Shoryu Ramen Manchester

Piccadilly Gardens has long been a thorn in Manchester’s side. Poorly designed, the past few years saw it turn into a no-go area, with the unwanted distinction of being one of the most crime-ridden hot spots of the North. However, recent months have seen an attempt to fix this, including plans for the demolition of the widely hated ‘Piccadilly Wall’. This has also seen an influx of restaurants and businesses to the area, including Shoryu Ramen, a Japanese restaurant specialising in authentic Hakata cuisine.

It’s extremely busy compared to its near neighbours and our server admits, with a hint of pride, that since opening they’ve been run off their feet. This bodes well. There are many Japanese restaurants in the city centre and it takes something special to stand out, particularly when neighbouring eateries are half-empty. It’s a compact venue, with a few small tables and a long wooden bench splitting the venue down the middle. The atmosphere is bustling and energetic, without being intrusive.

Again demonstrating how busy they’ve been, a good third of the menu has sold out by the time we arrive but our friendly host helpfully suggests a few dishes.

The Shoryu bun, with char sui bbq pork belly, is a revelation. The bun is as soft and fluffy as marshmallow, the pork is soft and supple, shaped like a cookie-cutter burger, and the sauce is a spicy blend of sweet and sour condiments – wildly unhealthy and more addictive than any international conglomerate’s special sauce. This is the nearest thing to junk food you’ll find in any Japanese restaurant in Manchester. Dieters, beware. Food-lovers, fill your boots.

The chicken karaage is almost as good, bracingly hot chunks of deep-fried goosnargh chicken with subtle hints of ginger and garlic. It’s worth making a special visit just for the gyoza. These are handmade Hakatan version of the juicy, pork-filled translucent dumpling, known as ‘tetsunabe’ gyoza. Jam-packed with dank, juicy meat, they’re gone in a mouthful but never forgotten.

Both bowls are, to get technical for a moment, absolutely ginormous

But of course, we’re here for the venue’s eponymous ramen. We’re told the Kotteri Hakata Tonkotsu is a must-try – a thick meaty broth, that comes in at a belly-busting 1100 calories, and the Miso Wafu Chicken sounds irresistible. Both bowls are, to get technical for a moment, absolutely ginormous. Bowls as big as sandcastle buckets full of steaming hot broth, vegetables and meats. One is more than enough for two people.

It’s a tough choice, but the Kotteri is arguably the better of the two. It’s crammed with thick slabs of fatty rind-on pork and a couple of hard-boiled eggs, not to mention of kikurage mushrooms, spring onion, nori seaweed and thick spiralling ramen noodles. The whole thing glistens with rich, flavourful fat and cheek-smarting umami – if you only eat one thing all day, make it this.

The chicken noodle dish doesn’t disappoint. It’s a white miso broth that uses Shoryu’s own unique tonyu soy milk, along with bundles of shiitake mushrooms. Impressively, the deep-fried chicken karaage retains its crispiness throughout, despite being soaked in liquid.

Both are impossible to finish and sadly, whether due to in-house policy or simply running out of boxes, our request to doggy-bag the rest is denied. This minor disappointment aside, Shoryu are clearly doing something very right. It’s easily the busiest space in Piccadilly Gardens’ new restaurant sector, with delightfully helpful staff and some of the most well-made, eye-rollingly good Japanese dishes in the city. The council has made noise for some time about rejuvenating this long-neglected area, and Shoryu Ramen is the first indication of the direction they should head. Now if they’ll just rip down that damn wall.