Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant empire is set to expand as he prepares to open a swanky Pan-Asian restaurant and robata grill in Manchester. Lucky Cat, which first opened in Mayfair in London in 2019, will take over the unit formerly occupied by Jamie’s Italian and HSBC on King Street.
This will not be the first time that a Ramsay-owned property takes over a former Oliver establishment. Earlier this year, Ramsay made a cheeky dig at Jamie Oliver after he opened his Bread Street Kitchen & Bar in Liverpool where Jamie’s Italian restaurant used to stand.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo at the time, he said: “It was never my intention to take over Jamie’s Italian…It had nothing to do with it being his old site. Where Jamie failed, there’s a big learning curve for all of us. One Man’s failure is the next man’s success.”
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Owners of Union Street Cafe, of which Ramsay is a director, have filed a licensing application for a ‘high quality Asian style bar and restaurant with entertainment by way of recorded music and a DJ’ on King Street, with trading over three floors. If successful, it would mark the second Lucky Cat restaurant following the London debut.
Billed as an “authentic Asian Eating House”, the concept is inspired by the drinking dens of 1930s Tokyo and the Far East. It faced some criticism from national food critics when it first opened in 2019 due to questions over its authenticity, but received positive feedback from diners.
The London site features an open kitchen and signature raw bar, plus an exclusive chefs table - all elements that could be replicated at the Manchester site. If the licensing bid goes through, guests can expect Asian-inspired small plates, Robata grilled dishes, sushi and sashimi.
Dishes span delicacies such as sliced yellowtail with wasabi leaf and Wagyu beef tataki, plus dumplings and bao, and tempura and fried dishes. With plans in place for late opening until 2.30am, guests might also be able to make the most of the Lucky Cat Lates popular at their Mayfair branch, burning together late night bites, signature cocktails and the sounds of resident DJs.
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