US fried chicken brand Slim Chickens has opened its second branch in the city, in a huge site inside the Manchester Arndale Centre.
Throwing open its doors yesterday - well, it doesn’t have doors per se, it's between Five Guys and Nandos in the Upper Mall - where we got a good look at some of the deep fried delights on offer.
Principal among them are its buttermilk marinated chicken tenders (starting at £4.45 for three 'solo', or £7.95 for the meal), which come with a range of 15 sauces, ranging from blue cheese to via sriracha garlic up to the worrying 'fiery inferno'.
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They come with a ‘Texan toast’ (a fried slab of brioche) and seasoned fries too.
The MEN also tried its honey BBQ chicken burger (£6.45 on its own or £9.75 for the meal), served in a soft brioche, covered in honey BBQ sauce, and served with pickles and cheddar jack cheese.
It also offers decent buffalo wings (from £5.95) too, as well as deep fried pickles (£3.95) - a must - and sides of crispy fried onions (also £3.95).
Meanwhile, the whole thing is soundtracked by a fine line in blues music, as well as big screen US sports, while the licensed bar also serves beers and signature cocktails.
It’s the second branch of Slim Chickens to open in the city, with the first turning up at the Trafford Centre in October last year.
Said spokesman Phil Neale: “Manchester is home to a thriving and diverse food scene, and we can’t wait to be a bigger part of it as we prepare to open our Manchester Arndale restaurant.
“We opened our restaurant at The Trafford Centre less than a year ago, and we’ve been delighted with its success to date – so much so that we’re expanding our local offering with the launch of our Manchester Arndale restaurant.
“Slims is all about premium and freshly cooked chicken, every time. We’re passionate about quality and use only the best ingredients that our guests deserve, including 100% all natural British chicken and our own house recipes.
“We’re dedicated to serving great food in a great atmosphere and look forward to welcoming even more Manchester foodies into our restaurant from February 24.”
The new venue occupies a plum spot on the upper mall, taking over the former Bella Italia site and next to Five Guys and Nando's.
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