Tibetan Kitchen at Chorlton Water Park

If you’re lucky, your local park might have an ice cream van, or if you’re really lucky, you might stumble across a bare-bones café where you can buy mysterious meat sandwiches and bad coffee. Not in Chorlton. 

Chorlton Water Park is the pride of South Manchester, a must-go destination for everything from first dates to retired couples walking the dogs and grandkids. It’s essentially a big man-made lake, surrounded by woods and featuring a play area and other bits. Serene as it gets. 

Somehow, magically, it’s been isolated from the mass landlordism sweeping the city centre and seems to genuinely be run for the people, by people-who-aren’t-proxies-for-corporate-interests. 

It’s also, in the main, pretty well to do around here. Very few NOS-sniffing hoodies riding around on hacked ebikes in Chorlton. 

This means, as you leave the park, you aren’t met with a McDonald’s or a greasy spoon. No, you’re gently ushered toward the on-site Tibetan food shack, complete with mindfulness-led party bus. Don’t question it; it’s just Chorlton Chorltonning. 

It’s a spin-off of the mighty Tibetan Kitchen on Upper Chorlton Road, headed up by local character Sonny and his wife Jane. That location opened just over ten years ago but they’ve been running pop-ups, festivals and markets since 2006. Their Chorlton/Trafford roots go way back. 

Here, the menu is small but mighty: mainly trays of curries and momos, ranging from chicken, beef and vegetables, all a tenner or under. Plus standard fare such as coffee, cold drinks and simple snacks. Remember, it’s a small, indie-style operation – if you want more variety, head over to the OG venue, a seven-minute cycle away. 

Service is all very no frills – cardboard trays and wooden sporks – but the food itself has all the requisite frills, and more. Right down to the ruched edges on the momos, which legend has it Sonny pinches by hand each and every morning. 

The curry is packed with sensible chunks of sweet potato, meat and vigorous Himalayan spices (think ginger, garlic and chilli, with a gentle Indian edge). It’s a pleasant, filling alternative to usual park fare and unlikely to cause a wave of childhood obesity anytime soon. 

But it’s the momos that sparkle. Or sizzle, rather. They’re absolute beasts of the genre: firm and sturdy, with a wonderful near-charred, golden-brown, crunchy crust, full of, er, filling, and with a dipping sauce that tingles but doesn’t burn. Fine for all the family. 

As for that party bus, a lot happens here. From hen dos to kids’ parties, yoga classes to colouring-in. If you like a bit of low-impact woo-woo in your life, join this club.