-5e81-4b0a-ac1c-7ff88700beab.jpg 1199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><p><b>Ancoats\u2019 not so hidden gem is well worth the trek<\/b><\/p><p>Whenever anyone utters the line <i>\u201c\u2026it\u2019s in Ancoats\u201d<\/i> nowadays, thoughts immediately turn to the newly developed bright lights guiding Millennials and Gen Z\u2019ers out of the Northern Quarter\u2019s densely populated neighbourhoods, where you can roll out of your flat straight into a seat at Sugo, Elnecot, (the soon to be discussed) Vietshack or Rudy\u2019s (with a bit of a wait). Not many people will cast their minds towards the outer reaches of Oldham Road.<\/p><p>But this is what makes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vnam_mcr\/\">Vnam<\/a> such a success story and such a vital part of Vietnamese culture\u2019s emergence in Manchester. Established in 2010 as the city\u2019s first Vietnamese restaurant, a decade later and it\u2019s location on the sidelines has done nothing to dampen enthusiasm, with a second site being spawned at The Market in Manchester University\u2019s Renold Building.<\/p><p>The diminutive den is tucked out of sight, but not out of mind, opposite the almost omnipotent Wing Yip Chinese superstore, fully bedecked as it is with its faux temple roof of terracotta and emerald green. What was once Manchester&#8217;s Little Italy, stretching back to the end of the 19th century when Italian immigrants settled in the city, has become a haven for Southeast Asian businesses over the last 15 years, with Wing Yip&#8217;s emergence proving to be the driving force, as Vietnamese business owners discovered that they could source the essential items they required that were nowhere to be found in British supermarkets.<\/p><p>\u00a0And if you\u2019re opting to shun the bright lights of New Islington for your noodle soup fix, then it\u2019s best you book ahead, as Vnam fills up quicker than it\u2019s Pho bowls empty once they hit the table.<\/p><p><i>\u201cTen years ago, it wasn\u2019t doing that well,\u201d<\/i> explains owner Jason Hoang as we pull up to a table in the deserted Oldham Road O.G, pre-service. Two hours before opening, this is most certainly the calm before another storm.<\/p><p><i>\u201cI saw the potential and the owner at the time asked if I wanted to take over and I took it from there.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I started just changing simple things with the menu, using my mum\u2019s recipes and tweaking them and business started to catch on. We were featured in the Manchester Evening News and The Guardian, then were given the opportunity to open another site at the University a few years ago, which has taken off really well.<\/i><\/p><p><i>\u201cEverything we make is so fresh. Our soup base simmers for a minimum of 12 hours with the bones, the beef, the herbs. I think that\u2019s why it\u2019s caught on so well, because it\u2019s healthy, it\u2019s not greasy or fried and everything\u2019s sourced locally, so it comes through the door and goes straight into our dishes.\u201d<\/i><\/p><p>On any given night, a jaunt past Vnam\u2019s window proves Jason was right to see the potential in the place, with tables teeming with customers eagerly hunched over soul nourishing bowls of broth, tastebuds suitably invigorated and hearts sufficiently warmed.<\/p><p>As for the next 10 years, Jason is eyeing more potential, telling me as we wrap up, <i>\u201cThe only problem here is our size, I would like somewhere bigger in the centre, that\u2019s my next step.\u201d <\/i>It\u2019s a step we\u2019re sure all his customers will willingly take with him.<\/p><p><div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-1329 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/attachment\/67304142_262997091324290_7858831607562300119_n\/#main'><img width=\"827\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67304142_262997091324290_7858831607562300119_n-827x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-1414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67304142_262997091324290_7858831607562300119_n-827x1024.jpg 827w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67304142_262997091324290_7858831607562300119_n-600x743.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67304142_262997091324290_7858831607562300119_n-242x300.jpg 242w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67304142_262997091324290_7858831607562300119_n-768x951.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67304142_262997091324290_7858831607562300119_n.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-1414'>\n\t\t\t\tSaigon Tacos\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/attachment\/67102657_2434543313456330_981374222156677058_n\/#main'><img width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67102657_2434543313456330_981374222156677058_n-819x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-1412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67102657_2434543313456330_981374222156677058_n-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67102657_2434543313456330_981374222156677058_n-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67102657_2434543313456330_981374222156677058_n-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67102657_2434543313456330_981374222156677058_n-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/67102657_2434543313456330_981374222156677058_n.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-1412'>\n\t\t\t\tViet Shack&#8217;s second spot on Great Ancoats Street\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><p><b>From The Shack to the Strip<\/b><\/p><p>Six years ago, Nelson Lam and his best mate Leo had nothing more than a summer BBQ in their diaries. Little did they know their annual summer gathering would soon see them winning awards at Manchester Food &amp; Drink Festival, while struggling to hold customers back at not one, but two immensely popular sites that have developed an almost religious following since 2015.<\/p><p><i>\u201cMe and Leo were sat in my back garden thinking of career changes. We were organising our annual summer party and we realised how good we were at throwing these epic BBQ\u2019s, so that\u2019s when the idea of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vietshack\/\">Viet Shack<\/a> was born.<\/i><\/p><p><i>\u201cWe were one of the first places to put Vietnamese food onto the Mancunian palette and are so happy that the vibes around Vietnamese food are getting stronger in Manchester. Now that more and more people have travelled to our country and tasted flavours that they\u2019ve never experienced before, I guess that\u2019s why Viet food is fast becoming so many people\u2019s favourite cuisine.\u201d<\/i><\/p><p>But what of the people who, instead of travelling to Vietnam to experience these scintillating flavours firsthand, have ventured the opposite way and traded Southeast Asia for North West England. What do they make of Nelson\u2019s modern take on traditional Viet fare?<\/p><p><i>\u201cWe get a lot of Vietnamese customers and yeah, they might say \u2018this is not 100% authentic, why the hell are there fries? Our country has never had burgers before\u2019, but they are always really happy with the taste and the flavours we produce from our kitchen are authentic. They understand that we\u2019ve combined Western favourites with traditional Vietnamese flavours.\u201d<\/i><\/p><p>Taking a seat in Viet Shack\u2019s Ancoats spot, bang on the main strip of Manchester\u2019s most popular new neighbourhood, you can\u2019t help but cast your mind back to their Arndale Market stall, slinging the notorious \u2018Cow Burgers\u2019 and \u2018Viet Wraps\u2019, all accompanied by THOSE fries that were eulogised about endlessly in the lunchtime queues that snaked past the nearby stands. \u2018Pork Crack\u2019 and peanut butter chicken would be hurriedly guzzled down in the streets of NQ before the midday crowd had even landed back at their office desks. But that is worlds away from what greets you in Ancoats.<\/p><p>Oh no, what greets you here can be anything from Bach Tuoc (charred octopus, fried egg and spicy grilled broccoli with chilli oil and fermented soy aioli. Yes please) to Com Ca Chien Xot Ca (perfectly grilled Sea Bass fillet accompanied by a spicy Vietnamese salsa and pickled carrots. Once again, yes please) to Xa Lat Chay (a ridiculously good Vegan salad offering of crispy fried tofu, grilled mushrooms, fresh greens, apple and mango slaw, crispy shallots and a sweet chilli glaze). It\u2019s a whole different beast we\u2019re talking about here, with all the old Shack favourites on board and some new modernist creations thrown in for good measure (soft shell crab tacos, anyone? How about an oyster mushroom kebab or even a portion of Viet nachos?).<\/p><p>Given the whirlwind that has propelled Nelson and Viet Shack\u2019s \u2018East meets West\u2019 hybrid into the public\u2019s palettes over the last five years, we can\u2019t wait to see what he has in store for the next five.<\/p><p><div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-1329 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-large'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/attachment\/117166559_322151665860421_5466169146706825487_n\/#main'><img width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117166559_322151665860421_5466169146706825487_n-819x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-1339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117166559_322151665860421_5466169146706825487_n-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117166559_322151665860421_5466169146706825487_n-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117166559_322151665860421_5466169146706825487_n-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117166559_322151665860421_5466169146706825487_n-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117166559_322151665860421_5466169146706825487_n.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-1339'>\n\t\t\t\tLobster Pho Sundays\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/attachment\/116102324_164571895183377_6141473322999454645_n\/#main'><img width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/116102324_164571895183377_6141473322999454645_n-819x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-1338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/116102324_164571895183377_6141473322999454645_n-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/116102324_164571895183377_6141473322999454645_n-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/116102324_164571895183377_6141473322999454645_n-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/116102324_164571895183377_6141473322999454645_n-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/116102324_164571895183377_6141473322999454645_n.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-1338'>\n\t\t\t\tTacos\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/attachment\/117680042_309156247195775_6677650904335249232_n\/#main'><img width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117680042_309156247195775_6677650904335249232_n-819x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-1340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117680042_309156247195775_6677650904335249232_n-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117680042_309156247195775_6677650904335249232_n-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117680042_309156247195775_6677650904335249232_n-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117680042_309156247195775_6677650904335249232_n-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/117680042_309156247195775_6677650904335249232_n.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-1340'>\n\t\t\t\tVietnamese sweet &#038; spicy BBQ Ribs\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><p><b>Underground with Over The Top Taste<\/b><\/p><p>Nestled in the back corner of the not so subtly christened <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/phocuekitchen\/\">Pho Cue<\/a> with a cold beer and a plate of grilled lemongrass lamb chops, liberally squirted with fresh lime atop fish sauce doused Bun noodles deserves to be anyone\u2019s happy place. A ferociously good hip hop playlist soothes you over the speakers while being punctuated by a cacophony of sizzling from a kitchen that is cooking up some of the best offerings anywhere in Chinatown.<\/p><p>Opening amid a global pandemic is no easy feat, but Que Tran\u2019s family owned and run restaurant has proven to be an instant hit on Faulkner Street. This hidden slice of Hanoi is, similarly to Viet Shack, looking to offer a modern take on authentic flavours, serving up family recipes alongside more daring efforts such as \u2018Banh Xeo\u2019 Vietnamese tacos and current instagram favourites, Vietnamese Katsu dipped B\u00e1nh M\u00ed sandwiches (DISCLAIMER: You will make involuntary noises watching videos of said dipping).<\/p><p><i>\u201cFor anyone coming here for the first time I would definitely recommend the broth with the noodles,\u201d<\/i> starts Marketing Director Jay Tran, as I ponder the menu, somehow resisting the urge to just declare <i>\u201cthe lot, please\u201d.<\/i><\/p><p><i>\u201cThat\u2019s the signature obviously, but once you\u2019ve gone through all the traditional dishes like the summer rolls and B\u00e1nh M\u00ed, I would say get onto the BBQ but then some of our own creations like the Vietnamese Katsu, which we\u2019ve given a twist with the fish sauce and some Vietnamese salts. It\u2019s the same with the tacos, everyone loves tacos so we decided to do our own version and the pancakes are a traditional dish that we\u2019ve then turned into something different. Everyone usually serves the pancakes flat in Vietnamese restaurants, but we wanted to do something a bit more creative and innovative.\u201d<\/i><\/p><p>And while creativity and innovation are clearly at play with Pho Cue\u2019s food, Jay explains how their family lineage is what drives the restaurant\u2019s success.<\/p><p><i>\u201cOur parents and grandparents, when they were growing up, all it would be was whacking out the table, wheel out the cooker and make it fresh and people just stuck to that. In America, Europe, wherever you find a Vietnamese community they will still feel that way. Our parents taught us that the rougher it looks, the better the food is, so somehow it\u2019s ingrained in us to feel like that. But we can\u2019t do that here with this place because it\u2019s not the same mindset for other people, but the mindset behind the food is the same, definitely.\u201d<\/i><\/p><p><b>Beyond Broth And The City Limits<\/b><\/p><p>While the city centre Pho offerings are more than worthy of your time, attention and taste, there\u2019s more to Manchester\u2019s Vietnamese scene than broth and b\u00e1nh m\u00ed. And you don\u2019t even need to remain in the city to experience it.<\/p><p>Venture out to Northenden and, situated on Palatine Road will be award winning hot and sour soup, papaya salads and salt and pepper dishes at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/miandpho\/\">Mi &amp; Pho<\/a>. However, if you find a table hard to come by, which is likely given the location&#8217;s devout cult following that it&#8217;s amassed over the last few years, Freight Island are bringing South Manchester to their new Ticket Hall, opening on the 30th October.<\/p><p>Meanwhile, only a few doors down from Vnam, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/capheviet\/\">C\u00e0 Ph\u00e9 V\u00edet<\/a>, a &#8216;Little Vietnam&#8217; original since 2014,\u00a0can sort you out with lobster dishes as well as a more laid back, condensed milk driven Vietnamese coffee. Sat with your back to the window, eyes closed, the chattering of a regular Vietnamese contingent (the cafe is reassuringly popular with the city&#8217;s Vietnamese community, many of whom live around Ancoats and Miles Platting) dancing around your ears, you&#8217;re transported to Ho Chi Minh for a brief, brilliant few seconds. That is of course before you peruse the in store grocery, deciding what items to take with you to replicate the experience from your own kitchen. And let\u2019s face it, any cafe that also offers Vietnamese groceries is a winner in anyone\u2019s book, so why wouldn\u2019t you stock your cupboards with as much Southeast Asian fare for the winter months?<\/p><p>A similar vibe can be indulged in on Oxford Road, with B\u00e1nh M\u00ed C\u00f4 Ba&#8217;s thin, golden baguettes willingly crunched by a throng of delighted customers, from lunching office workers to passing students. The homemade pat\u00ea accentuating everything from braised, sliced pork to fried egg to marinated salt and pepper tofu alongside pickled veggies, herbs and cucumber. And if you&#8217;re hungrier for more than a sarnie, this no frills joint cranks out face steaming bowls of Pho, vermicelli salads and\u00a0C\u01a1m t\u1ea5m broken rice dishes. It&#8217;s location opposite the Thirsty Scholar has often made for an idyllic tag team on a weekday, when an afternoon session sounds so much more rewarding than the last few hours at the office.<\/p><p>Speaking of butties, sandwiched between Second City and Se7en Brothers in Ancoats&#8217; prolific Cutting Room Square is Nam, where all the usual traditional fare can be enjoyed alongside lesser seen delights such as duck fried rice (featuring braised duck being saturated by the oozing yolk of a fried duck egg) and\u00a0C\u00e1 Ri &#8211; a yellow curry of fresh ginger and turmeric, seasonal veg and coconut, served with steamed rice. Hardly alternatives that are easy to ignore. A suitably lengthy cocktail menu is on hand to cool you down afterwards as well.<\/p><p>So while the Mancunian Vietnamese experience may not quite be the <i>\u2018low plastic stool, tiny little plastic table, something delicious in a bowl\u2019 <\/i>deal that Anthony Bourdain would wax lyrical about on a regular basis across his numerous visits to the country, it\u2019s safe to say it\u2019s still as good a dining experience as you can achieve in the city.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><i>&#8220;Nice burning feeling around my lips, flop sweat, check. I&#8217;ve achieved my happy zone. It&#8217;s really all downhill from here.\u201d<\/i><\/p><p>With a very uncertain few Autumn and Winter months heading our way, follow his example and go burn your lips on some Pho and, if only for a few fleeting moments, all will feel right with the world.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The face steaming Pho bowls and brilliant B\u00e1nh M\u00ed\u2019s transforming the North West into a slice of South East Asia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Welcome To Namchester - EAT MCR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The face steaming Pho bowls and brilliant B\u00e1nh M\u00ed\u2019s transforming the North West into a slice of South East Asia.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Welcome To Namchester - EAT MCR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The face steaming Pho bowls and brilliant B\u00e1nh M\u00ed\u2019s transforming the North West into a slice of South East Asia.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EAT MCR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Eatmcr\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-21T10:01:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-11-25T13:52:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/945F11A8-E98A-472D-A12F-D3192CF312A4-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1697\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@eat_mcr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@eat_mcr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joe Baiamonte\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"EAT MCR\",\"description\":\"Curating and Promoting the Vibrant Manchester Food Industry\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/945F11A8-E98A-472D-A12F-D3192CF312A4-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/945F11A8-E98A-472D-A12F-D3192CF312A4-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1697},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/\",\"name\":\"Welcome To Namchester - EAT MCR\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-21T10:01:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-11-25T13:52:54+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/0419f5e278af0011c02edce1b208f284\"},\"description\":\"The face steaming Pho bowls and brilliant B\\u00e1nh M\\u00ed\\u2019s transforming the North West into a slice of South East Asia.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Welcome To Namchester\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/0419f5e278af0011c02edce1b208f284\",\"name\":\"Joe Baiamonte\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/author\/joe-baiamonte\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Welcome To Namchester - EAT MCR","description":"The face steaming Pho bowls and brilliant B\u00e1nh M\u00ed\u2019s transforming the North West into a slice of South East Asia.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Welcome To Namchester - EAT MCR","og_description":"The face steaming Pho bowls and brilliant B\u00e1nh M\u00ed\u2019s transforming the North West into a slice of South East Asia.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/","og_site_name":"EAT MCR","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Eatmcr\/","article_published_time":"2020-10-21T10:01:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-11-25T13:52:54+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1697,"url":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/945F11A8-E98A-472D-A12F-D3192CF312A4-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@eat_mcr","twitter_site":"@eat_mcr","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joe Baiamonte","Estimated reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/","name":"EAT MCR","description":"Curating and Promoting the Vibrant Manchester Food Industry","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-GB","url":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/945F11A8-E98A-472D-A12F-D3192CF312A4-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/945F11A8-E98A-472D-A12F-D3192CF312A4-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1697},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/","name":"Welcome To Namchester - EAT MCR","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2020-10-21T10:01:54+00:00","dateModified":"2020-11-25T13:52:54+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/0419f5e278af0011c02edce1b208f284"},"description":"The face steaming Pho bowls and brilliant B\u00e1nh M\u00ed\u2019s transforming the North West into a slice of South East Asia.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/welcome-to-namchester\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Welcome To Namchester"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/0419f5e278af0011c02edce1b208f284","name":"Joe Baiamonte","url":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/author\/joe-baiamonte\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/945F11A8-E98A-472D-A12F-D3192CF312A4-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}