The Coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented disruption to business all over the world. Lockdowns have closed restaurants and bars, forcing the hospitality industry to adapt rapidly to people staying at home. The same situation happened in my home city of Manchester and I was seriously craving some good ramen broth.
The solution? Call on YaoYao Noodles to come to the rescue and deliver a ramen noodle kit.
Taking inspiration from another culture can be a life-changing decision. When Stephanie Buttery travelled to Japan, she immersed herself in the local drinking culture and returned to the UK with a goal of starting her own business. As the founder of the premium soft drinks brand, Chu-Lo, Buttery has created a drink inspired by Japanese chuhai.
After meeting Buttery at the Doki Doki Festival in Manchester, I wanted to hear the Chu-Lo story and what motivated her to start her own business. Continue reading “The Kokoro Files: Stephanie Buttery”
Street food is one of my biggest loves of the culinary world, especially when it’s of the Japanese variety. It’s even better when you can find great Japanese street food in your local area, which is what happened when I ate at Osaka Local in Manchester.
Osaka Local are regulars of GRUB, a street food initiative that brings together vendors and traders in Manchester and helps them reach a wider audience through festivals and pop up events. On this occasion, the team were cooking at Stretford Food Hall. Continue reading “Osaka Local Is Manchester’s Answer To Cheap And Cheerful Japanese Food”
With fusion food, there’s the potential to eat some of the most unique meals on the planet. I feel that rings true for anything that’s mixed with Japanese food. That’s why I was excited to discover Nikkei cuisine, Japanese-Peruvian food that marries South American ingredients with Japanese cooking techniques.
Shoku, Manchester’s only Nikkei restaurant, offers plenty of amazing dishes for people who are curious about this colourful cuisine. Continue reading “Shoku Review: A Tasty Introduction Into The World Of Nikkei Cuisine”
The Kokoro Files tells the stories of everyday people and their connection to Japanese culture. For restaurant owner Terry Huang, he was inspired by his love of Japanese food and set out to create one of Manchester’s finest sushi joints, Umezushi.
Yamato Magazine caught up with Terry about his reasons for starting up a restaurant and the challenges associated with it and what it means to start again from scratch in the hospitality industry.
I’ve found his story to be extremely inspiring because it demonstrates the reality of running a restaurant, but also having the courage to continue to push forward and stay passionate. Continue reading “The Kokoro Files: Terry Huang”
The hospitality industry is extremely competitive, and restaurants are under constant pressure to deliver the best experiences they can for diners. Manchester sushi restaurant Umezushi earned a reputation for delivering a high-quality Japanese dining experience. When the restaurant closed its doors suddenly, it was a blow that was felt throughout the Japanese foodie community.
Fortunately, this was only temporary. Because the people behind Umezushi are back with a fresh take on an old British classic. Fish and chips. Or more accurately, Chish and Fips. Continue reading “Chish And Fips Review: Umezushi Rises From The Ashes As A Japanese Chippy With Plenty Of Flavour”
Outside of Japan, there are many festivals that celebrate the Land of the Rising Sun. One of my favourites is the annual Doki Doki Festival that takes place in Manchester. I’ve been attending for a couple of years, and it’s been great to see the audience grow every time. Doki Doki 2019 proved to be even bigger than previous years, with the festival taking place over two days in November.
It stands out to me even more because it’s the first time that I delivered a public presentation and took part in live panels. Continue reading “Achieving Milestones, Enjoying New Japanese Food And Broadening My Horizons At Doki Doki 2019”
There’s something special about tasting a beer brewed in your local area. It strengthens the connection you have to your hometown, which is exactly how I feel every time I taste a beer from Manchester. It’s even better when the beer has Japanese influences.
Runaway Brewery is one of Manchester’s biggest craft beer brewers and they have created a special Japanese concoction called Gari Gose. Done in collaboration with legendary local sushi restaurant Umezushi (which sadly closed its doors), Gari Gose combines northern hardiness with the complexity of Japanese ingredients. Continue reading “Runaway Brewery Gari Gose Review: Manchester Meets Japan With Spicy And Sour Notes”
There are few foods in the world that are as universally accepted as pizza. From the humble Margarita to the tried and tested Hawaiian, the annals of pizza history are as hallowed as the toppings. Some prefer classic variations, while others like their food to be more creative. But how would you feel about biting into a pizza that was topped with ramen noodles? Crazy? Epic? Or just downright delicious? Such a pizza does exist. Enter the Japanese inspired Send Noodz. Continue reading “Would You Try A Pizza Topped With Ramen? (I Have And It’s Awesome)”
Known for its versatility and wide range of ingredients, shochu is one of Japan’s most interesting drinks. Some of the base ingredients include sweet potato, barley, buckwheat and brown sugar. But there are many more to choose from, which adds to the appeal of shochu.
Certain types of shochu are mixed with other drinks to create new flavours. This is the case for chuhai, which means ‘shochu highball’ in English. Having recently tasted a grape flavoured shochu highball, the experience was different to other types of sake that I’ve tried. Continue reading “Grape Shochu Highball Review: Somewhere Between A Cocktail And A Soda”
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