There are more pop ups happening this month than you’d find in the testing room of a whack-a-mole factory. They’re good ones and won’t be around for long, so hurry or you’ll miss them - and thank us later for telling you about them. As well as this week's new openings and closings, there’s also the opportunity to drink your own face and discover which Bolton curry house beat off thousands to be crowned UK champion of champions....

2019 10 18 Chicken Xiao Long Bao Eyeballs Tattu

Halloween Screamings returns to Tattu

Diners are in for a scream on Sunday 27th October as Tattu once again transforms its private dining room into a spine-chilling cinema for a day of classic scary movies, accompanied by a terrifyingly tempting three-course Halloween menu.

There will be three showings; at 1pm it’s Hocus Pocus, at 4pm The Addams Family and at 7pm Evil Dead. Each ‘screaming’ will begin with a creepy ‘Black Magic’ cocktail followed by a bespoke menu of devilishly-delicious dishes including a mixed dim sum basket with Chicken Xiao long bao eyeballs and Wagyu mummy dumplings, followed by a choice of chicken curry clay pot or vegetarian main served with jasmine rice or seasonal vegetables and an Asian pear sticky toffee pudding. Possibly all served by a dismembered hand, who knows?

Tickets priced £40 per person. Please call Tattu directly to book.

Happy 5th Birthday GRUB

GRUB is throwing a fifth birthday party weekend starting on Friday 18th October from 4pm until Sunday at 6pm at Unit 5, Great Northern Warehouse, M3 4EN.

The first 200 punters arriving each day will get to draw from the GRUB TOMBOLA where everyone wins. Prizes range from a £100 bar tab, a slice of birthday cake, a free dinner or a lovely party hat. Traders supplying the party food will include Wallace & Sons, The Ottomen, Wholesome Junkies, Parmstar, Seitan’s Kebab, Mia’s Arepas, Osaka Local, Knead Pitta, Bakeorama, Chou Choux Patisserie, Geordie Soul and Huns with all traders going 100% plant powered on the Sunday as is tradition. The DJ line up will include Jamie Groovement, Pasta Paul, Ailsa McLaggan, Jeff O’Toole, Tom Clarke, Johnny Shire, Pablo Blanquito & Chris E (Better Days) across the weekend. Of course it wouldn’t be a real birthday party without a bouncy castle, alongside a karaoke room and giant screen Mario kart. A mini beer festival will include over 20 lines including a scotch bonnet and mango sour beer from Runaway Brewery, and street food superstars Holy Crab.

2019 10 18 Laduree Boite Cannage Orange Macaron

Ladurée posh patisserie pop up

French luxury bakery Ladurée, known for unique flavours and Insta-worthy macarons, is launching its first ever cafe in the North of England on Friday 18th October 2019. The pop up intimate café space will be on the ground floor of Selfridges Manchester Exchange offering Ladurée’s classic flavoured macarons such as orange blossom, salted caramel and strawberry candy. The pop up will also offer the Super Macarons Collection, almond lucuma and matcha moringa, as well as a selection of hot drinks including Ladurée’s speciality teas. Customers will also be able to purchase chocolate gift boxes, jams, teas, candles, gifts and hampers.

FINCA to Pop-up at Northern Monk

Following last year's successful residency in Spinningfields, the team behind renowned Cuban street food concept FINCA has announced it will be returning to the city for one month in November.

The popular Liverpool based concept, which appeared on Netflix and BBC’s Million Pound Menu, will head to the Northern Quarter this time at Northern Monk Refectory MCR on Tuesday 5th November.

As well as serving up their famous cubanos - a hearty traditional sandwich filled with mojo marinated pork shoulder, roast ham, house pickles, mustard and gouda cheese – FINCA will also be using the opportunity to trial new dishes with a number of vegetarian and vegan options.

FINCA’s residency will be a full time operation with its food menu served from 12pm until 9pm, seven days a week. FINCA and Northern Monk will also be teaming up together to host a beer-pairing event.

For more information follow@FincaLiverpoolon Instagram, @Finca_UK on Twitter and FINCA Liverpool on Facebook.

Mine’s a pint

As part of Waxy O’Connor’s recent Manchester refurbishment, they have been trialling the Ripples™ Beverage Top Media Maker with Guinness and will be the first pub in the UK to offer drinkers the opportunity to have their face printed on their pint. The Ripple Maker™ is an innovative beverage-top media device that uses 100% natural extracts to print any message or high-resolution image on foam-topped drinks.

The Irish bar opened nearly 18 years ago on Corporation Street just opposite Victoria Train Station with a warren of several bars and nine different areas spread across three levels. It’s famed for serving more pints of Guinness in Manchester than any other venue.

They are inviting people to experience the new machine and to learn about how to pour the perfect pint with experts from the master brewer on Thursday 24th October at 6.30pm. The Guinness experience includes information about the heritage of Guinness, the Arthur Guinness Story, a Guinness Quiz, Hop House 13 Sampling, a cellar tour and a master class in Perfect Pint Pouring. A homemade Beef and Guinness stew will be served to guests at the event.

This first event is invitation only but you can enter to win two places for it via Waxy O’Connor’s social media channels or pre-register for a Guinness event here.

Bolton’s Balti Best

Hot Chilli in Bolton has scooped top honours at the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards (ARTA) 2019 - The Oscars of the Curry Industry - by being presented with the Champion of Champions Award. Held at the Park Plaza Hotel Westminster, the awards are in recognition of the UK’s best of South Asian, Thai and Chinese cuisine across a series of prestigious regional and national categories.

Shek Abul Bashar of Hot Chilli said: “To be named the Champions of all Champions is something everybody in this industry dreams of – it is an overwhelming honour. Asian food continues to rise in popularity in the UK. Without our loyal customers in the North West this would not have been possible, and we pride ourselves highly on the fact that people enjoy our food just as much as we enjoy making it. To be named the best is something we will cherish forever.”

More Foundation Coffee

The Foundation Coffee brand, owned and operated by design and branding studio NoChintz, have announced they will be opening a third branch next month. The new branch will be situated at 11 Portland Street, opposite Piccadilly bus station. The space is part of the Aviva investors portfolio, and visitors to Foundation Portland can expect an experience consistent with the Northern Quarter and Whitworth St locations – design led backdrops for people to work, relax and socialise. The space promises to be brighter and fresher than its sister locations with bespoke lighting, a ‘raw but polished aesthetic’ and an added focus on takeout options.

Hope for Arndale and momo markets

Alongside their more permanent residency at YES, chicken supremos and seitan superstars Firebird Hope have announced they are launching a one month pop up in the Arndale Market’s food hall. Starting on Monday 21st October, they will be located at the unit next door to Pancho’s Burritos selling their signature level up chicken burgers with koji mayo and house slaw as well as their plant-based triple-6 vegan burger with homemade seitan fillet.

Chorlton-based Tibetan Kitchen have also revealed that they will be having a city centre operation in the form of a new daytime market stall at Piccadilly Gardens, Wednesday to Sunday 11am-5pm, offering their ever popular momos with chilli sauce, chai tea and more Himalayan delights.

Closing statements….

Bagel and pastrami masters Eat New York have announced the closure of their Oldham Street site. But before you go crying into your cream cheese, all is not lost because they will be providing an alternative to the mass produced and highly suspect sausages at the Christmas Markets on Cathedral street from 8th November.

Also, they have promised that they’ll be reopening on Oldham St with a brand new look and feel. We heard from someone, that heard from someone else, that they have gone into partnership with none other than Lyndon Higginson and the team behind the likes of Liars Club, Bunny Jacksons, Cain & Grain, Crazy Pedros and Junkyard Golf etc. The plan is to reopen as an American Diner on one floor with a cinema upstairs showing alternative films.