After Lizzo hailed their tofu sandwich, the team behind Northern Quarter bakery and cafe Gooey are launching a new project. Onda Pasta Bar will be heading to the Exhibition food hall, on the site of Manchester’s natural history museum.
They’ll be taking over the space left by chef Caroline Martin’s Sao Paolo Bistro, and setting up their pasta rolling machines, serving up fresh pasta and a range of dishes inducing a Sunday special sharing plate.
The Onda menu will feature six small pasta plates made to share, including classic cacio e pepe, pesto cavatelli, scallop and crab raviolo, and beef cheek ragu pappardelle. Starters will include their own garlic bread, a caesar salad and saffron risotto short rib arancini.
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There will also be two pasta ‘sharing trays’ each day, of lumache alla vodka topped with ‘nduja sausage and Parmesan and a gnocchi gratinati made with potato gnocchi, parmesan béchamel, spinach and pangrattato - Italian breadcrumbs - on top.
In the kitchen doing the pasta cookery will be Sam Astley-Dean, Michelin-trained chef who was behind pizza pop-up, Rise MCR.
Speaking about the opening, Sam said: “We’re incredibly excited to finally be sharing Onda with the world. Our fantastic team have all brought different inspirations and perspectives to our new kitchen - it’s great to be able to bring something new to Manchester, and in such a brilliant venue, too! I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been working on.”
Sam Wheatley, operations manager at Exhibition, said: “At Exhibition, we are committed to bringing our guests the best food and drink, made with the freshest ingredients, and so working with Sam and the team on their new project seemed like the perfect fit.
“He’s a real expert at what he does and we know that the people of Manchester are going to love what he’s bringing to the table. Who doesn’t love pasta?”
They’ll be joining Prestwich kitchen OSMA at the food hall, and Ramsbottom’s Baratxuri.
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