There’s nothing quite like a comforting bowl of umami-packed ramen on a cold, drizzly day – or any day for that matter. Here to offer exactly that plus more in Manchester is House of Fu, a day to night ramen bar that keeps guest entertained with not only food and drink, but with karaoke too.
Hailing from across the Pennines, the Leeds-born ramen spot has now set its eyes on a Manchester branch, which has now opened its doors. Situated on Manchester’s Portland Street within the walls once occupied by the Architects Society, House of Fu serves up classic and inventive bowls of ramen, vibrant rice dishes and homemade gyoza, all paired with carefully selected cocktails, craft beer, sake and wines.
House of Fu is brings their modern ramen, rice bowls and small plates to Manchester from 11:30am everyday, including their top dishes spicy tantanmen and lip-smackingly good cucumber salad. The venue also boasts a late night party spot, state-of-the-art karaoke rooms, and private dining room, offering a brand new feasting menu for parties of up to 30, alongside their every day menu.
The Portland Street spot also hosts a Happy Hour every day from 4pm – 6pm, with any two cocktails only £13. Their Hello cocktail bar opens Thursday – Saturday ‘til late, with the karaoke rooms available to book every evening.
The story of House of Fu began in 2014 as a smash hit pop-up at Belgrave Music Hall which was awarded ‘Best of the Best’ at that year’s British Street Food awards. The brand then popped up at various venues and music festivals as the team continually developed the concept, testing out ideas collected on inspirational trips to New York, Tokyo, Portland and Los Angeles.
The first site opened in 2021 on Leeds’ The Headrow, going from strength to strength and gaining a loyal following for their innovative flavours and creative takes on Japanese favourites such as gyoza, katsu and tonkotsu broth. Now owners Simon Stevens and Ashley Kollakowski have successfully opened House of Fu in the city, developing some incredible new dishes for the Manchester menu.
Ben Iley, a long-time collaborator of the team who formerly ran the kitchen at Michelin-recommended restaurant, Ox Club, is the engine driving forward a creative kitchen team and oversees Manchester operations. Many years ago, after planning to visit Tokyo for one month, a trip which turned into 10 years, Ben worked at some of the country’s most popular restaurants. Ben has worked alongside world renowned chefs including Marcus Samuelsson, Bill Granger and most notably Ivan Orkin, the chef behind the internationally acclaimed Ivan Ramen.
Ben remarked on the run-up to the opening: “Going for a bowl was the thing to do in Tokyo, it was almost a competition amongst friends to take the group to their newest find or introduce them to their favourite neighbourhood ramen bar. It’s that excitement and love for a good bowl we want to bring to Manchester.
“Whilst the core menu will consist of some firm favourites, each week the kitchen team will be challenging their creativity, producing their own specials to serve up so our guests can enjoy something different and new every time they visit. We want House of Fu to be somewhere chefs want to train as much as they want to eat.”
Although the entire House of Fu team are heavily influenced by the bowl culture and aesthetics of L.A. and Tokyo ramen bars, the team are known for their collaborations with local artists and creators to create their eye-catching merch. House of Fu Manchester also supports EatWellMCR, the local collective who are working towards the eradication of food poverty in Greater Manchester.
You can be one of the very first visitors to House of Fu Manchester by booking here.
House of Fu is now open at 113-115 Portland Street, M1 6DW.