![\"Liv](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_author-picjpglU.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA review of the Thirsty Korean in its new home on Wilbraham Road<\/p>\n
Liv is the Tourism Writer for the Manchester Evening News. She is an NCTJ-trained senior reporter who joined the team in 2021. She previously worked as a reporter for The Bolton News. <\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_Food-review-of-the-Thirsty-Korean-Chorlton-Manchester.jpg\")
The Thirsty Korean, Chorlton(Image: MEN Staff)<\/p>\n
Chorlton<\/a> is something of a foodie hotspot in Greater Manchester. Its cafes, delis and restaurants aren\u2019t confined to any single high street but are spread out across the suburb, providing a tasty delight around every corner.<\/p>\n On Barlow Moor Road restaurants <\/a>of every cuisine sit side by side: Lebanese, Jamaican, Japanese, Italian and more.<\/p>\n Turn onto Beech Road and you\u2019ll find the colourful Bar San Juan, The Jane Eyre and the Lead Station. On Manchester Road Barbakan Delicatessen is known for its breads, meats and cheeses.<\/p>\n One Chorlton restaurant which has gained a loyal fanbase is the Thirsty Korean, which first opened on Manchester Road in 2019, run by Eunji Noh.<\/p>\n Stay connected with our City Life newsletter here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n It was even featured at the centre of a campaign from Sacha Lord in 2023 where he offered to pay for everyone\u2019s food.<\/a><\/p>\n In Spring 2024 Eunji announced that she was closing the restaurant despite its popularity, as the lease of the venue was ending. But she reassured fans she would be back – and in April this year the Thirsty Korean opened once more in a new location on Wilbraham Road, taking over the former Vietnamese Potbellied spot.<\/a><\/p>\n Several months following its opening, the Thirsty Korean is clearly doing well in its new location and during my visit one Friday night in August it was packed – booking ahead is definitely recommended.<\/p>\n Korean food has grown in popularity in recent years, no doubt in thanks to the rise of K-Pop and one of South Korea\u2019s biggest cultural exports, BTS. Yet the cuisine is still new to a lot of people – I\u2019ve only had it once before – and there\u2019s something rather exciting about reading a menu filled with unfamiliar dishes.<\/p>\n The menu is divided into small dishes or starters, mains and sides. Between four of us we shared the large kimchi-jeon pancake (\u00a313.20) and the cheese teokbokki (\u00a312.60) as a starter.<\/p>\n Both arrived after a short wait. The kimchi pancake was beautifully crisp, served with a chilli soy dip, and the large size was perfect for four of us.<\/p>\n The huge dish of teokbokki – rice cakes about the size of a chunky chip – came smothered in bright red sauce and topped with melted cheese.<\/p>\n I\u2019d had these once before and had been unsure about the texture. They are slightly chewy and gelatinous, but I found it worked well with the sauce. Interestingly I was outvoted by my dining companions who all preferred the teokbokki over the pancake. More for me then.<\/p>\n Appetites whetted, our main courses arrived. Again we went for a bit of a mix and match and conveniently many of the main dishes come accompanied with rice.<\/p>\n Gochujang is a spicy chilli paste which has crept into recipes on social media of late (I can recommend adding it to pasta with a dash of cream) and the Thirsty Korean deploys it successfully with stir-fried pork in Jeyukbokkeum (\u00a316.80).<\/p>\n The meat was tender and the sauce had a mouthwatering kick to it; Korean food can be spicy but in a sweet way which doesn\u2019t feel overwhelming. Although I was perhaps a bit too eager and overdid it, judging by the amount of refills of my water glass.<\/p>\n Another main we selected was the Bulgogi, a classic Korean dish with thin strips of beef marinated in soy garlic sauce served with vegetables. This was more like a stir-fry, the vegetables crunchy and the beef light.<\/p>\n We also ordered one of the smaller plates as a main because it just sounded too good to miss: the Dalg-gangjeong (\u00a312) deep friend boneless kitchen in a sweet and spicy sauce. This was perhaps the most popular dish among us as it was just so moreish, reminiscent of the classic Chinese dish.<\/p>\n Completing the table was a big bowl of Jajangmyeon (\u00a316.80) – noodles in a black bean sauce with vegetables – which you can have either alone, or with pork or beef, which is what we went for (\u00a32.40). The sauce was rich with a deep umami flavour, providing a nice contrast to the sweetness of the pork and chicken dishes, although the noodles did pose a significant splash risk, which my white T-shirt fell victim to.<\/p>\n Around us the restaurant was bustling and it\u2019s clear that the Thirsty Korean has kept its loyal fanbase, as well as attracted new customers, despite its temporary closure.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755412216_653_0_Food-review-of-the-Thirsty-Korean-Chorlton-Manchester.jpg\")
The kimchi-jeon pancake(Image: MEN Staff)<\/p>\n![\"cheese](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755412217_701_0_Food-review-of-the-Thirsty-Korean-Chorlton-Manchester.jpg\")
cheese teokbokki (Image: MEN Staff)<\/p>\n![\"Jeyukbokkeum\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755412219_833_0_Food-review-of-the-Thirsty-Korean-Chorlton-Manchester.jpg\")
Jeyukbokkeum(Image: MEN Staff)<\/p>\n![\"Jajangmyeon](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755412220_751_0_Food-review-of-the-Thirsty-Korean-Chorlton-Manchester.jpg\")
Jajangmyeon with beef (Image: MEN Staff)<\/p>\n