FIRST LOOK: Urban Cookhouse | Princess Street

FUSION works. 

When Aerosmith and Run DMC merged rock and rap they were met with huge success. When Samsung fused the digital camera with the mobile phone they changed the digital landscape. Nuclear fusion? - you get the picture.

Yet fusion food hasn’t always resulted with the most appetising combinations, unless you have Heston Blumenthal sensibilities (curried ice-cream, anyone?) it can be hit and miss (although successful 'world buffets' Tops and Red Hot would say otherwise as would the queues outside).

We didn't want to be an Italian and we didn't want to be stuck with burgers when the burger trend blows out either.

Now, Manchester is to welcome a new fusion food restaurant to 54 Princess Street with the Urban Cookhouse. 

Urban Cookhouse

Located on the edge of the Gay Village, the new independent has transformed a former shipping warehouse into a restaurant, bar and lounge. It opens for soft launches on Friday 13 March, flings open the doors to the general public on Friday 27 March and is to open seven days a week.

The open plan modern restaurant takes a New York loft theme, with corrugated metal finishings, exposed low hanging light fixtures and a deep neon purple luminates the walls - very NY. And, as with any good Manhattanite restaurant, the bar takes centre stage. 

Urban Cookhouse

The Urban Cookhouse is a first start-up by young Salford local entrepreneur, Tim Coulston, managing director of Violet Hospitality. 

Coulston is, as he says, keeping cool and has high hopes his fusion food will settle well on the stomach of Manchester’s food crowd:

"We didn't want to be an Italian and we didn't want to be stuck with burgers when the burger trend blows out either. Worse still, we didn't want to be the Italian that starts doing burgers all of a sudden. Going fusion allows us to have flexibility and we will monitor what people say they want. 

The menu will take pan-Asian cuisine a little further afield and will introduce dishes such as jerk loin of pork with sweet chilli pineapple noodles, pak choi and Jamaican dumplings and buttermilk fried whisky chicken served with smoked bourbon sauce and sweet potato scallops. Diners are said to prepare for a 'whistle-stop world tour'.

"It's mainly British and American style food - just done differently with Asian influences. For instance, we'll still do fish and chips and we'll do corn dogs, but instead, chorizo corn dogs. These will be dishes the public are already familar with but with added points of difference, and we aim to appeal to as many people as possible."

The fusion theme will also runs through to the cocktails and, with a late licence, the DJ will play on until 2am (no Run DMC/Aerosmith, I'm afraid).

On first look, the Urban Cookhouse feels more like a Spinningfields-based venture, but Coulston isn't too worried the hens and stags parties that frequent neighbouring areas on Princess Street will ruin the polished, sophisticated feel. 

"Of course we don't want to be tacky and there is a door policy - so yes, no plastic penises and party hats. Yet the overall aim is to welcome a mixture of people."

Coulston adds: “This is an exciting time for Violet Hospitality, we’re really looking forward to launching the Urban Cookhouse in Manchester. Manchester’s restaurant and bar scene has seen fantastic development over the past few years and I believe the Urban Cookhouse will be an excellent addition to Princess Street.”

This is a risk for Coulston, let's hope his optimism pays off.

Urban Cookhouse opens to the public on Friday 27 March

Soft openings begin on Friday 13 March. 

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