Located on the popular Tib Lane in Manchester, New Wave is a Japanese ramen bar that celebrates all the great things about the more modern parts of Tokyo's food culture scene. Rather than using Japanese ingredients, the team at New Wave work closely with local suppliers in order to be more sustainable, but of course, there are some artisan Japanese products flown in. The space is slick and modern in its design, with no gimmicks or overly busy furnishings.
Dishes arrive as and when they are ready, as part of the laid back ethos. To snack on, you can try the spicy Korean kimchi, edamame beans in lemon and smoked sea salt, or crispy wonton crackers with nori salt. Small dishes, which double up as starters or sides, include pork gyozas with yuzu ponzu, chashu rice with pork belly, kewpie, furikake and spring onion and cucumber with tofu shira-ae and chilli crunch. Then it's straight into the ramen – the star of the show. Try the yuzu shio with clear chicken broth, dashi, shio-yuzu tare, pork belly, smoked coppa, menma, nori, egg and spring onion – a true bowl of goodness. There's also soy milk-dashi miso ramen, lamb tantanmen, and Tokyo shoyu.
From the drinks menu try the Melon Sour short cocktail, which is velvety and sherberty. The drink is made with midori, vodka, nigori sake, lemon and vegan whites, and contrasts with the sweet and deep Eisai’s Gold – blended up with toki whiskey, honey blend, peach oolong tea and lemon. Sake also plays a big part in the experience at New Wave, with options to enjoy classic blends and specialty drinks like the rich, sweet and sour plum sake.